Have you ever seen or driven a car and instantly known that it will remain a firm favourite of yours for the rest of time? This happened to me with the Volkswagen Tiguan back in 2008 and now, the second generation in, I am still a massive fan. It’s comfortable, it’s practical and it’s pretty much like driving a raised-up Golf, which is car I find hard to fault. I have always been the practical type so it’s no wonder I would be more excited by a car like the Tiguan than say, a BMW M5 (you can close your mouth!). So, can you imagine my excitement when I heard about the Tiguan Allspace? A Tiguan with even more space and practicality? Crisis, things were about to get wild…for me.
Off I headed to good ol’ Durbs and on landing we got straight in to the business presentation. On a side note quickly, did you know that since the Tiguan launched back in 2008, 25 600 units have been sold, that’s like 250 a month! Even more impressive, is since the second generation launched in 2016, VW has seen between 400 and 450 units sold a month, that’s only private customers, not rental companies. Yoh!
Back to the Allspace. International markets like China, USA and us practical-minded South Africans, had a need for a bigger and more versatile seven-seater. So Volkswagen set out to make the Tiguan the most sophisticated family car in SA. VW calls it its “can do everything, look good anywhere” offer.
After piling up on biltong, chips, and all sorts of goodies for our snack packs (yinna, I love a snack pack) we headed outside to the greet the newcomer. The Tiguan Allspace is recognisable as the seven-seat offering by the large side window, a new front grille and raised bonnet, decorative badging and trapezoidal tailpipes. It is 210mm longer overall than the standard Tiguan, the wheelbase is 110mm longer and the luggage space has increased by 115mm. The height and width remain the same.
Climbing inside is a bit more obvious…obviously. The seven-seats give it away. Duh! And here is where things get really good. The folding arrangement allows for 40/20/40 split and the front passenger row can be folded flat which then gives you 1 775-litres of space. Can you imagine what you can put in there? A surfboard, a mountain bike, or in my case, all the packing I want when going on holiday and a wine farm full of drinks. Ideal really. But even with passengers and the third row of seats folded down, you are left with 700-litres of luggage space. I can easily work with that still. I can hear my friends with kids singing “Hallelujah.” And it’s all made so easy with a lever in the boot which allows you to drop the rear seats, no need to strain yourself and pull a poopstring trying to manhandle them in to position.
Let’s be frank for a second, those rear seats ain’t comfortable. But it is what it is, it is for kids or those who draw the short straw (or your younger sibling). You’re not exactly going to put ol’ Grandma in the back, although a video of her getting in would certainly go viral, and you’re not going to put your 7ft friend, Kevin, in there either. Just be kind about it people.
There is also a new engine in the shape of a 2,0-litre turbopetrol that produces 132 kW of power and 320 N.m of torque. But you can also opt for the 1.4-litre turbopetrol with its 110 kW output, the 2.0-litre TDI 110kW or the 2.0-litre TSI 162 kW.
But that’s not all folks. A part from the entry-level 1.4-litre derivative, the rest of the models come standard with 4Motion all-wheel-drive and a selectable off-road mode. It’s really the gift that keeps on giving, isn’t it? Look, you’re not going to be trekking up Kilimanjaro in this or anything, but throw a bit of gravel and rock under those tyres and the Tiguan Allspace will eat it for brekkie.
The Tiguan Allspace is in a league of its own. It’s only really got the Nissan X-Trail seven-seater to contend with. But I can guarantee that Tiguan fans are going to look nowhere else but the in the direction of the Allspace. It is slightly more expensive than the standard Tiguan, it has an extra row of seats after all and you also get a few extra standard features as well. It truly is a fantastically practical family car and one that I would certainly consider buying myself…if I weren’t a broke-ass journalist that is.
PRICING FOR THE NEW VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN ALLSPACE
- 1.4 TSI 110 kW Trendline DSG R463 400
- 2.0 TSI 132 kW Comfortline 4MOTION DSG R523 800
- 2.0 TDI 110 kW Comfortline 4MOTION DSG R571 100
- 2.0 TSI 162 kW Highline 4MOTION DSG R604 800
The new Tiguan Allspace comes standard with a 5-year/90 000 km service plan, 3-year/120 000 km warranty
Watch my video on the Volkswagen Tiguan for cars.co.za.
