2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Facelift Review: The Return Of The 5-Seater Flagship

Volkswagen India had promised a strong product offensive, by launching four new SUVs in the country, under its 'SUVW programme'. It began with the arrival of the Tiguan Allspace and the T-Roc in 2020, while 2021 was essentially called the year of the Taigun. However, there was one more SUV that was itching to be in the limelight, and that was the 5-seater, 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan. Yes, the SUV has finally returned with a much-needed facelift and a petrol-only drivetrain, replacing the 7-seater Tiguan Allspace as the company's most-expensive SUV in India. Seeing all this change in power dynamics, it does feel like a Game of Thrones kind of situation here, doesn't it? So, the question is the Tiguan capable enough to reclaim the flagship position? Let's find out.

Also Read: Volkswagen Virtus Review: 1.0 TSI And 1.5 TSI Automatics Driven

Design

The Volkswagen Tiguan has gone through a major overhaul when it comes to design and styling. Visually, the SUV is now in-line with the company's latest design language, featuring the new, wider chrome grille with horizontal slats, and the new VW logo at the centre. It is flanked by a pair of new Matrix LED headlights, which come with the new IQ.Light LED function. Each headlamp unit is made of 24 individual LEDs that offer better illumination, and it gets an advanced front lighting system (AFS) with range control, cornering light, and poor weather light. The bold character line on the hood and the new bumper accentuates the SUV aggressive front-end, while glossy black inserts, chrome details and the faux silver skid plate give it a premium and robust look.

Also Read: 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Launched In India; Priced At Rs. 31.99 Lakh

The Volkswagen Tiguan facelift comes with new, wider chrome grille with horizontal slats, and the new VW logo, flanked by a pair of IQ.Light Matrix LED headlights

Move towards the profile and you'll notice more pronounced lines running across the waist of the SUV. While the roof rails, and flared wheel arches, along with the claddings, add a bit of muscle to the Tiguan, the chrome details around the windows and the lower section of the door make for a premium touch. The Tiguan also comes with a set of new 18-inch alloy wheels, and while the model we drove came with regular hub caps with the VW logo, as part of the accessory kit you can also get self-levelling hub caps, which is certainly a cool feature to have.

The Tiguan comes with a set of new 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, with underbody cladding and flared wheel arches

As for the rear section, that too has been redesigned, and now it features a more sculpted tailgate and a beefy bumper with more chrome elements. However, the highlight of course are the new LED taillights, which now come with two signature light patterns - one for the regular taillamps and one for the brake lights. So, they interchange when you apply brakes, and Volkswagen calls this the 'Click-Clack' effect.

The Tiguan comes with new Click-Clack signature light LED taillamps and a segment best bootspace of 615-litre

In terms of size, the Tiguan facelift is still 312 mm shorter compared to the Allspace, and it comes with a 108 mm shorter wheelbase as well. On the other hand, it is longer than all its rivals like the Jeep Compass, Hyundai Tucson and even the diesel-only Citroen C5 Aircross. However, the C5 AirCross is both wider and taller than the others and it also comes with the longest wheelbase in the class. That said, the Tiguan gets the best-in-class boot capacity of 615 litres.

Also Read: Volkswagen Pulls The Plug On The Tiguan AllSpace And T-Roc SUVs In India

Interior and Tech

The Tiguan gets a spacious and premium cabin with soft-touch plastice on dashboard and premium Vienna leather seats

Step inside the cabin, you'll notice that it too has been updated. While the dashboard and the door panels are made of soft-touch plastic, the seats are upholstered in premium Vienna leather. The seats are well-bolstered and offer good under-thigh support, both at the front and back, and you also get a foldable central armrest with cup holders at the rear. There is storage space under the front central armrest, a cooled glovebox on the dashboard, and a few other compartments for your knick-knacks.

The Tiguan gets a 10-inch instrument cluster with virtual cockpit, new flat-bottom steering wheel, an 8-inch infotainment system and rear centre armrest

VW also offers a new flat-bottom multifunctional steering wheel, which is identical to the one on the Taigun, plus, you also get a 10-inch instrument cluster, with a crisp display, some cool animation and it's loaded with Volkswagen's virtual cockpit system. At the centre of the dashboard, you have the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which features both Apple Carplay, Android Auto, and you also have access to the MY Volkswagen Connect app, which offers you some more connected features like - vehicle tracking, driving behaviour and theft alert. The system also shows vehicle details like average fuel economy, average speed and, tyre pressure among other essential statistics.

