Volkswagen Tiguan: Calm, collected and comfortably confident

Key topics:Design & tech upgrades: Fresher styling, major cabin digital overhaul and improved infotainment, though some functions remain overly screen-dependent.Comfort & practicality: Bigger boot, excellent seating, refined ride quality and grown-up road manners cement the Tiguan’s family-SUV benchmark status.Diesel performance & safety: Smooth, torquey 2.0 TDI with surefooted 4Motion, paired with comprehensive IQ.Drive safety and convenient Park Assist Plus.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up for the BizNews channel here..By Miles Downard.Volkswagen knows a thing or two about getting the middle-of-the-road family SUV formula just right. Seven-point-four million global Tiguans on the road prove it, as do the 41,000 sold locally since 2009. So when a new generation drops - now bigger, slicker, more digitised and, crucially, available with a freshly introduced 2.0 TDI 110kW engine - the expectations are high. And after a week behind the wheel of the diesel-powered 4Motion, I’m happy to report, the Tiguan remains the benchmark for buyers who want competence with a side of quiet confidence.Design: Familiar, but FresherVolkswagen didn’t try reinvent the wheel. Instead, they’ve shaved a little drag here (dropping the coefficient from 0.33 to 0.28), tucked in some sculpted wheel arches there, and added a new glass-covered front fascia with integrated LED strip lighting that gives the Tiguan’s face a bit of theatre. It’s modern without shouting about it - think tasteful European, not YouTube influencer.New colours like Persimmon Red and Cipressino Green help it stand out, while wheel options extend up to handsome 20-inch items should you opt for the R-Line or the Black Style package. At the rear, another LED light strip emphasises width and gives it the kind of night-time signature that says “I shop at Woolies” rather than “I’m late for a car meet.”Inside: The Digital Age…For Better and WorseVolkswagen has given the cabin a major overhaul. It now feels more premium than ever, easily punching above its segment with high-quality materials and clean design. The new digital cockpit, 12.9-inch infotainment screen (15-inch optional), redesigned steering wheel and clever Driving Experience dial all add modern polish.But in embracing the minimalistic, screen-led trend, some functions have migrated a little too enthusiastically into the touchscreen. Yes, the redesigned interface is smoother, the new graphics crisp, and the backlit sliders beneath the screen more responsive than before. But even so, something as simple as adjusting your airflow direction still takes a tap or two more than it should. This isn’t a Tiguan problem exclusively; it’s a “new car in 2025” problem. But worth noting nonetheless.Still, once acclimatised, it's easy enough to live with, especially given the size and clarity of the display, the configurable home screen tiles, and the much-improved voice assistant.Space and Comfort: Where the Tiguan ShinesThe Tiguan has grown by a modest three centimetres, but it feels increasingly airy inside. The boot now measures a generous 652 litres, 37 more than before, making it one of the most versatile in the segment.The seats deserve their own applause. Even in Life trim, they’re properly supportive on longer drives. Opting for R-Line gets you the excellent ErgoActive chairs with massage function, but even the standard pews strike a great balance between comfort and firmness.Ride quality is another major win. The Tiguan strikes that classic VW sweet spot between composure and comfort, insulating you from most surface imperfections without the sort of wallow that makes passengers reach for the grab handles. It feels planted, grown-up, and pleasantly refined..Performance: The Diesel ComebackThe new 2.0 TDI 110kW engine delivers 340Nm between 1750 and 3000rpm, and those Newtons do a fine job of moving the Tiguan around with relaxed ease. It’s not fast. 0–100km/h happens in 9.4 seconds but it’s smooth, torquey and very well matched to the 7-speed DSG. The gearbox is unobtrusive, slipping between ratios with the kind of effortlessness that makes you wonder how you ever put up with a conventional automatic.Paired with 4Motion all-wheel drive, it has a surefooted, confident feel whether cruising on wet highways or tackling a loose gravel road. It’s not aspiring to be an off-roader, but you won’t need to tense your jaw when the tarmac ends.Technology and SafetyStandard Park Assist Plus is genuinely helpful - slotting into parallel or bay spaces with the kind of precision most humans only manage on a second attempt. The suite of IQ.Drive features includes Travel Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Assist, Side Assist with Rear Traffic Alert, and more. It’s comprehensive, unobtrusive, and contributes to a generally serene driving experience.Verdict: Exactly What It Needs to BeThe Tiguan 2.0 TDI 110kW Life 4Motion DSG isn’t trying to be flamboyant. It doesn’t rely on gimmicks. It's simply an exceptionally well-rounded SUV with refinement, comfort and practicality as its guiding principles. Yes, there are a few too many screen-based functions but in every area that matters - ride, build quality, diesel refinement, space, and day-to-day usability - it’s hard to fault.Volkswagen hasn’t reinvented the Tiguan. It has simply made it better, and in a segment filled with shoutier rivals, that might be its biggest strength.

Volkswagen Tiguan: Calm, collected and comfortably confident

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