Volkswagen Tiguan - MPG, emissions & running costs

The Volkswagen Tiguan range starts with the 1.5 eTSI 130, which gets a combined fuel economy figure of 46.3mpg, while the more powerful 1.5 eTSI 150 uses slightly more fuel, at 45.6mpg. Both those economy figures beat the likes of the 1.5 Ecoboost Ford Kuga, and petrol versions of the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson.

Those wanting to spend the least amount of time at the filling station should avoid the 2.0 TSI petrol, which only manages 33.2mpg, and instead look at the 52.3mpg 148bhp 2.0 TDI, which is the most efficient non-plug-in Tiguan. 

On paper, the eHybrid plug-in hybrid has the highest fuel economy figures: the eHybrid 204 returns 706.2mpg, and the more powerful eHybrid 272 returns 565.0mpg. Based on our previous experience with plug-in hybrids, you’re unlikely to see those sorts of figures in everyday driving, even if you charge the car regularly. 

For anyone planning on using their Tiguan for regular long trips, the eHybrid models have a smaller 45-litre fuel tank, while the regular petrol and diesel models have a bigger 55-litre tank (58 litres in the case of the 2.0 TSI). That might mean you’ll be stopping more regularly in the plug-in hybrid if you aren’t able to charge the car while away from home.

Electric range, battery life and charge time

Both the eHybrid 204 and eHybrid 272 use a 25.7kWh battery (19.7kWh useable), providing up to 77 miles of electric range for the former, and up to 72 miles for the latter. That’s quite a lot further than the up to 42 miles you can get out of a 2.5 PHEV plug-in Ford Kuga.

You can also charge your Tiguan using up to 50kW rapid charging, allowing for a quick 10-80 per cent battery top-up (going from roughly 8 to 62 miles of electric range) in 26 minutes. While most still offer only slower charging, the Range Rover Evoque does offer rapid charging, although it uses a much smaller battery with less overall range.

Exclusively rapid charging your plug-in hybrid would be costly in the long run, so most people will likely utilise a 7.4kW wallbox charger at home. The official charging time at 7.4kW has yet to be released, but we expect it to be around four hours, a figure we’ve been given for the eHybrid Volkswagen Passat, which uses the same battery pack size.

The battery pack in the eHybrid model is covered by a separate warranty, which guarantees that the battery will maintain above 70 per cent capacity over five years or 100,000 miles.

Tax

As with most of its rivals, the Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid plug-in hybrid is suited to company car drivers because of its long electric range and low CO2 emissions. The eHybrid is in a competitively low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company car tax bracket of eight per cent, much lower than the petrol and diesel versions. Sadly, no version of eHybrid costs less than £40,000 when new, so you’ll have to pay the additional surcharge - an extra £590 annually - from the second year the vehicle is taxed up until it is six years old.

Both 130 and 150 versions of the 1.5 eTSI beat the equivalent Ford Kuga for emissions, emitting 139g/km for the 130, and 141g/km for the 150. The 2.0 TDI emits 141g/km, while the 2.0 TSI emits 193g/km, and sits in the highest company car tax band. Drivers concerned with their BiK costs should consider either the eHybrid 204 and eHybrid 272 plug-in hybrids, with figures of 9g/km and 11g/km, respectively.

Insurance groups

Insurance costs for the Volkswagen Tiguan should be reasonable. The entry-level 1.5 TSI 130 starts in group 18, the more powerful 1.5 TSI 150 jumps to group 21, and the 2.0 TDI sits a group higher than that, in group 22. The eHybrid plug-in hybrid versions will be the most costly to insure, with the eHybrid 204 in group 27, followed by the eHybrid 272 in group 31.

For comparison, a Ford Kuga starts in group 16, and goes up to 26, while the Hyundai Tucson starts in group 18, before going up to group 24 for a top-of-the-range Ultimate PHEV with four-wheel drive.

Depreciation

According to our expert data, the Volkswagen Tiguan is likely to hold on to its resale value slightly better than its rivals. Over a typical ownership period of three years/36,000 miles, the Tiguan range is predicted to maintain between 53 and 56 per cent of its resale value, with the 1.5 eTSI Life retaining the least, and the 272 eHybrid R Line maintaining the most.

For comparison, that’s slightly above the Ford Kuga which should maintain around 52 per cent, and the Hyundai Tucson, which will maintain between 46 to 51 per cent over the same period.

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