Volkswagen Tiguan (2024) Launch Review
Volkswagen Group Africa has introduced the 3rd-gen Tiguan family car in South Africa. The latest Tiguan boasts much-revised stylish inside and out, plus a raft of technology- and equipment upgrades. We travelled to Gqeberha to experience the new Tiguan.
Almost exactly a year after the new Volkswagen Tiguan was revealed globally, the Wolfsburg-based local subsidiary has launched the new-gen family car in Mzansi. Will it build on its predecessors’ successes?
Since the arrival of the 1st-gen Tiguan in 2009, the model has found favour with more than 41 000 families in South Africa and has notched up sales of 7.4 million units around the globe. What’s more, the 2nd-generation Tiguan was twice recognised as the winner of the family car category of the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards (in the 2016/17 and 2018/19 programmes), highlighting its impact on the local market.
Evidently, the Volkswagen Tiguan is a front-running model, but competition in this segment is formidable! With excellent family car products such as the Kia Sportage (the current #CarsAwards Family Car champion), Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Haval H6 and others, the outgoing Tiguan (which was introduced in 2016) started falling behind the segment’s pace as new competitors joined the market.
Now though, with a brand-spanking-new Tiguan on the market, Volkswagen can once again compete with confidence – and perhaps the new Tiguan will reclaim its perch at the top of the segment, which is currently dominated by Chery and Haval. Let’s take a look at what the new Tiguan has to offer!
New Volkswagen Tiguan: Bigger, better, smarter
The new Tiguan, built on the Wolfsburg-based firm’s scalable MQB Evo platform, has grown up!
The new model is 30 mm longer (4 539 mm), 4 mm wider (1 843 mm) and stands 1 640 mm tall. Even though the new Tiguan’s wheelbase is 2 mm shorter than before (at 2 676 mm), Volkswagen says its load bay has grown by 37 litres to 652 litres, expanding to 1 650 litres when the split-folding seats are folded.
The new Tiguan will be offered with 3 trim grades including the base Tiguan, the mid-spec Tiguan Life and the range-topping Tiguan R-Line. See also: Price and specification details for the new VW Tiguan.
The new Tiguan is easily recognisable thanks to its new front-end execution, which is highlighted by a light bar that spans the width of the car, leading into the new LED Plus headlight units (on the Life and R-Line), while optional IQ Light HD matrix LED headlights are optional (R16 500) on the R-Line derivative.
A keen eye will also notice that the lower bumper section has also been revised. A horizontal LED light bar also features across the width of the Tiguan’s tailgate – the design element essentially conjoins the pair of 2-part tail-light clusters. Similarly, Volkswagen has also revised the bumper and tailgate design.
In terms of wheels, 17-inch Bari alloys are standard on the base and Life derivatives, while 18-inch Bologna and 19-inch Catania rims are optional for the Tiguan Life. Meanwhile, the Tiguan R-Line gains 19-inch Coventry wheels as standard, while the 20-inch Leads and York wheels are offered as an option.
A total of 7 exterior colours are available for the new Tiguan, including new hues such as Persimmon Red Metallic, Cipressino Green Metallic and Oyster Silver Metallic, all of which have joined the palette. It’s well worth noting that a “Black Style” Package is also available – it adds black trim details, black mirror housings, black roof rails, black chrome details, rear privacy glass and 20-inch black York alloy wheels.
While the 3rd-gen Tiguan’s exterior styling is arguably softer and rounder compared with that of the outgoing model, we think the design of Volkswagen’s newcomer will be a hit with local buyers. It needs to be said that the most significant changes have been made inside the family car’s cabin, however.
Added technology and comfort features
The new Tiguan’s cabin execution has moved decidedly upmarket to take the fight to its (also luxurious) rivals. Highlights include a new 10-inch configurable digital instrument cluster, as well as a new standard 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen that houses Volkswagen’s latest MIB4 operating system.
If that’s not big enough for you, Volkswagen is also offering a larger (15-inch) infotainment system (in conjunction with a wireless charging pad) as an option for the 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan.
The system houses all the major vehicle functions, which has made the new Tiguan’s fascia a study in minimalism, with very few buttons to speak of. Up to 30 ambient colours are available to further enhance the ambience in the cabin and this feature is particularly impressive (and fun) to play with at night.
A major change is the addition of a transmission stalk behind the steering wheel, replacing the previous ‘shift lever, which has consequently freed up space in the central console.
The new Tiguan further features a “Driving Experience Dial” through which drivers can toggle between the various drive modes (Eco, Comfort, Sport, Individual, Offroad and Snow) and interior “atmospheres” (Lounge, Energetic, Joy, Minimal, Me and Nature – R-Line only). It also serves as a huge volume knob!
The new Ergo-Active leather seats (with a 10-chamber pressure-point massage function) are arguably the most welcome additions to the new Tiguan; they can also heat or cool their occupants’ posteriors.
The seats are impressively comfortable and well-bolstered and the massage function is a fantastic addition to the Tiguan package, making every journey something to look forward to. Both the driver and passenger seats are also electrically adjustable.
Additional optional features include an 11-speaker, 700W Harmon Kardon sound System (R19 800), a head-up display (R12 000) and tilting and sliding panoramic sunroof (including rear) for R18 000.
