2023 Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI R-Line review

The current-generation 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan mid-size SUV – launched in 2016 – is nearing the end of its model cycle, ahead of the unveiling of a new model later this year, and Australian showroom arrivals expected next year.

Despite its age – and production constraints that have limited stock of the five-seat model – the standard Tiguan and seven-seat Tiguan Allspace – combined – were Volkswagen Australia’s most popular SUV nameplate in 2022.

The Tiguan is also one of the only models in the mid-size SUV category to offer a powerful turbo-petrol engine option – including the 162TSI R-Line, and the high-performance Tiguan R.

It is worth noting before proceeding that shortly after our test vehicle was returned, Volkswagen Australia paused orders for all-wheel-drive versions of the standard-wheelbase Tiguan – the 132TSI, 147TDI, flagship R, and the 162TSI on test here (more details at this link).

There are 16 models in the current Volkswagen Tiguan range. We’re testing the five-seat, standard-wheelbase version of the most popular variant: the petrol Tiguan 162TSI R-Line.

Prices of many Volkswagen Tiguan models have been subject to increases over the past two years, and at present a Model Year 2023 version of the vehicle tested here carries a $57,790 price tag plus on-road costs.

The initial batch of Model Year 2023 vehicles are missing a number of safety features – blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, proactive occupant protection and a power tailgate – to keep production lines moving amid semiconductor shortages (more details here).

These features – which cannot be 'retro-fitted' to vehicles after they have been built – are for the time being optional at an extra cost, or not available at all.

The Tiguan 162TSI R-Line tested is optioned with the $2700 Sound and Vision Package, which adds a head-up display (reflecting key information onto a transparent panel in the driver's line of sight), 10-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system (plus subwoofer), and a 360-degree camera system, plus $900 Nightshade Blue metallic paint.

As tested, the Tiguan shown here costs $61,990 plus on-road costs, or $68,377 drive-away in Sydney, which includes the optional power tailgate at $600, previously part of the standard equipment but moved to the options list for MY23.

While the Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI R-Line is in the same mid-size SUV class as top-sellers such as the Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5 and Kia Sportage – albeit with a footprint closer to SUVs one size smaller, such as a Toyota Corolla Cross – its price and performance put it up against a smaller, dearer set of competitors.

These include the turbo-petrol Mazda CX-5 G35 Akera ($54,000 plus on-road costs), Ford Escape Vignale AWD ($51,590 plus on-roads), Peugeot 3008 GT Sport ($63,431 plus on-roads), and the Tiguan’s twin under the skin, the Cupra Formentor, in 180kW VZ ($59,490 drive-away) and 221kW VZx ($68,990 drive-away) trims.

Features added with R-Line versions of the five-seat Tiguan include 20-inch alloy wheels, R-Line front/rear bumpers and badging, an R-Line leather-trimmed steering wheel with touch buttons, R-Line seat embossing, R-Line door sill plates, a black headliner, and stainless-steel pedal covers.

Standard equipment carried up from cheaper model grades include Vienna leather upholstery, power-adjustable heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dusk-sensing adaptive matrix LED headlights, adaptive suspension, and a space-saver spare wheel.

It is also fitted with a 9.2-inch touchscreen with wireless/wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, and AM/FM/DAB digital radio, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, rain-sensing wipers, auto-folding heated side mirrors with auto-dipping functionality on the passenger side, and an array of advanced safety features.

The Volkswagen Tiguan’s cabin starts to feel its age alongside the latest models from the German brand – such as the Golf hatch, and VW’s forthcoming ID electric-car line-up – but it’s smartly presented with bright displays and a quality feel.

Perceived build quality is excellent, and most surfaces are trimmed in soft-touch rubberised material, though much of the centre console is made from a hard, scratchy plastic, and there’s plenty of gloss black plastic, which is bound to show fingerprints.

The seats – trimmed in Vienna leather, and offering power adjustment and two-position memory – are comfortable on long journeys (if a touch firm) and support occupants reasonably well in faster driving.

