New Volkswagen Tiguan 2016

Early signs are good after our cold-weather test of the all-new 2016 VW Tiguan. Even from this early drive, it’s clear that VW is on track to score an SUV hit with the new Tiguan. It’s bigger, more refined and more capable than before, and its premium-feel cabin and extra practicality should make it a strong rival for everything from the Nissan Qashqai to the BMW X1. We’ll hold fire on a star rating until we’ve had a chance to sample the VW on conventional roads instead of snow, but if you are in the market for a premium family SUV this year, we’d already advise you to hold off ordering until you’ve tried the Tiguan. It’s that promising.

Such is the strength of the family SUV market in the UK that Volkswagen views its latest Tiguan as this year’s most important arrival. A rival for mainstream SUVs like the Nissan Qashqai and more premium competition like BMW’s X1, the new Tiguan grows substantially from the car it replaces in a bid to offer more interior space, load-carrying capacity and towing ability. It’s a key model for VW; the outgoing version is third in the firm’s UK sales charts, beaten only by the Golf and Polo.

The Tiguan will be available with a choice of petrol engines - a 1.4 and a 2.0, both turbocharged - but the line-up is heavily focused on diesels. There’s a 114bhp 1.6 that’ll be the entry point for the range, plus 2.0-litre units with either 148bhp or 178bhp. The Tiguan will also get more potent 2.0-litre twin-turbodiesel producing 237bhp. The first editions to arrive will be the 148bhp petrol and diesel, both driven here, but you’ll be able to order pretty much everything from April 2016.

The standard transmission will be a four-wheel-drive layout and a seven-speed dual-clutch – which sounds surprising until VW points out that 75% of Tiguans sold in the UK in recent times have been 4Motion editions anyway. There will be front-drive versions available but they’ll be manual only. 

There’s also likely to be a hybrid, using a version of the plug-in powertrain we’ve already seen in VW’s Passat GTE. It should mix a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor to give a combined output of around 215bhp - and CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km.

In the metal the new Tiguan looks more aggressive than the outgoing version, with the large grille emphasising its width in the same fashion as the most recent Passat, and a slightly lower stance completing the transformation. The rear has clear references to the current Golf, although it’s chunkier around the bases of the C-pillars.

It’s clearly larger, too, as VW has used the switch to the MQB chassis technology to increase length and width. That growth spurt brings greater practicality; there’s more knee and headroom in the rear seats than before – and they slide fore and aft by around 170mm to allow you to prioritise passenger space or boot capacity.

That luggage compartment increases by 145 litres, to 615 litres - although the gain could be tempered by the variable-height boot floor that’s likely to be standard on all UK models. It’s still bigger than a Qashqai or a Mazda CX-5, at least. With the rear seats lowered, the Tiguan offers 1,655 litres, a nice square shape and no discernible loading lip.

Up front, the dashboard will look decidedly familiar to anyone who’s experienced the latest Passat - or even the Mk7 Golf. The central infotainment screen and air-con vents are where you’d expect them to be but as with most VWs, the lower down you look on the dash, the more basic the design gets. In general, though, perceived quality feels every bit a match for, say, an Audi Q3’s.

The Tiguan does get a few MQB-related embellishments, too, with what VW calls an ‘Active Info Display’ available as an option; this is, in effect, the same TFT instrument panel that we’ve seen on the Audi A4, and it’s stunning. There’s a head-up display, too, although it involves a small glass screen rising from behind the instrument binnacle, so it’s not as neatly integrated as on some premium rivals.

On VW’s Arctic Circle test route the Tiguan felt pretty composed; you can choose different presets for engine, gearbox and four-wheel drive system via a dial between the front seats, and the ‘Snow’ setting felt particularly secure. The conditions made it hard to draw too many conclusions about the Tiguan’s general behaviour but the body control felt strong for a tall SUV, with not much body roll over bumpy terrain.

The 148bhp diesel and petrol engines both cope well with the Tiguan’s increased size, although the diesel is ultimately more comfortable with being asked to hurry. That extra slug of low-down torque feels enough for everyday use, in fact, so it’s already hard to see where the extra expense of a more potent diesel could be justified. Rolling refinement is excellent, with only the petrol sounding a little thrashy when worked hard.

VW has yet to confirm final UK specifications, not to mention economy or CO2 figures, but if the four-wheel-drive Tiguan diesel matches German estimates of 149g/km, it’ll be in the same ballpark as the likes of Mazda’s CX-5 automatic. If you’re willing to put up with a manual gearbox, meanwhile, the front-drive diesel should emit around 125g/km - so only one band up from the smaller and altogether less practical Audi Q3.

Key specs

• Model: Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TSI 4Motion
• Price: From £23,000
• Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbodiesel
• Power: 148bhp
• Torque: 340Nm
• Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, four-wheel drive
• 0-62mph: 9.3 seconds
• Top speed: 124mph
• Economy: 50mpg (est)
• CO2: 149g/km (est)