VW’s claim to have added cabin quality to this car seems very much to be defined in a predictably modern, digital sense. Because what makes it different from the outgoing Tiguan isn’t the solid, expensive look and feel of the mouldings and materials, or the hefty feel of the switchgear.
For that kind of built-in perceived quality (for so long a VW strong suit) the car sets a decent standard, but not an exceptional one. Its primary fixtures and secondary controls feel solid and secure, its storage cubbies are lined, and some plusher finishes catch the eye. There is nothing especially lavish or noteworthy, but just enough richness of feel to bear comparison with premium rivals.
Instead, and in a familiar-sounding theme, the money has clearly been spent on other things. Backlit decorative panels span the dashboard and doors, which have ambient lighting in selectable colours depending on the car’s chosen cabin ‘atmosphere’.
Then, in our test car’s case at least, a 15in landscape-oriented, free-standing infotainment screen sat on top of the fascia, and a large head-up display behind the 10.3in digital instrument screen. Plainly, VW is feeling the need to compete with disruptor brands and pack in as much digital technology as a modern buyer might want, at the risk of reduced functionality.
The centre console layout is a case in point. Without a manual gearstick to accommodate, VW has moved drive selection to the right-hand column stalk, freeing up storage space. But it has therefore had to consolidate the headlight, indicator and wiper controls onto the left-hand stalk, making the wipers especially less intuitive to use.
The heating and ventilation are primarily controlled via the touchscreen, and although there are alternative physical ‘slider’ controls you can use just under it (now backlit), conventional physical controls would be even easier to find at a glance.
These are the kind of details Wolfsburg used to unfailingly ace, but it continues to seem a little distracted by novel digital alternatives that don’t quite deliver the same easy usability.
Other traditional VW brand strengths are better represented by the Tiguan, however. Our car’s front seats were excellent (adjustable for cushion inclination and length, with well-positioned head restraints, good lumbar support, heaters and massagers).
Second-row passengers get their own USB-C charging ports, special seatback pockets to stow digital devices, sliding and reclining seats, and maximum head room and leg room to narrowly beat a BMW X1 (itself a well-packaged car).
Multimedia system
The Tiguan gets the same enhanced and refined touchscreen infotainment system as the Passat and it’s based on VW’s latest-generation (MIB4) software. The central screen spans just under 13in on the diagonal as standard and 15in with VW’s infotainment package upgrade (as fitted), which also brings with it a useful head-up display.
VW has worked a lot on the configurability of the home screen and related accessibility of key functions compared with the last-generation set-up – and it shows. The bigger system makes more space for easy-to-hit menu shortcuts around the margins of the screen. You can choose for yourself which parts of the system they take you to, so usability is much improved.
We would still prefer a physical cursor controller for a system like this, as well as proper separate physical controls for heating and ventilation. (VW’s slider panels are still fiddly and a little unhelpful.) But, for a system that can only be controlled at arm’s length, this is now one of the better ones on the market.
