#TriedAndTested: VW Tiguan Allspace 2.0TDI 4Motion Comfortline

What's it like?

I recently had the new Tiguan Allspace for a week to comfortably cruise around Cape Town. My first thought after witnessing all the space in this vehicle was to offer some friends and family a lift club for their kids or to offer to drive around sports equipment for a coach friend of mine. It's not every day I get to feel like a soccer mom...

To give you a better idea if you’re one for numbers, the vehicle's total length has increased by 215mm to 4,701mm which makes it a space giant among SUVs of its class.

The Tiguan Allspace can now fit seven people as opposed to five. If you're wondering how VW managed to fit in an extra row of seats, well, it all comes down to the longer wheelbase which is 110mm longer, and now measures 2,791mm.

The extra row of seats at the back is pretty tight, in all honesty - especially for an adult. For kids on the other hand, space seems sufficient.

Flattening the third row of seats is a standard manual manoeuvre (no electric buttons) but it's quick and easy to do. Once the third row of seats is flat, the boot is humongous - it increases from 230 litres to 700 litres. And if you have no backseat drivers at all, you can even flatten the second row of seats to give you a total of 1,775 litres of boot space.

This makes the car super versatile and it’s, therefore, a great companion for a family, or even an adventurous couple: when all the back seats are flat, the cargo space length is 1,921 mm – that's enough space for surfboards or perhaps even a bike or two if you don’t have roof racks. Win!

All that said, it’s pretty obvious that the Tiguan is a large vehicle, and I can imagine that some would struggle to manoeuvre it in and out of small spaces. I, however, didn't find it too difficult - perhaps thanks to the rear-view camera and other sensitive sensors on the vehicle. The car is easy to handle and a dream on the open road but also quick and responsive in the right situations.

What about engine and safety stuff?

The Tiguan Allspace for South Africa is available in three equipment lines (Trendline, Comfortline and Highline), and in front and all-wheel drive variants. Three petrol (TSI) engine variants and one diesel (TDI) engine variant is available.

The 2.0 TDI engine, available with a seven-speed DSG transmission, develops 110kW of power and 340Nm of torque. Volkswagen claims a combined fuel consumption is 6.6l/100km.

With driver assistance systems such as ACC (adaptive cruise control) with front assist (including city emergency braking function), the Allspace offers semi-automated driving features that improve comfort and safety.

What else?

Thanks to Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system which operates with an innovative multi-plate clutch, power distribution between the front and rear axle is seamless. It’s a great car for some off-the-beaten-track paths, handling dirt and sandy roads with ease with a ground clearance of 201mm.

I usually love experimenting with a car's technology and had great fun when I picked up some friends from the airport, showing them the Tiguan's built-in cleverness on the road. The Tiguan cruises effortlessly with its semi-automated driving features and slows down automatically without unnecessary jerking when needed.

Another function I appreciated was the side mirrors that fold in automatically when you lock the car. I think that's quite essential for a car of this size.

App Connect uses Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to link all common smartphone types to the vehicle's infotainment systems is standard on Highline models (optional on Trendline/Comfortline).

How many bucks?

The version I drove, the 2.0 TDI 110kW 4Motion Comfortline, costs R571,100. The car comes standard with a three-year/45,000km service plan, three-year/120,000km warranty. Service interval is 15,000km.

Conclusion

If versatility and space are what you're after, the Tiguan Allspace is a great option. For an adventurous family of four or less, you'd be able to fit in everyone's suitcases, a pram, and whichever other travelling bells and whistles you need. A bigger family, however, would need to hook on a trailer or only use it for school runs or lift club, as the boot space is very limited once all seats are up.