The R-Line-badged, flat-bottomed steering wheel might be a bit too thick for some tastes, but we liked its reassuring feel, and the perforated leather trim.

However, the ‘capacitive’ touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel are fiddlier than the standard ‘hard’ buttons on the steering wheels in other Volkswagen cars. They also attract fingerprints (and show them in the sun).

If you drive with your hands at nine and three, it’s not too difficult to accidentally turn on the heated steering wheel, as the button sits on the bottom right of the right steering wheel spoke, where your palm rests.

Fortunately, Volkswagen has acknowledged criticism of this steering wheel design, and the company has promised to change it – starting with the next-generation Tiguan, due in Europe this year.

The shortcuts on either side of the touchscreen are also touch-sensitive, along with the panel below it for the tri-zone climate-control air-conditioning system and heated front seats.

The latter doesn’t need occupants to use the touchscreen to control air-conditioning functions like the new Golf; however, the sliders and touch buttons for temperature, air speed and more (which are illuminated, unlike the Golf) require drivers to take their eyes off the road in order to make the right change.

Key features up front include sensor-key entry, push-button start, ambient interior lighting, two USB-C charging ports, and one 12-volt socket. However, there is no wireless phone charger, despite the inclusion of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and room ahead of the gear selector for a wireless charging pad.

The USB-C ports could be more powerful. On one non-stop, two-and-a-half-hour drive – running Apple CarPlay with Google Maps navigation and Spotify music – I found my phone (a two-year-old iPhone 12) had lost a significant portion of its battery capacity despite being plugged in.

Storage space in the front row is good – the door pockets (which are felt-lined) and glovebox are a decent size, there’s a rubber-lined tray in front of the gearshifter for your phone and keys, and room for two cupholders, though the centre console could be larger.

There's a large storage console in the middle of the roof above the front occupants, which has room for five sets of sunglasses.

The rear seats recline and slide through multiple positions, allowing for a range of combinations to maximise boot space or passenger comfort.

With the seats reclined and in the rear-most position, I could comfortably fit behind my 186cm driving position, with plenty of head room, leg room and toe room, and big windows for good visibility.

Rear amenities include a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, large door pockets, map pockets and phone holders on the backs of the front seats, and air vents (with a temperature control panel for the rear air-conditioning zone).

However, there is only one 12-volt socket and one USB-C port, and some of the materials on the door cards aren’t as nice as the front.

Volkswagen claims there is up to 615L of boot space with the rear seats in place, or 1655L with them folded – figures which would lead the mid-size SUV class.

There is a catch: you need to slide the rear seats all the way forward to achieve these numbers, which means compromising rear passenger space. I physically could not fit behind my own driving position – and had to get out of the car to slide the seats all the way forward – but it may be comfortable enough for kids.

The boot has an adjustable floor (with two height positions), storage compartments along the side, hooks for shopping bags, and a 12-volt outlet. The rear seats split 40:20:40 and fold relatively flat.

Standard in the Volkswagen Tiguan Elegance and R-Line is a 9.2-inch infotainment touchscreen with wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, built-in satellite navigation, Bluetooth, and AM/FM/DAB digital radio.

The overall look and feel of the system is now about five years old, but an upgrade to its processing power as part of the Tiguan’s facelift in 2021 means the graphics are sharp, menus are quick to respond, and it’s reasonably easy to use (though some functions aren’t always in the menus you expect).

Apple CarPlay worked well in our testing – aside from a few stutters on one occasion – and the embedded satellite navigation system was also easy to use, integrating well with the digital instrument and head-up displays.

The resolution of the standard-fit reversing camera and optional 360-degree camera was average, and became grainy at night time, making it hard to see the kerb on a dark street. However, we’d rather have this surround-view camera than not.

We would also appreciate a volume dial – as per cheaper Tiguan models with the smaller 8.0-inch screen – rather than the touch buttons on the left side of the screen.