Also Read: 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Facelift: All You Need To Know

The Tiguan also comes with 3-zone climate control, push-button start, Type-C USB charger, and a panoramic sunroof

The Tiguan also feels nice a cushy thanks to the 3-zone automatic climate control, which has two zones up front and one at the back. Below, you have a nice compartment for your smartphone with grippy padding and two Type-C USB charging ports. However, the Tiguan misses out on features like wireless phone charger and ventilated seats, features that are available in the smaller and less expensive Taigun as well. Which begs the question, 'Why the heck VW?' But you do get a panoramic sunroof, cooled glove box, push-button start, and adjustable headrests for all 5 occupants. You can even use the foot swipe motion to open the electrically operated tailgate.

Safety Features

The Tiguan is also equipped with 6 airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounts, 3-point seatbelts for all five occupants and more

The Tiguan is offered in only one variant, so you get all safety features as standard. This includes - 6 airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounts, front passenger airbag deactivation switch, 3-point seatbelts for all five occupants, rain-sensing wipers, and all four-disc brakes. The Tiguan is also equipped with ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, hill start assist & hill descent control, driver alert system with fatigue detection, front & rear parking sensors. A reversing camera with active guidelines and 4 different views is also on offer.

Also Read: Volkswagen Tiguan: New vs Old

Engine and Performance

The Volkswagen Tiguan facelift is now a petrol-only SUV, and is powered by a 2.0-litre TSI engine that makes 187 bhp and 320 Nm

Unlike the pre-facelift Tiguan, which was a diesel-only model, the facelifted avatar comes with a turbocharged petrol engine under the hood. In fact, it's the same 2.0-litre TSI unit that powered the Tiguan Allspace, which continues to belt out the same 187 bhp and a meaty 320 Nm of peak torque. Peak power kicks around 4200 rpm, while the torque is available from as low as 1500 rpm, and goes beyond 4000 rpm, so the initial acceleration is enjoyable, and the Tiguan feels quick right off the mark. The engine comes mated to the same 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox, which is standard, and we truly love it! The shifts are seamless and precise, and it's also quick, so even if you floor the throttle, it responds well, and doesn't feel sluggish at all. In fact, when Ameya drove the AllSpace last year, he had mentioned that it drove like a hot hatch. The same drivetrain in this shorter Tiguan has made the hot hatch effect even more potent.

The Tiguan also gets a 7-speed DSG unit and 4Motion AWD system, with off-road and snow modes

The DSG unit sends power to all four wheels via Volkswagen's trusted 4-Motion all-wheel-drive system, which is carried over from the older Tiguan and the Allspace. As road conditions change, it distributes power between the front and rear wheels to help optimise traction and stability. It also comes with an electronic differential lock. You also have the option to choose between different modes like - road, off-road, an off-road individual, which you can adjust as per your need, and even a dedicated snow mode. So, you know it can handle any kind of terrain.

The Tiguan, with its powerful engine and highly capable DSG gearbox, offers driving dynamics similar to a hot hatch

Ride and Handling

When it came to ride and handling, we truly loved the Tiguan Allspace, in fact, it was even better than Skoda's Kodiaq. So, with the new Tiguan facelift, our expectations were high, and it certainly did not disappoint us. The SUV handles like a charm, taking everything in its stride, with utmost ease. The suspension has been set a bit on the stiffer side, mainly to achieve that great handling, however, you barely feel any discomfort inside the cabin, and the ride feels smooth and comfortable. The new steering unit is an electromechanical speed-sensitive power steering, which weighs up nicely as the speed progresses, thus imparting more confidence at higher speeds. The NVH levels are also very good.

2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Facelift handles like a charm, taking everything in its stride, with utmost ease

Price and Verdict

The Volkswagen Tiguan is available in only one, fully loaded, Elegance variant, which was launched at an introductory price of Rs. 31.99 lakh (ex-showroom, India). In comparison, the top-end petrol variant of the Jeep Compass is Rs. 5.65 lakh cheaper, whereas the Tucson is nearly Rs. 7.60 lakh less expensive. On the other hand, the diesel-only C5 AirCross is about 80,000 more expensive than the Tiguan. However, none of those models come with an all-wheel-drive system.

Also Read: Volkswagen Announces Price Hike On Select Models From January 2022

The Tiguan is a well-built SUV, with a powerful and capable drivetrain, and a host of premium features

As for the Hyundai Tucson, it's up for a generation upgrade next year, so, if you want to go for the Korean SUV we would suggest you rather wait for the new one. And in case, you want a 7-seater option, then Skoda will launch the Kodiaq facelift in January 2022. But if you are looking for a well-built German SUV that comes with a powerful and capable drivetrain, and a host of premium features, then the Tiguan should definitely be on your final shortlist. So, coming back to our earlier question, is the 2021 VW Tiguan a worthy flagship SUV? Hell yes!