VW Tiguan Allspace arrives

Volkswagen’s Australian SUV range has expanded – literally – with the arrival of the Tiguan Allspace. Priced from $40,940, VW Australia’s Michael Bartsch describes the Allspace as a “premium SUV that is priced well below the luxury car tax threshold”.

While the Allspace will be offered in a choice of Comfortline and Highline model grades similar to the 5-seater Tiguan, the new 7-seater will be offered in 2WD and with a diesel engine option on both grades – at least, initially. But Bartsch concedes that the hotter petrol engine (from the Golf GTI) that’s been the favourite in the regular Tiguan is likely to be the Allspace’s top seller, too.

“As has been the case with the normal wheelbase Tiguan, the single best-selling Tiguan Allspace variant will [likely] be the 162TSI Highline – almost half of overall take up,” Bartsch says. “Some 70 per cent of these customers will also take up the R-Line option.”

Outer Space, Inner Space Based on the mid-sized Tiguan 5-seat SUV, the Allspace rolls on a 2790mm wheelbase (109mm longer) and adds an additional 215mm of overall length (4701mm x 1839mm x 1665mm LxWxH) to accommodate third-row seating, turning the Tiguan into a bona fide seven-seater without compromising luggage space.

That space start at 230 litres with all seats occupied, expanding to 700 litres with the third row folded and 1775 litres with both second and third row folded, along with a cargo length of 1921mm.

Listed braked towing capacity starts at 1800kg for the 2WD 110TSI Comfortline, increasing to 2000kg for the 110TDI Comfortline AWD. Both the 132TSI Comfortline and 162TSI Highline can pull 2400kg, with the 140TDI Highline the best of the lot at 2500kg.

Allspace Comfortline The entry-level Tiguan Allspace grade, the Comfortline is offered with a choice of a 110kW/250Nm turbocharged petrol engine with a 6-speed DSG and 2WD, 132kW/320Nm turbocharged petrol engine with a 7-speed DSG and 4MOTION AWD, or 110kW/340Nm turbocharged diesel engine with a 7-speed DSG and 4MOTION AWD.

Fuel economy ranges from 6.1lt/100km to 7.9lt/100km, depending on drivetrain. Standard features on the Comfortline include 18-inch ‘Kingston’ alloys, fog lamps, dynamic LED automatic headlights, power mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry, power tailgate, front and rear parking sensors, rear-view camera, a Discover Media infotainment system with an 8.0-inch screen, App-Connect function, three-zone climate control air conditioning, and selectable modes for the 4MOTION system.

Standard safety features start with the rigid safety cell and include ABS, EBD, ESP, Front Assist with City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring functions, Lane Assist with Adaptive Lane Guidance, Driver Fatigue Detection and a full suite of airbags, including side curtain airbags for the second and third row seats.

Driver assistance tech includes Adaptive Cruise Control, electronic diff lock, rear manoeuvre braking assistance and Park Assist that viewable on the main infotainment screen.

Cloth ‘Comfort’ seats as standard, but these can be upgraded to Vienna leather-appointed, power-assisted front pews as part of the optional Luxury Package, but choose this and you lose the underseat storage and folding front passenger seat option.

A leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearshift knob is standard, along with ‘Checker Flag Titanium’ inlay on the dash and doors.

Allspace Highline Against the Comfortline, the Highline adds more powerful petrol and diesel engines, with the 162TSI Highline running a 162kW version of the 2.0-litre turbo petrol four in the 132TSI Comfortline, while the 140TDI Highline uses a 140kW/400Nm version of the 2.0 turbo-diesel from the 110TDI Comfortline.

Listed economy is 8.3lt/100km from the 162TSI and 6.0lt/100km from the 140TDI. Engines aside, the only differences between the two are in trim and appointment levels.

Emergency Assist, Traffic Jam Assist and Side Assist with Rear Traffic Alert are standard on the Highline, but a Comfortline can be upgraded with these features. The Adaptive Chassis Control, however, is exclusive to the Highline.

The Highline also gets 19-inch alloys, tinted side and rear glass, additional chrome trim and Dynamic Light Assist function with premium LED tail lights finished in dark red.

Inside, paddle control gear shifters are added, as is ambient lighting and ‘Dark Grid’ trim on the dash and doors. Front seats are upgraded to electrically-adjustable sports units with heating and memory function, with heating also added to the outer second row seats, while all three rows are leather-appointed.

The audio and satnav is upgraded to the Discover Pro spec with 10GB of internal storage and a larger, 9.2 inch screen that can be personalised, with gesture and voice controls added.

All the features of the Comfortline’s Luxury Package are standard on the Highline, while a panoramic glass sunroof is a $3,000 option. An $3,000 Sound and Vision Package for the Highline adds an Active info display, area view and Dynaudio Excite premium sound system.

R-Line option Limited to the Highline grade, VW’s R-Line package is also available, adding $2,900 to the list price. While predominantly cosmetic, the R-Line package does add progressive steering, as well as a rear spoiler.

A modified front bumper, sports rear diffuser, 20-inch alloys, sill and wheelarch extensions, and identifying badging are also part of the package, with leather sports seats inside, stainless steel pedals, multi-function sports steering wheel, black headlining and special detailing.

The VW Tiguan Allspace is now available. See your Volkswagen dealer for full specs and further details.