The Tiguan is Volkswagen's small SUV. It fits in the middle of VW's SUV lineup that consists of the bigger Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport and smaller, all-new 2022 Taos. Notably, the Tiguan offers an optional third-row seat, which means it can seat up to seven people. The third-row is meant for children only, but it's a rare feature to find in a small SUV.
The Tiguan's sole engine remains a turbocharged 184-horsepower four-cylinder engine mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. While it's more powerful than competitors' base engines based on specs alone, we've found the current Tiguan to be rather lethargic in real-world driving. Fuel economy is also below average, making the Tiguan's four-cylinder perhaps its single biggest weakness.
We like the Tiguan infotainment system, which we find to be easy to use. It'll get even easier in 2022, when you'll have the option of wirelessly integrating your smartphone through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, without a USB connection. Volkswagen is also expanding the availability of its impressive digital instrument panel (dubbed Digital Cockpit) to the entire lineup. Most models will come with an 8-inch display, with a 10-inch screen available on upper tiers.
The technology features Volkswagen is introducing will constitute the biggest visual and functional changes to the interior. The available colors for the cloth, faux leather and leather upholstery options have changed, and there's now configurable ambient lighting, but the interior is otherwise structurally the same. Expect the same spacious first and second rows and cramped-for-adults third row.
Edmunds saysA slicker exterior and additional (and more widely available) technology features should help boost the Tiguan's appeal against rivals such as the Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5. It still has the optional third-row seat too. We'll keep our fingers crossed that drivability and usability have been improved as well.
