Volkswagen Tiguan - Boot space, comfort & practicality
A big boot and plenty of cabin space means the Tiguan is ready to tackle the rigours of family life
The Volkswagen Tiguan continues as a spacious five-seat mid-size SUV, but if you're looking for the stretched seven-seat version, you’ll have to wait for the arrival of the Volkswagen Tayron – the replacement for the previous Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace.
The Tiguan is one of the most spacious cars in its class, both for passengers and their belongings. A pair of adults should find plenty of space up front in the Tiguan, while visibility is better than the class average thanks to a relatively straight bonnet, which gives a decent clue about where the front end stops, and large side windows mean respectable over-the-shoulder visibility. A blind spot monitoring system is standard to warn you of vehicles lurking where you can’t see them.
All versions come with front and rear parking sensors, plus a reversing camera, while Elegance trim (and cars equipped with the optional Driver assistance package from Life trim and above) have a 360-degree camera system. All Tiguans have LED headlights, but you can specify the optional IQ.Light Matrix LED headlights to improve night driving because it’ll accurately shoot beams of light between cars ahead of you to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic, and the system will also do tricks such as light up your lane on dark motorways, or project warnings onto the road surface ahead of the car, just like the Mercedes Digital Light system. It costs an eye-watering £2,400, and you have to have the £950 Driver assistance pack with it, though.
Used - available now
2019 Volkswagen
Tiguan
38,961 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £16,500
2020 Volkswagen
Tiguan
16,542 milesManualDiesel2.0L
Cash £23,000
2024 Volkswagen
Tiguan
40,848 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £15,600
2023 Volkswagen
Tiguan
21,657 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £24,000A full-size spare wheel is available for £350.
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 4,539mm |
| Width | 1,842mm |
| Height | 1,660mm (1,658mm eHybrid) |
| Number of seats | 5 |
| Boot space | 652-1,650 litres (eTSI, TDI) 490-1,486 litres (eHybrid) |
Dimensions and size
The Tiguan comes in at 4,539mm long, 1,660mm tall (1,658mm for the eHybrid), and 1,842mm wide (1,859mm for the R Line), which puts it between the Hyundai Tucson and Ford Kuga in terms of size.
How practical is the Volkswagen Tiguan?
Seats & space in the front
There’s plenty of steering wheel and seat adjustment to find a decent driving position, while some versions of the Tiguan feature ergoActive seats that boost long-distance comfort.
Storage is reasonable, although there’s no stowage room beneath the centre armrest – the space is open but features movable dividers that can be used as cup-holders and also feature a bottle opener. The front door bins are a decent size, as is the glovebox.
Seats & space in the back
Raised rear seating boosts the view forwards for back-seat passengers, but while the outer rear seats are roomy, the middle chair is a little cramped. It’s not helped by the transmission tunnel getting in the way, but at least there’s decent foot space under the front seats. Plus the seat backs can be reclined slightly for added comfort.
Three-zone climate control means those in the back can set their own temperature, while a pair of USB-C sockets are also included. There are three sets of Isofix points for fitting child seats, two in the rear and one on the front passenger seat.
The Tiguan comes with ISOFIX child seat mounting points on the outer positions of the rear bench, plus another on the front passenger seat, making it a little more flexible in terms of where you can fit car seats.
Boot space
There’s a 652-litre boot in the back of the Tiguan, which isn’t far off of the brand’s practical Volkswagen Passat estate car, and is a bit more than you’ll find in a Ford Kuga, Renault Austral or Toyota RAV4. Handy release levers just inside the boot drop all the seats easily, and the capacity increases to 1,650 litres, which is still more than in a Kuga.
The Tiguan has a sliding and reclining rear seat, and 40:20:40 folding means there’s flexibility when carrying people and longer items. A selection of side cubbies can hold smaller items, and there’s plenty of under-floor storage space in the petrol and diesel variants.
Compromises have been made to fit the eHybrid system into the Tiguan, and it’s the boot that bears the brunt of this. A cargo capacity of 490 litres is well down on the 652 litres offered in the standard model, but that’s still one of the better figures among its PHEV rivals – for example, the PHEV-only BYD Seal U has a capacity of only 425 litres. The VW’s floor is level with the low load lip, too, which helps with access. Maximum capacity of 1,486 litres with the back seats folded isn’t bad, but is 164 litres down on the non-hybrid Tiguan.
Towing
The best Tiguan for towing is the 2.0 TSI petrol with 4MOTION, which can haul a braked trailer or caravan of up to 2,200kg, irrespective of which power output you choose. Both the 2.0 TDI and 272 eHybrid have the next highest towing capacity of 2,000kg. The 1.5 eTSI 150 and 204 eHybrid can manage to pull a braked trailer or caravan of up to 1,800kg. The 1.5 eTSI 130 is the least capable at 1,600kg, but that’s still enough for a decent-sized caravan.
In comparison, the revised Ford Kuga can manage up to 2,100kg when equipped with the 2.5 PHEV plug-in hybrid, or four-wheel drive version of 2.5 FHEV. Fitting a tow bar to the Tiguan costs over £1,000.
