Up Close With the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan: Can It Make a Bigger Splash?
We’re big fans of Volkswagen SUVs. They score highly in our comparison tests with a combination of utility, technology and genuine fun-to-drive behavior among the traditional family-hauler classes. But VW’s been somewhat disappointed that the Tiguan compact SUV hasn’t quite caught on like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4. Sure, VW’s doing pretty well selling about 100,000 Tiguans a year in the U.S., but Honda sold more than three times that many CR-Vs and Toyota four times as many RAV4s in 2020.
So in a bid to make a bigger splash in a very, very crowded pool, VW freshened the Tiguan for 2022 with the goal of making it even more appealing. And after getting an up-close and personal look at the new model, I have to say, the changes work … mostly.
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Still Stylish
The exterior changes help bring the Tiguan in line with the rest of the VW showroom, with a new front and rear, new side ornamentation, new wheels and a slightly different trim hierarchy all meant to make the Tiguan more appealing. The S base model is still available, and you get things like standard LED headlights and taillights, standard forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and a standard 8-inch digital display screen. But the big seller will be the SE trim, with larger wheels and tires, leatherette (imitation leather) interior and more standard safety equipment. Things start to look racy when you get to the SE R-Line Black, which bumps the wheels up to 19 inches and includes a bunch of blacked out trim.
The sample I had some seat time with was the new SEL R-Line model, which comes loaded with features and has the most aggressive styling of the quartet (I wasn’t able to drive the new Tiguan; that’s still coming down the road). The R-Line is now standard for the top SEL and optional on the SE, but VW says it’s proven to be very popular. I can see why: The look is dramatic, with chunky wheels, smooth lines and just enough brightwork trim to make the Tiguan stand out. It’s definitely more aggressive than the CR-V and gives the newly chunky, chiseled RAV4 a run for its styling money. I think the Tiguan is more attractively styled than either of them.
Still Spacious
There’s a shorter-wheelbase Tiguan for the rest of the world, but we get the long-wheelbase Tiguan in the U.S. — we like our backseat legroom here, and the Tiguan delivers in ways other compact SUVs don’t. I can position the front seat where my amply padded 6-foot frame is comfortable and sit in the second row without my knees touching the seatback (and then some). Headroom in the second row is just a bit tight if you have the optional panoramic moonroof in place, but not uncomfortably so. The space and comfort in the Tiguan is tops, with comfortable seats and an excellent view out all around.
The second row slides fore and aft even if you don’t get the optional third row that’s available only in front-wheel-drive models; all-wheel-drive Tiguans trade that third-row utility for improved cargo space. The Tiguan also retains the remote second-row seatback release levers in the cargo area, a feature well appreciated when needed and one that’s disappearing from some competitors.
Materials quality is also up in the Tiguan, at least on the top-of-the-line SEL R-Line model I sat in. The leather seating surfaces actually look and feel like leather, something that can’t be said for all of VW’s various vehicles. I can’t say what the leatherette seats on lesser trim levels feel like, but one hopes for the best.
One area of improvement is the fact that quality doesn’t drop off from the first row to the second — the same nice door trim, wood and even furred fabric inserts in the rear door bottle holders all contribute to making all of the seats nice ones.
Tons of Tech
The Tiguan also features updated technology in the form of an updated interior with new multimedia system, new gauge cluster, new steering wheel and new controls. Some of these work nicely, such as the big digital gauge cluster (10 inches standard in the top trim, 8 inches in the lesser ones) that looks good and is reconfigurable. The big center console touchscreen also looks good and is easy to use.
The new steering wheel is a sporty version and feels chunky in the hand, but there’s a problem here: touch-sensitive controls. The new Tiguan continues Volkswagen Group’s move toward glass cockpits across its entire lineup. As such, the Tiguan gets touch-sensitive climate controls and touch-sensitive controls with haptic feedback on the steering wheel. They’re a little different from touch-sensitive stuff that we’ve seen come and ultimately go in brands like Cadillac, Ford and Lincoln — they all tried the touch-sensitive panel route and went back to the buttons that people prefer after a lot of negative customer feedback. VW acknowledges those previous attempts but thinks its approach will work better. The climate control touch-controls actually don’t feel that bad — they’re super-bright and easy to see if you’ve successfully performed the function you wanted to engage.
The steering wheel controls are less so. Two panels on each of the upper spokes feature haptic feedback, producing a bump sensation with panels that move ever so slightly so that certain features actually feel like a button being pushed. But the two sliders don’t operate that way, with the left volume control easy to bump and change just in the normal process of holding the wheel. I’ll reserve final judgement on how well VW has executed these touch-sensitive controls when I can see how it well works when the vehicle is in motion. One bright spot: Despite moving to touch-sensitive sliders, VW still retained knobs for volume and tuning.
More From Cars.com:
- 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan: 9 Things We Like and 5 We Don’t
- 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan MPG: Our Real-World Testing Results
- How Do Car Seats Fit in the 3-Row 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan?
- Taos Party: Volkswagen Welcomes Fourth Guest to Its 2022 SUV Soiree
- Research Compact SUVs
The new Tiguan is set to arrive in dealerships in the fall, but pricing is not yet announced. The whole lineup gets a more upscale move thanks in large part to the arrival of the upcoming 2022 Taos, which will slot in below the Tiguan in both price and size (it’s also the reason we’re not getting the short-wheelbase European Tiguan). VW will guide you to the new Taos if you’re looking for something five-occupant-sized and inexpensive and toward the Tiguan if you’re looking for something a bit larger and more upscale. Given how nice (and pricey) some of the new mainstream compact crossovers have become, it seems the Tiguan is well positioned to make a bigger splash.
Related Video: 2019 Compact SUV Challenge
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