On paper, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace makes a great deal of sense, offering the choice of either a larger boot or the option of seven seats. For us, a 5+2 Allspace a compelling offer, in fact, as it creates a more practical and flexible alternative to the regular Tiguan.
Well chosen cosmetic upgrades give it subtle new look over the standard car, while a generous level of standard kit and a quality cabin create the feeling of a premium product, edging it closer to the Touareg and away from the standard Tiguan.
But some elements remain unknown – most notably the final specification and price – so we’ll reserve judgement until these details have been released and we’ve had a chance to drive the Allspace in the UK.
The Tiguan and Tiguan Allspace were developed at the same time, and if anything, the new version is the better looking of the two. That it has a hint of the US-market VW Atlas about it should come as no surprise, as the Allspace was designed to appeal to our American cousins. In fact, US buyers don’t get the standard car - only the long-wheelbase version tested here.
Volkswagen could have simply extended the length of the body and leave it at that, but instead it has worked hard to give it a personality of its own, enabling the Allspace to occupy the space between the Tiguan and the Touareg.
The changes are subtle, but effective, from the longer rear doors, to the higher bonnet, through to the tweaked side window line, individual radiator grille and chrome strip that stretches across the entire front end.
This front section can be ordered in on-road and off-road versions, with the latter including a special off-road package, which improves the approach angle by seven degrees. Roof rails come as standard, and a are complemented by structural lines which you won’t find on the regular Tiguan.
Inside, the Allspace offers few surprises, with a sense of quality and refinement that isn’t a given in this segment. In common with other Volkswagens, it’s a sombre affair, but there’s no doubting the high-end fit and finish.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
Some Allspace models are available with Volkswagen’s next-generation Discover Pro infotainment system, which includes an eight-inch touchscreen display, 3D mapping, DAB digital radio and gesture control.
Other tech includes the Active Info Display – basically a screen in place of traditional instrumentation – while DAB digital radio and Bluetooth are standard on all models.
If you’re used to the standard Tiguan, you probably won’t notice any difference with the Allspace. In either front or four-wheel drive guise, it’s comfortable and competent on the road, with a high driving position and great visibility.
We’ve only driven one European variant – a 148bhp 2.0 TDI with the super-smooth seven-speed DSG automatic transmission, which is perfectly adequate for day-to-day use. The diesel engine can be noisy when cold and at idle, but wind and tyre noise is kept to a minimum once on the move. A manual is also available.
If anything, we found that the longer-wheelbase contributed to a little more composure and stability when cornering, while the adjustable suspension offers a noticeable difference between Comfort and Sport settings. A drive in a US-spec petrol car did reveal much else, so we’ll wait for a UK drive before delivering more detailed driving impressions.
Engines
The Allspace will be offered with a choice of six petrol and diesel engines, with the vast majority of customers expected to opt for the entry-level 148bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel. It’s more than up to the task of carrying out school run duties and shopping trips, but a more powerful version would be better suited for longer trips, especially when carrying a full quota of seven people.
A punchy 237bhp will sit at the top of the diesel range, but the best all-rounder is likely to be the 187bhp 2.0 TDI. Petrol power comes courtesy of 1.4 and 2.0 TSI versions, with outputs ranging from 148bhp to 177bhp.
The previous Volkswagen Tiguan was hardly a byword for reliability in our Driver Power surveys, so it remains to be seen how well the new model performs – and that goes for the Allspace, too.
In our 2017 survey, Volkswagen was rated the 14th out of a total of 27 manufacturers, with both SEAT and Skoda finishing ahead of their parent brand.
More positive is the news that the standard Tiguan was awarded a maximum five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP, with an impressive 96 per cent for adult safety. The other scores were: 84 per cent for child safety, 72 per cent for pedestrian safety, and 68 per cent for safety assist technologies. We expect the Allspace version to perform just as well.
Standard safety kit includes lane-keeping assist, post-collision brake assist, pedestrian monitoring and emergency braking, as well as a host of airbags and stability and traction control systems.
Warranty
The Tiguan Allspace is covered by Volkswagen’s standard three-year/60,000-mile warranty. You can also choose to extend the manufacturer’s warranty to four years/75,000 miles, or five years/90,000 miles at extra cost.
Servicing
Service intervals are flexible, but Volkswagen recommends that the Tiguan is serviced every 12 months or between 10,000 and 18,000 miles.
The Tiguan Allspace works great as a five-seater, offering a huge boot and more space for rear seat passengers. The availability of a third row of seats will present a useful option, but these are best reserved for small children. Annoyingly, however, the third row seats do not feature ISOFIX points – rendering them largely useless.
Whether or not the Allspace represents true value for money over the regular Tiguan will remain unclear until Volkswagen has released pricing details for the UK market. We’d expect a like-for-like premium of £2,000 for the Allspace, creating a starting price around £25,000. However, it could be far more - as some seven-seat rivals boast eye-watering list prices.
Size
The Tiguan Allspace is 4,701mm long, making it 215mm longer than the regular Tiguan and 4mm longer than the Skoda Kodiaq. Weirdly, however, a Kodiaq feels like a bigger car on the road.
Predictability, the Allspace is the same width as the standard Tiguan (2,099mm including door mirrors), with the standard-fit roof rails increasing the height to 1,674mm.
Leg room, head room & passenger space
Thanks to the extended wheelbase, the Allspace offers an additional 54mm of knee room and 60mm more legroom for second row passengers, making it more of a genuine rival for the Kodiaq. Space in the third row is very poor, though, and adult passengers will have to sit with their knees around their ears.
Boot
Volkswagen told us that it expects most customers to opt for the five-seat Allspace, which is hardly surprising given the size of the boot. A huge 760 litres is on offer, which is 145 litres more than you’d find in the regular model.
Opt for the 5+2 version and the luggage capacity drops to 700 litres with the seats folded up, or 230 litres with the seats folded away.
In five-seat guise, with the second row of seats folded away using the standard remote unlatching function, the Tiguan offers a van-like 1,920 litres of storage. In seven-seat configuration, this drops to 1,775 litres.
Our 148bhp 2.0 TDI test car offered fuel economy of 55.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 132g/km, which equates to a first-year VED rate of £200, followed by £140 from year two.
Full details will be revealed when Volkswagen releases the UK specification in January 2018.
Insurance groups
Insurance groups are yet to be confirmed, but we wouldn’t expect a big shift from the regular Tiguan’s bands of 11 to 27. That’s pretty much par for the course in this segment.
Depreciation
The standard Tiguan offers competitive residuals, although its high prices mean that in relative terms it will lose more money than its rivals. If anything, we’d expect the extra space offered by the Allspace to lead to stronger residuals, with the seven-seat version becoming a used car hero.
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