2022 Volkswagen Tiguan Review | Try one of the other compact VWs first
The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan is the most popular model from the company, both in the United States and internationally. It’s among the few compact SUVs with a third row of seats, although a modest one.
Consequently, the Tiguan strikes a perfect balance for many purchasers by providing plenty of space without forcing them to overpay for a vehicle that they don’t require. It also receives a number of enhancements for the 2022 model year as part of a mid-cycle refresh, which will further add to its appeal to customers.
Changes for 2022
The Volkswagen Tiguan gets a midcycle redesign for 2022, with minor changes to style, trim lineup, technology, safety, and pricing. It gets redesigned bumpers, VW’s new logo, new badge lettering, new LED lighting, and new wheel designs in terms of appearance. The color options for Kings Red Metallic and Oryx White have been included in the palette.
Volkswagen replaced the traditional gauges with two alternative Digital Cockpit options on the interior. In SE trim and higher, the infotainment system has been upgraded to VW’s MIB3 software, which includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A wireless phone charging station is also available.
Touch-haptic controls are used to substitute physical knobs and buttons on the climate control system and the steering wheel, but they will not go as far as the ID.4. VW’s IQ is standard on all Tiguans except the base model.
The Volkswagen Tiguan 2022 Interior
The interior is conservatively fashioned, but the modern digital instrument panel for 2022 adds some excitement for the driver. It’s all simple to use and locate. Material quality will vary depending on how you configure your Tiguan, but expect some hard plastics inside the cabin. The driving position is elevated, as anticipated for a crossover, and vision is excellent owing to the low windowsills, tall roof, and dashboard.
The Digital Cockpit digital instrument panel is now standard on all Tiguans, but the size varies by trim level: 8 inches basic with a 10-inch upgrade. The “Climatronic Touch” climate interface featuring slider controls is offered, and it seems like a significant improvement over the S trim’s conventional HVAC settings.
Touch controls are also available on the steering wheel of the topmost trim. Because of the haptic feedback they offer, these don’t require any extra thinking or concentration to use in comparison to the standard buttons featured on the S.
The SEL Premium R-Line receives an 8-inch infotainment system with voice control and a proximity sensor, while the other models have a 6.5-inch color touchscreen. Even though these devices aren’t very spectacular, they are simple to operate.
How big is this VW?
For a “small” crossover, the VW Tiguan is quite large. It is, without a doubt, among the most capacious in the segment, with a more family-friendly space compared to the majority of its competitors. However, it isn’t a class frontrunner of rear seat or cargo space. The Nissan Rogue, Honda CR-V, and Hyundai Tucson 2022 all outperform it, but the Toyota RAV4 comes close.
The sliding back seat of the Tiguan, on the other hand, allows you to bring children close to you upfront while also increasing cargo volume. The Tiguan has yet another card up its sleeve: a standard third-row seat on all front-wheel-drive variants. For all-wheel-drive models, it is no longer a possibility.
What are the performance specs of the Tiguan?
A turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque is the only engine choice. The power is routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission to either the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system or the front wheels, which is standard on all models. Although the steering wheel does not have shift paddles, the manual mode on the gear lever allows you to select your own gears.
Given the various tuning improvements, fuel economy improves by about 1 mpg over the earlier model year. Front-drive vehicles achieve 23 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg overall. 22/29/25 mpg for the S and SE 4Motion versions.
How does it feel to drive the Tiguan?
The Volkswagen Tiguan isn’t nearly as dull to drive as its segment implies. On more dynamic roads, it’s remarkably light-footed. You will enjoy steering the Tiguan across corners as it traces the undulations on the pavement, despite the light steering feel and on-center numbness typical of most Volkswagens. The ride is a little soft, which aids in filtering out some of the harsher bumps along the route, but it doesn’t prevent the Tiguan from doing some slight frolicking.