Volkswagen has fired the first shot in its latest mid-size SUV assault welcoming the
first of six face-lifted Tiguan models that will be in Aussie showrooms by May.
Up first and available now is the new entry-level 110TSI Life, priced at $39,690 before on-road
costs. That's $4700 more than the cheapest second-gen Tiguan previously available,
but Volkswagen has added more safety and tech as well as a fresh exterior design. Will this 40K
entry price prove a bridge too far for buyers? Let's dig a little deeper and help you decide.
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The 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI Life will be joined by more powerful
petrol and diesel Tiggies in the coming months, the most expensive of which will top out around
$55,000. The 110 is the only variant to use a 1.4-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine,
and it comes mated to a six-speed DSG auto. It's also the only front-wheel drive version,
with every other Tiguan featuring Volkswagen's 4MOTION all-wheel drive technology, along with
a seven-speed dual-clutch. From the outside, the Tiguan Life looks anything but entry-level, with
new LED headlights, updated fog lights and tail lights, chrome trim details and snazzy two-tone
18-inch alloy wheels. Pop inside and the upscale feel continues. You're greeted with a cabin that's
more up-market than you'd expect. That's partly because our test car is fitted with a $5000
luxury pack, which replaces the black cloth seats for Vienna leather all round. The front
seats are heated while the driver gets electric adjustments, including lumbar.
A heated leather steering wheel and a large panoramic sunroof with an electric sun blind
is also part of the package. Along with the $800 dolphin grey metallic paint job,
our tester's final price comes in at $45,490 plus on-road costs. For that money,
it's worth mentioning the other standard equipment aboard 110TSI Life grades, which includes auto
high beams, rain-sensing wipers, and the German brand's new IQ.DRIVE safety suite, which brings
a list that's too long to read out, but you can pause the video here to see for yourself.
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The cabin is fitted out with a range of soft-touch materials along with silver, faux carbon fibre
inserts placed in the upper portion of each door trim and in the dashboard. Classy touches abound,
like the plush leather steering wheel adorned with the new Volkswagen emblem and the air con slider
controls. Features like an automatic up-down function for every window and an electric tailgate
that's quicker and quieter to operate than almost any other rival all add to the Tiguan's appeal.
The 110 is comfortable and spacious enough for four adults with 615 litres of cargo space,
which is right up there. The rear seats are accommodating with oodles of legroom.
Headroom is good too even with the sunroof fitted. The outboard rear seats come with ISOFIX anchor
points while other nifty second-row additions include an array of storage pockets and cubbies,
one 12-volt and one USB-C port and temperature control buttons,
but no fan speed controls. And yes, there's still a spare tire, but it's a space-saver.
With no chassis or performance updates to the 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan, the mid-size SUV is familiar
on-road. The steering is light, and the handling is sporty. Our main complaint is the powertrain
can be a touch slow to respond, thanks to the combination of the small turbo-petrol engine
and slow gearbox response. But once on the boil, the 1.4 litre serves up good mid-range power.
Volkswagen's combined fuel consumption claim for the 110TSI powertrain is 7.7 litres per
100 kilometres, but we saw as little as 5.9 litres per 100 Ks on test.
The entry-level Tiguan's premium-feeling cabin, top-shelf technology and revised exterior make
it a standout against rivals. The fact is, however, most of those competitors can be
had with more palatable opening prices in the low 30,000s. We'd argue that in the new Tiguan 110TSI,
you do actually get what you pay for, and as such, it should remain on your short list.