First Glance
All good things must come to an end, and 2017 marked the final year for the first generation Tiguan in North America. The compact Tiguan was not nearly as successful as the competition such as the Honda CRV and Toyota Rav 4, but Volkswagen had something big up their sleeves. In summer of 2017 they released the long-wheelbase, 2018 Tiguan which was an amazing improvement over the previous generation. With aggressive body lines, a more rugged feel, and better handling the competition is no match for the new Tiguan.
More Room. More Tiguan.
We often heard how the Tiguan did not have enough cargo space, but Volkswagen has responded in a big way with the all-new 2018 Tiguan, based on the same MQB platform as the Golf and Atlas. At over 10 inches longer, the new Tiguan is bigger, bolder and is poised to move to the top of the crowded compact SUV class.
The longer, wider design has increased the new Tiguan’s cargo space by over 51% from the previous model. The cargo room is now among the most in class, boasting 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, more than both the Mazda CX-5 and Ford Escape. Upgrading to the highline also makes accessing the cargo area even easier, with an easy-open lift gate which can be opened with a simple kick. The electric lift gate also features an easy-close feature, which automatically closes and locks once it detects that you have grabbed everything you need and have left the vehicles proximitey.
For the first time ever, the Tiguan also features an optional third row of seating on all trim levels. The competition has no comparable option, unless you are in the highest trim line, which makes the 2018 Tiguan the least expensive 7 seater SUV on the market. That’s right, German quality engineering, and incredible build quality, for less than the Domestic or Japanese counterparts. Although; not quite as spacious as the third row of seating found in the Atlas, it is perfect for children or adults willing to compromise a little.
A look inside
The new Tiguan features now comes packed with tons of great safety features like adaptive cruise control, lane assist, front autonomous braking and much more. While those features are quickly rising to the top of many people’s wish lists, the one feature that will set this new Tiguan apart is the absolutely stunning 12” digital cockpit, available on the highline trim. This intuitive system allows you to tailor your gauge clusters and information screen to your liking, and you can even transpose the navigation from the 8” touchscreen onto it as well.
We were first introduced to the new 8” Discovery Media screen with the Atlas a couple months before the Tiguan, and it’s Volkswagens most responsive and easy-to-use system yet. The crystal clear screen has gotten bigger and now features a dedicated “App” button that makes it even easier to access Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
With the customizable driver profiles, you and your partner can each use your own key fob, and set your preferences into the key; such as, seat adjustment, climate controls, radio settings, and the views on the digital cockpit. This makes those rushed mornings a breeze because you don’t need to worry about adjusting anything when you need to borrow or share the vehicle.
The cabin is very well appointed overall, with high quality finishes and loads of soft touch surfaces all around. Every trim level has the new 4motion active control switch to let the user change the drive modes based on the weather outside. Throughout the lineup, the seating is quite comfortable whether you opt for the cloth in the Trendline, the impressive leatherette in the Comfortline, or the beautiful authentic leather in the Highline.
Under the hood, on the road
The Tiguan has always been one of the more sporty offerings in its class, and that won’t be changing anytime soon. It exhibits an all-new “B cycle” 2.0L TSI engine, which gets excellent fuel economy while still delivering the low-end torque that Volkswagen owners know and love. Horsepower is actually down from 200hp to 184hp, but that is more than mitigated by the increased torque (221 lb-ft) and silky smooth 8-speed transmission. Fuel economy has been improved as well, as we have seen the Tiguan get a superb 8L/100km on the highway and 10L/100km in the city. The 2018 Tiguan now comes with an auto start/stop feature to help you save fuel in stop and go traffic. They also only require regular fuel, unlike their premium fueled predecessors.
On the road, the new Tiguan feels tighter and more responsive. Road noise is diminished and it feels ready to tackle whatever you throw at it. We had the chance to have a little fun with it off-road as well, and it handled it with ease. Equipped with our 4MOTION all-wheel drive system that we have seen in the Atlas, Sportwagen and certain Audi models, the Tiguan will be perfect for Kamloops winters, whether you’re on the Coquihalla, going up to Sun Peaks, or just getting through town before the snowplows’ have had a chance to clear your route.
Wrapping up
It is clear that the all-new Tiguan will be a winner in the hotly competitive compact SUV segment. With more than enough room for all of your family’s needs and Volkswagen’s legendary driving feel, you can be sure you’ll be seeing lots of these on the road very soon. Come check out the 2018 Tiguan at Volkswagen of Kamloops and see why it has everyone talking!