Volkswagen Tiguan review: Upsized SUV that's underserved by a downsized engine

When the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) system was first implemented in 1990, it categorised cars based simply on their engine capacities.

The logic back then was that bigger and more expensive cars needed large engines for more power, and so engine capacity was deemed a suitable metric to delineate between affordable and luxury cars.

As technology progressed, however, manufacturers found that they could develop more power without necessarily upsizing engines.

The 21st century saw turbocharging becoming commonplace, and by the mid-2000s, many cars were starting to feature downsized turbocharged engines that could produce as much power as larger capacity engines from a decade before.

The result was that luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz started to offer models that were competing against mainstream carmakers like Toyota and Honda in the same COE category in Singapore.

The perceived unfairness of this practice led the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to impose a maximum power cap of 130hp for COE Category A in 2013, in addition to the existing 1,600cc engine capacity limits.

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But companies have sought ways to work around the system, especially since horsepower is a metric that can be easily tweaked.

Before long, we started to see new models that have been tuned to 'conveniently' fit under the revised Cat A requirements, effectively putting us back to where we were a decade ago.

The latest Volkswagen Tiguan is perhaps a prime example of the lengths manufacturers will go to in order to gain a competitive advantage in our market, and as we will find out, sometimes it isn't always to our benefit.

What's the deal with the new Tiguan?

We start with the elephant in the room.

The Tiguan we get in Singapore is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces exactly 130hp, which is precisely the threshold to qualify for a Cat A COE.

Interestingly though, this isn't a 'Singapore special', where the engine has been specifically tuned down to meet our COE restrictions (as some other manufacturers have admitted to doing).

Rather, this same powertrain is actually available in other markets as well.

Ordinarily, a 130hp engine isn't an issue for most cars, and this same engine in the smaller Volkswagen Golf hatchback works just fine.

However, the Tiguan has now grown to become quite a sizeable SUV now, with a kerb weight of around 1.6 tonnes, and having that amount of power in this application simply feels inadequate.

If you're just milling around town slowly, then the Tiguan is perfectly alright for the job.

But step hard on the accelerator and the car responds with…nothing basically. The car simply takes its own sweet time to make meaningful progress, no matter how much you rev it or push the throttle.

The 220Nm of torque is just about enough to get you going, but this is not the car to drive if you need to get somewhere quickly. 0-100km/h comes up in a leisurely 10.6 seconds, so you'll need to exercise plenty of patience with the Tiguan.

Other than that, how does it drive?

Frustratingly, despite the power deficit, the new Tiguan is actually quite a good car to drive.

There is the sense that if it wasn't for the weak engine, the Tiguan would be a fantastic choice for those looking for a well-rounded family SUV.

Given its size now, the Tiguan feels surprisingly nimble and light-footed in its handling.

It goes through corners with a level of consistency that's really quite impressive for a car of its kind, with its excellent grip, minimal body roll, and nicely weighted steering.

It's not quite an enthusiast's car of course, but for an SUV the Tiguan is certainly one of the more enjoyable ones to drive out there.

However, ride quality is more of a mixed bag. It copes mostly well on smoother surfaces, but hit some bumps and the car starts to get unsettled.

It's a strange state of affairs, but perhaps the Tiguan is just a sports car in hiding, crying out for a more powerful drivetrain.

Are there any redeeming qualities to the Tiguan then?

Yes, actually.

For all its drivability shortcomings, the Tiguan does serve quite well as a family SUV, being rather spacious and well equipped with plenty of premium features.

As mentioned earlier, the new Tiguan is slightly bigger than its predecessor. Length has been increased by 53mm, although the wheelbase remains the same as before.

The magic of packaging though means that there is seemingly more room inside, especially for rear passengers.

The rear bench can also slide forwards and backwards, which adds further versatility. 

It also results in a massive boot, with an impressive 557 litres in capacity, an increase of 37 litres over the previous model.

Fold the rear seats down and you get an additional 1,000 litres in cargo space, which is simply colossal.

Its standard equipment list is pretty stacked, too.

The base Life trim, which retails for $226,900 with COE (as of December 2024), gets a panoramic glass sunroof, ventilated front seats with massage function, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and a head-up display, among others.

The Life Plus variant tested here, which costs $10,000 more, adds 20-inch wheels (instead of 19-inches for the Life) and matrix high-definition LED headlights.

Truthfully though, the Life variant is more than enough for most.

It's all wrapped up in an interior that's pretty well designed.

The massive 15-inch central touchscreen offers great resolution, and the infotainment system behind it is relatively easy to use.

It is also complemented by physical buttons on the steering wheel as well as down on the centre console, which not only enhances the overall intuitiveness of the controls, but gives the interior a neat and tidy look, too.

Is the new Tiguan worth buying then?

That's a genuinely tough question to answer, and it really depends on what you value most.

If having lots of interior space and a long list of features are important to you, then the Tiguan is virtually unmatched in its class.

However, it is sorely let down by its underpowered engine, although that might not be that big of an issue in urban Singapore.

Its biggest problem though lies across the showroom floor, as Volkswagen's sister brand Skoda launched its Kodiaq SUV shortly after the Tiguan's arrival.

The Kodiaq is larger, offers seating for seven, and comes with a slightly more powerful engine. And yet it retails for about 10 grand less despite having a Cat B COE.

It does put the Tiguan in an awkward position, but it also feels like the car is a victim of our seemingly outdated COE system.

If it was given a power boost and a more competitive price tag, the Tiguan will probably make a better fight of it in our market.

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