2022 Volkswagen Tiguan - Review by Larry Nutson

VW’s Best Seller

By Larry Nutson
Senior Editor and Bureau Chief
Chicago Bureau
THE AUTO CHANNEL

Tiguan is Volkswagen’s best selling model in the U.S., as well as around the world. For 2022 Tiguan has received freshened exterior styling as well as refinements to its interior.

The Tiguan sits in the compact utility vehicle (UV) segment which offers about twenty different choices for car shoppers today. Most all compact UVs seat only five. The Tiguan is one of two compact UVs that can be had with seating for seven.

The Tiguan was all-new for 2018 which included making it larger providing more interior room. Now, on the outside the Tiguan takes on a new look like the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport. There’s a new grille, front fascia, standard LED headlights and updated VW logo. Out back there’s new standard LED taillights and new center-located carline model name. The standard alloy wheels all have new designs.

On the inside the steering wheel now has new controls, heated seats are standard, as is VW’s 8-inch Digital Cockpit instrument cluster. Other standard features include keyless entry with push-button start, Car-Net with Wi-Fi capability, Driving Mode Selection, Front Assist, and Side Assist.

All Tiguan’s have a 184-hp turbocharged 2.0-L 4-cylinder under the hood. An engine idle stop/start system helps reduce both fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions. The engine is coupled to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Both front-wheel and all-wheel drive are available.

VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive (AWD) features Active Control, which has four settings: Onroad, Snow, Offroad, and Custom Offroad. The Onroad setting also has Normal, Sport, Comfort, and Individual settings. These alter operating parameters for the engine, transmission, steering, and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).

Tiguan is available in four trim levels—S, SE, SE R-Line Black, and SEL R-Line. Front-wheel drive or 4Motion all-wheel drive is available on the first three trims, while the top-of-range SEL R-Line features standard 4Motion AWD.

Tiguan front-wheel drive models have a 15.3-gallon fuel tank and EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 23 city mpg and 30 highway mpg. Models with 4Motion all-wheel drive feature 15.9-gallon fuel tank and are EPA-rated at 22 city mpg and 29 highway mpg. The SEL R-Line 4Motion is rated at 21 city mpg and 28 highway mpg.

Also note, all front-wheel drive (FWD) models have 3-row seating for seven whereas 4Motion AWD models have 2-rows to seat five.

Base prices start with the Tiguan S with FWD at $25,995 MSRP and climb to the top-of-the-line SEL R-Line priced at $36,595. AWD on the three lower trims adds $1,500 and destination charge for all trims is $1,195.

A full array of advanced driver-assist safety (ADAS) features is offered in VW’s IQ.DRIVE driver assistance suite. Fender Premium audio, navigation, power rear liftgate, and wireless charging are among the available features.

More detailed information on the 2022 Tiguan can be found at www.vw.com. Options include a sunroof for the SE trim priced at $1,200 and IQ.DRIVE for the S trim priced at $895.

I last drove a Tiguan when this second-generation was introduced for 2018 model year. My drive experiences back then were in the mountainous region around Denver as well as near my Chicago home.

This time around in the 2022 Tiguan I drove the top trim SEL R-Line finished in Atlas Blue metallic and with a total price of $37,790.

The Tiguan delivers good overall performance with no significant shortcomings in acceleration from stop, merging onto highways as well as passing. Engine noise is well managed and the overall driving experience from inside the cockpit is quite comfortable.

The Tiguan is well designed and equipped for urban living. It has a nicely performing drive train as well as confident handling and a composed ride that is typical of its Germanic heritage. Cockpit materials as well as fit and finish have a quality look and feel. Tiguan’s wheelbase is longer than the typical compact utility vehicle which benefits in providing plentiful second-row legroom and cargo room. There’s also good rear seat headroom. With its good looks, the new Tiguan is a good choice for buyers shopping for a roomy compact UV, whether they be in urban or suburban locations.

When the “larger” Tiguan was introduced for 2018 the third-row seat was an option on AWD models. It now is no longer. VW says that 4Motion AWD buyers didn’t choose to add the third-row seat very much. Perhaps they instead preferred the added cargo space that the comes with no third seat. By the numbers, that’s 33 cu.ft. versus 37.6 cu.ft.

As of this writing, overall vehicle demand is robust but supply remains limited in many car brands. There are not too many deals, if any at all. Dealers have limited inventory and are interested to earn as much as they can on every sale. The inventory situation is forecasted to improve by the second half of 2022.

Happy motoring!