2024 VW Tiguan

DRIVEN: Volkswagen Tiguan remains a classy and practical SUV package

VERDICT

The Volkswagen Tiguan remains a classy package that ticks most of the boxes for midsize SUV buyers. It’s practical, refined and although - like all its mainstream rivals - it is being asked some questions on the pricing front by a flood of new Chinese entrants, the proven and popular Tiguan is likely to retain its traditional fan base in its newest guise.

 
The new seven-seat Volkswagen Tayron will cost from £39,850 in the UK

Want the range-topping ‘R-Line’? That'll be an extra 10-ish grand

Want your shiny new family hauler to come with up to seven seats and as many configurability options as a Batsuit? Volkswagen’s new Tayron - which slots in between the Tiguan and Touareg - could be just the thing for you.

Prices start from £39,850 in the UK, and for that, you’ll get the entry-level ‘Life’ with a 148bhp 1.5-litre four-pot. Topping the range will be the £50,000 ‘R-Line’, which packs a much fruitier 286bhp mild-hybrid four-pot providing 75 miles of all-electric driving.

In between the two will sit various other petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains and trim levels, all available with either a six or seven-speed DSG transmission plus all-wheel drive as an optional extra.

The standard fittings include three-zone climate control, 10-colour ambient lighting and a 12.9in infotainment screen. The safety suite includes adaptive cruise control, lane assist and emergency braking. Though the Matrix LED headlights won’t deliver Bat signals to the skies above - c’mon Volkswagen, do better.

 
Volkswagen Tiguan (2025) Living with it

Price and after-sales support

The Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4 TSI Life retails for R716 900, which includes a 3-year/120 000 km warranty and a 5-year/90 000 km service plan. Note, however, that the vehicle as tested (and fitted with the options outlined in this article) costs R812 800.

Verdict

At its list price (pre-options), the 2025 Volkswagen 1.4 TSI Life looks like an attractive option in this segment, with a desirable badge, pleasing spaciousness and an admirable spread of features. At the price as tested, however, it is considerably more difficult to make an argument in the Tiguan’s favour.

The winner of the 2024 #CarsAwards’ Family Car category – the Kia Sportage – can be had in 1.6T-GDi GT Line Plus guise for considerably less than the Tiguan 1.4 TSI Life, and the same goes for powerful and fully-loaded Haval H6 HEV Ultra Luxury. Those are just 2 examples of more keenly-priced competitors.

As it stands, we think the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan will continue to appeal to VW brand loyalists (of which there are MANY in Mzansi), but for brand-agnostic consumers, particularly those who prioritise value-for-money, the purchasing proposition offered by the Tiguan may no longer be strong enough.


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I got into one of these the other day. The interior is bland, and very plasticky.

Touchscreen A/C controls are retarded, and the gearshift stalk thingy even more so.
 
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