The 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is a highlight of the cabin, with easy-to-read graphics, bright colours, and excellent customisation, including the ability to show a full-screen map (though it will only show navigation directions with the embedded sat-nav system, not through CarPlay or Android Auto).

The head-up display in this test car (included in the Sound and Vision pack) is a nice addition, though its implementation feels a little cheap, as it is a panel that flips up out of the dashboard, rather than projecting the information directly onto the windscreen.

We didn’t test the standard stereo back-to-back with this car for a fair comparison, but sound quality from the Harman Kardon premium audio system is good. If your budget can accommodate it, the $2700 Sound and Vision pack with this, the head-up display and 360-degree camera is a worthy addition.

The Volkswagen Tiguan is no longer covered by an ANCAP safety rating, as its five-star score from 2016 – tested under more lenient criteria, which are unlikely to translate to 2023–2025 current crash-test protocols – expired at the end of 2022. It carries over most of the safety features that earned it a five-star score six years ago, but early build 2023 vehicles are missing some useful tech (see next item). 

Standard safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist (Travel Assist), driver fatigue detection, low-speed front and rear AEB for car parks, tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors, and semi-automatic parking.

Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and proactive occupant protection – which tightens seatbelts and closes windows if an accident is imminent – is not available on vehicles built in the first few months of Model Year 2023 production (which arrived in Australia from September) due to parts shortages.

The blind-spot and rear cross-traffic alerts are among the more useful advanced safety systems, so their omission – even if for a genuine reason – is glaring on a near-$70,000 drive-away vehicle, when they are fitted as standard to $30,000 Isuzu work utes and Toyota hatchbacks.

Compared to newer rivals, the Tiguan’s AEB system can’t detect cyclists or prevent collisions in intersections, and there is no centre airbag between the front seats, which prevents heads clashing in side-impact crashes.

While the Tiguan doesn’t have as many safety features as rivals, the systems that are on offer worked well in our testing, with no ‘false positives’ from the AEB function, and an unobtrusive lane-keep assist system.

The Travel Assist system (adaptive cruise control and lane centring) generally works well, though at times it could be quicker to react to cars in front speeding up.

The Volkswagen Tiguan is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, with routine maintenance required every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first).

Pay-as-you-go scheduled servicing is quoted at $1901 for three years/45,000km, or $3986 for five years/75,000km, which is on the high side for a mid-size SUV.

Purchasing a pre-paid Care Plan servicing package upfront trims three-year and five-year service prices to $1650 and $2950 respectively.

These figures are still dearer than most rivals – a Mazda CX-5 Akera turbo petrol costs $1296 for three years/45,000km or $2460 for five years/75,000km, a Peugeot 3008 GT Sport with a pre-paid service plan costs $1100 and $1900 respectively over the same intervals.

The first four services for a petrol Ford Escape cost $329 each ($987 over three years), while a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid costs $780 to service over three years/45,000km, or $1300 over five years/75,000km – among the lowest service prices in the segment.

All Cupra Formentors purchased before 31 March 2023 come with three years of free servicing, with years four and five an extra $1200 for petrol versions, or $1400 for the plug-in hybrid.

A year of comprehensive insurance coverage costs approximately $1214 (from one leading insurer) based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Volkswagen claims fuel efficiency of 7.4 litres per 100km in ‘extra-urban’ (freeway and country-road) driving, 10.4L/100km in urban areas, and 8.5L/100km in a mix of the two.

After 420km and a week of driving split 60:40 between extra-urban and urban motoring, the trip computer showed 10.3L/100km.

This is close to 2L/100km higher than the claim – or more than 20 per cent – but drivers who are more gentle with the accelerator pedal could see less than 10L/100km in similar conditions.

Prior to venturing on a long freeway and high-speed country-road drive – after about 150km of purely urban commuting and city traffic – we observed fuel use in excess of 12L/100km.

It's also worth noting the Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI R-Line requires 95-octane premium unleaded, which is more expensive than 91-octane regular unleaded. Fuel tank capacity is 60L.

