The Volkswagen Tiguan SUV is available in a seven-seat option, well almost. VW call the Tiguan Allspace an “occasional seven seater” and this is a perfect description. The rest of the time the third-row seats in the Allspace can be laid flat, providing more boot space than the standard Tiguan.
I recently drove the Tiguan Allspace R-Line 162TSI, which can be differentiated from other Allspace models thanks to the R-Line front and rear bumpers, R-Line side sills, R-Line rear spoiler, and 20” Misano alloy wheels. The 162TSI is powered by a 2.0 litre, 4-cylinder inline turbocharged petrol engine with 162kW of power and 350Nm of torque. The engine is paired with a 7-speed Direct Shift Gearbox with sport mode and Tiptronic function and VW’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive. The Allspace is no slouch, with a 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds, combined with a comfortable and solid-feeling ride for an SUV. The official combined fuel efficiency is 8.6L/100km and for my week I used 10.8L/100km.
There are multiple drive modes to select from in the Allspace including Snow, Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual plus, an option for off-road and off-road expert. Under the Individual drive mode, you can adjust Dynamic Chassis Control, steering, drive, adaptive cruise control, light assistance and air conditioning.
On the inside of this Allspace you get R-Line Vienna leather appointed upholstery, black headliner and stainless-steel foot pedals. The attractive looking front seats are heated and cooled with power adjustment for recline, forward/back, seat height front and rear, 2-way lumbar support and three memory positions. The small feature I did love about the front seats is the lack of a gap between the seat and the door sill so items can not fall under the seat and it is easy to vacuum out.
Sitting behind the R-Line heated steering wheel, with “Touch” haptic feedback buttons and small plastic wheel-mounted paddle shifters, is the Digital Cockpit Pro 10.25″ digital instrument colour display screen with customisable displays. In the R-Line this is combined with a 9.2” colour touch screen display with smartphone style graphics, Gesture Control, and Voice Control. The voice control is designated on the steering wheel by a feminine looking silhouette and the voice assistant worked well for me when I used it to change the radio station, making phone calls and setting a destination on the sat nav.
Smartphone connection to the infotainment system is via an App-Connect USB-C interface or wireless App-Connect with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other media sources available include AM radio, FM/DAB+, Bluetooth, My Media and Mirrorlink. This R-Line Allspace was also fitted with the optional 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system (part of Sound & Vision package), with 480W total power output, digital 16-channel amplifier and subwoofer.
Storage in the front of the cabin is numerous with large felt-lined drink bottle storage cubbies in the front doors, a cooled glovebox, multiple sized cup holder in the centre console under a roller cover. I liked that the centre console has matte grey plastic surrounds, so you will not get finger marks all over it like gloss black plastic surrounds. At the front of the centre console is the wireless charging/App-Connect pad in a cubby and here there are also two USB-C ports and a 12V outlet here.
The Sound & Vision Package ($2,600) also includes an older style pop-up head-up display and Area View with Front, Rear and Side Cameras that provide a 360-degree exterior view from your Tiguan Allspace. The a 360o rear-view camera has multiple camera views adjacent on the screen combined with front and rear sensors.
The second-row seats have a 60:40 split for sliding the seats back/forward and a 40:20:40 mechanism for folding the seats down. With the second-row seats pushed all the way back there is ample head and leg room for two adults to sit here. There are also two ISOFIX/three rear tether child seat restraint points for younger passengers and it is worth noting that the rear tether points are lower down than those in the standard Tiguan. The centre seat folds down as an arm rest with three different sized cup holders in it and the large drink bottle storage cubby in the rear doors is felt lined to prevent rattles, a small feature that could save a parent’s sanity.
The outer second row seats are heated and rear passengers get digital temperature control with two central air vents that have manual on/off and direction control. The rear temp can be controlled from the front of the vehicle as well and locked to prevent possible sibling conflicts. Below the vents there is one USB-C and one 12V outlet and in addition to map pockets on the back of the front seats there are also smaller pockets for devices to be placed in. There are floor mats in the second row, but no mat over the transmission tunnel, so this carpet may wear over time.
Volkswagen suggests that the third-row seats are for occasional use only and I would agree. The 50:50 split third row seats are raised and lowered using the strap behind them and space to step into them from behind the second-row seats is tight. The third row is not suitable for adults to sit in and even my 10-year-old daughter said it was tight for her. There are no child seat anchorage points on the third-row seats, but there is a small mat on the floor and a small rigid cup holder on the passenger side.
The Tiguan Allspace R-Line has a gesture hands-free open tailgate, or can be opened/closed from the button on the tailgate, key fob or in the cabin. With the third-row seats up you may just be able to squeeze in four school bags or a small shop into the boot space. With the third-row seats down, the boot floor is flat and has enough space for a weekly shop or a pram and a smaller shop. Or if you need the entire cargo space the second-row seats can be manually lowered from the boot using a lever. The boot space has four substantial tie down points, one hook, two lights, a 12V outlet and a space saving spare tyre and I really liked that the cargo cover is stored under the boot floor when not in use.
This Volkswagen Tiguan model range, including the Allspace, has a 5-star ANCAP (2016) safety rating and an Adult Occupant Protection score of 36.6 out of 38 (96%) and a Child Occupant Protection rating of 39.5 out of 49 (80%). Passive safety features on all Tiguan models include driver and front passenger airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, driver and front passenger side airbags and curtain airbags for the front and rear. For convenience the Tiguan Allspace has auto lights, but no auto wipers.
Active safety on the Tiguan Allspace comes in the form of VW’s IQ.DRIVE system and includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Emergency Assist, Front Assist with Pedestrian Monitoring, Travel Assist with Adaptive Lane Guidance, and Lane Assist. ANCAP tests of the autonomous emergency braking system at highway speeds (AEB Interurban) showed good performance and the overall ANCAP score for Safety Assist is 68%.
All new Volkswagen vehicles come with a 5 Year Unlimited kilometre warranty and a 1-year membership to Volkswagen Roadside Assist. If you service your Volkswagen at an authorised Volkswagen Dealer, you can receive an additional 12 months Roadside Assistance. An upfront 5-Year Care Plan for the Tiguan Allspace that covers standard service costs can be purchased for non-commercial use vehicles for $2,950 (first service free), saving $1,023 off the Assured Service Pricing RRP.
The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace R-Line offers just a little more practicality and boot space than the standard VW Tiguan. The Allspace R-Line is priced from $60,190 plus on-road costs and as tested with optional Atlantic Blue metallic paint ($900) and the Sound & Vision package ($2,600) this R-Line was $63,690 plus on-road costs. Design your Tiguan Allspace using the online Configurator or visit your preferred Volkswagen dealer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| Occasional third row seats and larger boot space | Third row seats are quite small |
| The front seat design | Old style pop-up head-up display |
| Separate rear temperature climate control | Does not have auto wipers |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.