The Malaysian SUV market welcomes a new entry today. New but familiar, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is a larger, three-row version of the Tiguan that we’ve known since 2017. Think of it as the Mazda CX-8 to the CX-5. Like the CX-5, VW’s Tiguan – which by the way is the VW Group’s best selling model in 2019 – isn’t really known for space, so this “Tiguan LWB” is differentiated enough.
“The SUV segment in Malaysia has grown by 65% and we believe it will continue to drive and lead the auto market. With the addition of the two Tiguan Allspace variants, Volkswagen will be able to cater to different SUV seekers by offering them a German engineered seven-seater option, with performance that is unrivalled,” said Erik Winter, MD of Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM).
At 4,701 mm, the Tiguan Allspace is 215 mm longer than the regular second-generation Tiguan, and its 2,787 mm wheelbase is 106 mm longer. It’s not easy to spot this added length at a glance, and that’s a testament to good design – VW designed the rear doors to be longer, and raised the bonnet section above the radiator grille to achieve pleasing proportions.
The added length is used to fit in two more seats. With all 5+2 seats erect, there’s 230 litres of storage space; not much, but fold down the third row and you’ll get a generous 700 litres (to the window line). Pull the latches on the boot wall to fold the second row seats and the cargo area grows to 1,775 litres. So, even if you don’t really need the +2 seats, the big cargo will be useful.
Bigger body aside, the Allspace is all Tiguan. Under the hood is the familiar 1.4 litre TSI engine with 150 PS and 250 Nm of torque, available from 1,500 to 3,500 rpm. The single turbo engine is mated to a six-speed DSG wet dual-clutch gearbox, and power goes to the front wheels.
That’s the Highline 1.4 TSI. More interesting is the R-Line 2.0 TSI, which as its name suggests is more than just an R-Line kitted version of the 1.4 TSI. Brace yourselves, because there’s a 2.0 litre TSI engine with a whopping 220 PS and 350 Nm of torque. This is more than the output of the 2.0 TSI Passat and Arteon’s 190 PS/320 Nm. Power goes to all wheels (yup, 4Motion AWD is standard here) via a seven-speed wet DSG gearbox. With hot hatch stats, this is the performance model in the class.
As for kit, the Tiguan Allspace Highline comes with full LED headlamps and taillights, 18-inch Kingston alloys, Vienna leather seats, 12-way electric driver seat, Climatronic three-zone air con, ambient lighting, electronic parking brake, and a leather multi-function steering with paddle shifters and cruise control.
Also on are the 11.7-inch Digital Cockpit instrument panel. This colour six-view customisable screen offers a new level of personalisation with over 30 combinations options, VW says. The head unit is an 8-inch Composition Media touchscreen with reverse camera. Safety wise, there are six airbags, ESC and hill-hold control.
Moving on, the R-Line 2.0 TSI gets all of the above plus the R-Line styling, which includes sportier front and rear bumpers, design strips on the front side panels, dual-tip tailpipes and a rear spoiler. The overall look is accentuated with 19-inch Sebring alloys.
Inside, the sportier sibling gets R-Line sports front seats (also with 12-way driver’s electric adjustment and Vienna leather), R-Line steering wheel, aluminium sports pedals, front/rear aluminium scuff plates, Dark Grid inserts and a black headliner.
Sporty kit aside, the R-Line 2.0 TSI gets all the above Highline equipment plus a 9.2-inch Discover Pro infotainment system. This has navi, plug-in App Connect (Apple Carplay, Android Auto, Mirrorlink) and voice and gesture control.
Also, to match the performance, the R-Line comes with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) with Driving Mode Selection. This provides up to 15 driving style preference and four driving modes – Comfort, Normal, Individual and Off-Road. Lastly, the R-Line has Hill Descent Control when it’s set in Off-Road mode.
Available in five colours – Blue Silk, Pure White, Deep Black, Platinum Grey and Pyrite Silver – the CKD locally-assembled Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is priced at RM165,000 for the Highline 1.4 TSI and RM209,575 for the R-Line 2.0 TSI. These prices are on-the-road without insurance, and with the 2020 sales tax exemption. VPCM’s new SUV is on display at 1 Utama (Oval, new wing) the whole weekend from today, along with the Passat R-Line and Arteon R-Line sedans.
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