From an interior perspective, we think Volkswagen has done an excellent job of elevating the Tiguan’s interior quality, technology offering and importantly, comfort.
Let’s talk engines
From launch, the new Tiguan is available with Volkswagen’s familiar 1.4-litre turbopetrol engine (110 kW/250 Nm) and comes paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission as standard across the range.
In November 2024, Volkswagen will introduce a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine derivative in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive guise with peak outputs of 110 kW and 340 Nm (previously 130 kW and 380 Nm), while a 140 kW/350 Nm 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine (detuned from 162 kW) will arrive in the first quarter of 2025 with 4Motion all-wheel-drive capability.
What’s the reason for Volkswagen offering detuned engines in South Africa? Well, our deteriorating fuel quality is a major contributing factor and Volkswagen is not the only brand affected by this problem. This topic certainly deserves further attention – we’ll share more in-depth information on this subject soon.
For buyers looking to tow boats or caravans, Volkswagen was keen to point out that the diesel-powered Tiguan would be ideal for towing, thanks to its 350 Nm torque figure and a towing capacity of 2 300 kg.
What’s the new Volkswagen Tiguan like to drive?
The launch route for the Tiguan launch took us on a return drive from Gqeberha to the Karoo town of Graaf-Reinet, a total distance of just over 500 km.
Volkswagen made both Life and R-Line derivatives available for assessment. When you step inside the new Tiguan for the first time, it takes a few moments to shake off previous conceptions of the outgoing model and absorb the new, much-improved cabin design in detail.
With a push of the Start-Stop button, the 1.4-litre turbopetrol engine comes to life with little drama and with the comfort seats enveloping me with a much-needed back massage, we set off into the Karoo.
The Tiguan’s pleasingly forgiving ride quality is immediately noticeable. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is light to wield but still pleasingly responsive. As far as refinement goes, the Tiguan excels! The cabin is well-insulated and engine noise is quite muted, which further enhances the driving experience.
The 1.4-litre turbopetrol was the most popular engine in the outgoing range and Volkswagen expects this trend to continue with the 3rd-gen Tiguan. This engine punches above its weight and delivers energetic performance, which is well complemented by the slick 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Paddle shifters mounted behind the steering wheel add further driving engagement to the package and we found the transmission calibration to be ideal with little to no intervention needed from the driver.
The Tiguan cruises comfortably at the national speed limit and beyond (if you must) – to me, it’s clear that Volkswagen has maintained or even improved upon the Tiguan’s excellent overall drive quality.
In terms of fuel consumption, Volkswagen claims 7.6 L/100 km, but buyers can realistically expect returns of between 9 and 10 L/100km under average driving conditions.
As this is a family car, safety is paramount. Volkswagen’s IQ.Drive safety suite (R27 500) includes features such as adaptive cruise control, hill-start assist, travel assist, driver alert system, lane assist, side assist with rear-traffic alert, area-view camera and trailer manoeuvring assist. In addition to that, 8 airbags are fitted as standard across the new Tiguan range and Park Assist Plus is also standard.
How much does the new Volkswagen Tiguan cost in SA?
| Tiguan 1.4 TSI 110 kW DSG | R651 500 |
| Tiguan 1.4 TSI 110 kW Life DSG | R702 800 |
| Tiguan 2.0 TDI 110 kW Life 4Motion DSG | R755 700 |
| Tiguan 1.4 TSI 110 kW R-Line DSG | R766 300 |
| Tiguan 2.0 TDI 110 kW R-Line 4Motion DSG | R834 800 |
| Tiguan 2.0 TSI 140 kW R-Line 4Motion DSG | R835 900 |
The Tiguan is sold with a 3-year/120 000 km warranty and a 5-year/90 000 km service plan.
Buy a new Volkswagen Tiguan on Cars.co.za
Summary
The new Volkswagen Tiguan represents a marked improvement over the outgoing model, particularly in terms styling, technology and overall quality. As such, we think that the new Tiguan will be well received by local buyers, especially considering that Volkswagen has maintained a competitive pricing structure.
In fact, some derivatives are cheaper than the equivalent 2nd-generation Tiguan, which will surely be welcomed by local Volkswagen stalwarts.
The number nerds out there who keep a keen eye on the monthly new car sales figures will know that Volkswagen is under tremendous pressure to protect its market share. Currently the 2nd best-selling car brand in South Africa (behind Toyota), Volkswagen is working hard to stave off Japanese budget car giant, Suzuki, whose growth trajectory in South Africa has been nothing short of phenomenal.
In a tough economic climate, consumers are more price-sensitive than ever before. With this in mind, Volkswagen is making a concerted effort to minimise price increases for some of its models including the facelifted Polo Vivo (prices remain unchanged) and revised T-Cross (prices reduced for some variants).
Considering the significant changes made to the new, 3rd-gen Tiguan in conjunction with palatable pricing, it will be interesting to see if Volkswagen will gain ground on its rivals in the months to come.
Does the new Tiguan have what it takes to win the Family Car category of the #CarsAwards for the 3rd time? We’ll soon have the new Tiguan on test, so look out for a thorough review that’s coming your way!
If you’re interested in buying a used Volkswagen Tiguan, be sure to read our Tiguan Buyer’s Guide!
Buy a used Volkswagen Tiguan on Cars.co.za