Volkswagen Tiguan 2015 Review

Filed under Car Reviews

Volkswagen Tiguan: a small sports utility vehicle that stands apart.

For the sophisticated buyer looking for something that handles like a hot hatch but carries enough gear for your weekend away for two, the Volkswagen Tiguan sits in the sweet spot.

Volkswagen Tiguan 2015 Aggregated Reviews

Cars Guide: 8/10
Motoring: 6.8/10
The Car Connection: 9.2/10
Car Advice: 8/10
The Motor Report: 8/10
Combined total score: 8/10

We love:

  • Nimble and responsive for an SUV.
  • Exceptionally comfortable lowered sports suspension
  • Impressive steering

Pain points:

  • Rear seats require a bit of muscle to lift
  • Tiny boot-space
  • Skittish at speed over changing surfaces

Volkswagen Tiguan 2015 review

The Tiguan is essentially a really tall small car with lots of handy functionality and great fuel economy.

Exterior of the Volkswagen Tiguan 2015

The Tiguan looks powerful and athletic, with strong wheel housing and unmistakable, crisply defined VW lines. This boxy little SUV gives you a bit of height in city traffic with conservative styling, especially when compared to some of the funkier road-faring SUV's now on the market.

Exterior of the Volkswagen Tiguan 2015

Image courtesy of Car Advice

It does look a little like a stretched out version of the VW Golf, with larger wheels identifying it as a crossover. Its height makes up for its lack of width and length - smaller than many compact sedans, allowing you to use those little city parking spaces.

Inside the 2015 Volkswagen Tiguan

Versatile, comfortable and streamlined, the Tiguan boasts one of the best quality interiors of the small SUV segment. The front seats are supportive yet sporty, and there's plenty of interior storage for small loose items. The interior has a real sense of quality, with tightly assembled panels and organised dashboard.

"It's like the Tardis in that it fits way more than the fairly sleek lines would suggest" - Sally Dominguez, Drive.com.au

Rear seat passengers have plenty of space, and if you need to shift a lot of gear, the rear seats can fold up to give you 1510L. With the seats down, boot space is not much bigger than the Golf at just 395L, so if you need to stow a pram or other larger items when you've got passengers check that it fits before you purchase.

Connectivity

With a reasonable sound system, iPod adaptor, handsfree Bluetooth calling, satellite radio and a CD player, there's all the tech you expect in a 2015 model. It's neat and easy to use.

Volkswagen Tiguan Connectivity

Image courtesy of Car Advice

The multi-function steering wheel allows the driver to change the music and take Bluetooth calls without taking their eyes off the road, and most models come with 20GB, storage for your music so you're not taking up space on your phone.

What's it like to drive a Volkswagen Tiguan 2015?

The Volkswagen Tiguan is really a city crossover, however, the all-wheel-drive option gives more confidence in wet, snow or sand. When you opt for AWD you'll get hill-descent control too.

The engine sounds good, especially in the 2L diesel, and revs nicely into the red before settling into a higher gear. It corners nicely and selecting Normal, Sport or Comfort mode allows you to adjust your road feel to match your mood. The electronic parking brake and auto hold function means it's simple to hill-start.

"While it's bested for price by its Korean competitors, neither can match the Tiguan's on-road feel and settled handling" - Peter Anderson, The Motor Report

The engine stop-start system saves fuel, as do the gear shift recommendations in the manual, brake energy recuperation and coasting function for longer downhill stretches.

What's it like to drive a Volkswagen Tiguan 2015

Image courtesy of Car Advice

Who's the Volkswagen Tiguan 2015 for?

This small SUV is ideal for a growing family needing a car with flexibility, or an older driver who's more comfortable with the easier entry to a higher driving position.

The Volkswagen Tiguan offers decent towing capacity (1000kg) for a caravan or trailer and discreet styling for when it's off-duty doubling as your city car midweek.

Feature Summary

Price: $28,990 - $44,990

Engine: 1.4L petrol or 2.0L diesel turbo-charged four-cylinder, 155kW/280Nm.

Transmission: 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual clutch automatic, AWD option.

Wheels: 18 inch alloy

Safety: 5 star ANCAP

Fuel: 8.8L/100km

Emissions: 205g/km

AV and tech: 6.5 inch colour touchscreen, CD player, iPod adaptor, rearview camera

Seats: 5

Doors: 5

You can finance a Volkswagen Tiguan 2015 from $140/week*, get a quick quote to find out exactly what your smart small SUV will cost you each week or month.

No time to shop around for your car? Just tell us exactly what you want, including the features and colour. We will find the vehicle to match and negotiate the best price for you.

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