Powering the Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI R-Line is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine developing 162kW and 350Nm – the same engine used in the Volkswagen Golf GTI about a decade ago.

It is matched to a seven-speed (wet-type) dual-clutch automatic transmission and 4Motion on-demand all-wheel drive.

The 162TSI is no longer the performance flagship of the range – there is now a Tiguan R, with the 235kW engine from the current Golf R hot hatch – but performance still feels perky, particularly for a mid-size family SUV.

In the right gear – and once the turbocharger has spooled up – the engine feels strong, with good torque in the middle of the rev band for accelerating into a gap in traffic, or merging onto a freeway.

Volkswagen claims a 0–100km/h time of 7.0 seconds, which is competitive with a Golf GTI hot hatch from a decade ago.

The German car giant has made improvements to its dual-clutch automatic transmission design over the past two decades, but there remain some behaviours that may take new owners some time to adapt.

There is some hesitation when moving away from the traffic lights, there can be lag when accelerating quickly into a gap in traffic – as the car's computer finds the right gear – and the car can roll back on steep hills when parking. It's most jerky when the engine and gearbox are cold; they improve once on the move, when warmed up.

If you’re about to floor the throttle to complete an overtake, or zip into a gap in traffic, nudging the gear lever down into Sport mode makes the transmission quicker to respond, and minimises much of the lag that is present in Normal mode.

Drivers can take manual control by pushing the gear selector to the right – or using the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel. The gearshifts themselves – either when shuffling along in traffic, or under hard acceleration – are relatively smooth and intuitive most of the time.

The suspension is on the firm side of comfortable. It doesn’t crash into bumps, but there is a slight edge to the way the Tiguan’s low-profile tyres on 20-inch alloy wheels deal with potholes and speed bumps.

Sport mode for the adaptive suspension can feel a bit too stiff on some urban streets.

Selecting the normal setting for the suspension – and blending the softer ride with sharper transmission tuning in the Individual drive mode – was our preferred set-up.

The Tiguan feels sure-footed in corners and over undulations, but on a few occasions the ride felt a bit bothered by sharp mid-corner bumps.

High-performance Tiguan R aside, the Tiguan 162TSI R-Line is a family SUV keen drivers can enjoy. The steering is direct and well weighted, the Continental SportContact 5 (255/40 R20) tyres offer good grip, and the brake pedal had a precise, reassuring feel.

The all-wheel-drive system affords good traction in dynamic driving. There are limits to the system – you can still instil wheel spin if you’re too eager accelerating away from a standstill at an intersection – but for the most part it gets the job done.

There are five driving modes for sealed roads – Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual – plus three off-road drive modes: Snow, Off-Road and Off-Road Custom.

The matrix LED headlights standard on the Tiguan Elegance grade and above are superb, with excellent illumination in low- and high-beam.

The driving experience is not perfect. While wind noise is reasonably well suppressed, the Continental tyres kick up moderate tyre roar on coarse-chip country roads.

The steering is light at parking speeds, and at 2.1 turns lock-to-lock it’s easy to manage, but the 11.9m turning circle is broad for the class, particularly given the Tiguan is now one of the smallest models in the mid-size SUV segment.

The current Volkswagen Tiguan is nearing the end of its model cycle – and orders for this particular variant have just been paused – but in 162TSI R-Line trim it remains a premium-feeling choice in the mid-size SUV class.

Few rivals outside of the Volkswagen Group can match its performance, it’s great to drive while still compliant over bumps around town, it is well equipped, and the cabin is spacious.

There remain some niggles with the dual-clutch transmission, the touch-sensitive interior controls can be frustrating, and when you start ticking option boxes, competitors offer better value for money – particularly given some important safety technology is not available on cars currently arriving into the country.

If performance and cabin technology are among your top criteria for a family SUV, but you can’t stretch to the Tiguan R, the Tiguan 162TSI R-Line is worth considering.