Julian Kirk reports back on our Tiguan Allspace seven-seat SUV long-termer.

Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 2.0 TSI 190 4Motion R-Line DSG

P11d: £41,585 (37%) MPG/CO2: 33.3mpg/193g/km Test mpg: 26.2mpg

Lower BiK for the petrol Tiguan could counter the higher fuel costs

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A petrol-engined, automatic, four-wheel drive SUV wouldn’t be the first choice for cost-conscious user-choosers, but for those doing limited mileage it’s not the terrible decision it appears on paper.

OK, so 26.2mpg economy isn’t great, but that’s as much a reflection on the nature of my short, start-stop journeys than any flaws in the car. While a diesel would certainly be a more fuel-efficient choice, diesel at the pumps is now about 10ppl more than unleaded, so it’s a case of swings and roundabouts.

Delve a little deeper into the on-paper performance and our TSI Tiguan Allspace narrows the gap to a diesel counterpart.

Our Tiguan has a P11d value of £41,585, giving a monthly BiK bill of £512 for a 40% taxpayer. Compare that with the £525 a month it would cost the same taxpayer in a 2.0 TDI 150-engined Allspace R-line and that’s a saving of £156 a year in tax for the petrol Tiguan driver.

While it may not be a huge saving, the figures demonstrate that the gap between petrol and diesel is narrowing as the taxation system shifts to penalise traditional internal combustion engines and reward electric vehicles.

Our six-month spell with the Tiguan Allspace will put its fleet credentials to the test

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A significant revamp in 2021 saw the Tiguan Allspace get a fresh look as well as a host of new technology features designed to make it easier to live with – we’re now living with one for six months to see how the upgrades fare.

Our car sits at the top of the family tree – R-Line specification brings styling tweaks outside to convey a sportier look (20-inch alloy wheels, rear tinted glass, deeper front bumper, black wheelarch extensions), while under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre 190bhp petrol engine allied to a seven-speed DSG gearbox. Drive is to all four wheels via the 4Motion transmission.

It all adds up to a car that offers ‘hot-ish hatch’ performance (0-62mph in 7.7 seconds) with a spacious interior, massive boot and the availability of an occasional third row of seats. I say ‘occasional’ because they aren’t designed for long journeys – children will be fine for a while, as will shorter adults, but this is not a fully fledged seven-seater. However, it’s the only seven-seat SUV offered by Volkswagen, with the Touareg strangely still not offered with a third row.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, everything is familiar VW fare – a large high-resolution screen in the instrument binnacle houses all the major displays and is customisable (the large scale map with other information such as speed and range relegated to the bottom strip is my choice) while there is a central touchscreen where you can access functions such as music, telephone and the suite of apps available.

For ease of ownership, a host of tech features are standard – high beam assist, inductive phone charging, front and rear parking sensors, IQ.Light LED headlights, keyless entry with electric tailgate, ambient interior lighting with a choice of colours, as well as the navigation system which includes streaming and the internet.

Our car also comes with the ‘Driver Assistance pack plus’ which wraps together a suite of safety innovations – adaptive cruise control, lane assist, emergency assist, side assist with rear traffic alert, automatic parallel parking and dynamic road sign display.

It’s a well-equipped car in standard form, but our car has a couple of optional extras fitted – an upgraded camera with overhead view (£760), tyre pressure monitoring (an essential safety item for £170), while the paintwork is in oryx white mother-of-pearl paint (a hefty £1,105, although it does suit the car).

Julian Kirk