LAUNCH DRIVE: We drive the new Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace

South Africa is a country that does not say no to SUVs.

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Therefore, every manufacturer seems to have an SUV in its model line-up. It makes sense as to why Volkswagen is introducing the new Tiguan Allspace after its seven-seater Touran was discontinued in SA a few years ago.

The Tiguan Allspace fills the gap between the normal Tiguan and the Touareg.

Although it may look the same as the normal Tiguan, it is a different car.

Available in three trim versions – Trendline, Comfortline and Highline – the Allspace is all about space.

Depending on how you like it and its intended use, the Tiguan AllSpace is available in on and offroad optional packages.

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The package includes a special engine underbody protection that extends to the bumper for off-road driving with the off-road front section improving the vehicle’s ramp angle by seven degrees.

It has a longer wheelbase, seven seats plus a bunch of standard features.

The hood has been raised and radiator grilles have been redesigned. The grille now gains chrome strips that extend to the headlights.

You also get a larger side window by the C-Pillar and decorative badging.

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On the inside, you get a slightly similar interior to the normal Tiguan although there are changes.

The Allspace has grown in size, which resulted in improved head, boot and legroom.

Wheelbase is 110mm longer, and now measures 2 791mm and the vehicle’s total length has increased by 215 mm to 4 701mm.

With that, you get an extra 60mm of knee room for the rear passengers and an improved bootspace. With the third row of seats raised, boot space is kept at 230 litres, but you can fold the third and second row of seats, if you need to.

You get an enormous 700 litres and 1 775 litres of boot space respectively.

All three trim levels have a generous list of standard equipment that includes climate control, parking sensors and 18-inch alloy wheels, plus VW’s Discover Navigation infotainment system with DAB and Bluetooth connectivity.

For example, the Allspace Trendline comes with LED daytime running lights, a Light and Visibility Package that includes auto-dimming mirrors, auto headlights and wipers and high beam assist, granite grey underbody protection and privacy glass for the rear and side windows.

Comfortline derivatives gain an electrically-operated tailgate, LED headlights with dynamic cornering lights and Hill Descent Assist.

The Highline adds 18-inch alloys, a silver front spoiler, ambient lighting as well as keyless locking and starting.

You get the choice of three petrol and one diesel four-cylinder engine.

The TSI engines have output ratings of 110 kW/250Nm, 132 kW/320Nm and 162 kW/350Nm, while the only TDI engine in the line-up develops 110 kW and 340Nm.

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All that amount of power is accessed either via a six-speed DSG transmission (only for the base 110kW) or seven-speed DSG transmission.

All-wheel drive including 4MOTION with driving profile selector is available on the Comfortline and Highline models.

There is no single disappointing impression about the Allspace in terms of driving, and it leaves the impression that you are driving a big car.

That being said, it is not all about how the car drives, the focus is more on the practical side and the third row of seats.

For saving space, I will not go into details about how the Allspace drives.

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Yes, it drives like the normal Tiguan, it is comfortable and the 110kW engine driven at launch offered an adequate shove when needed to do so.

Arriving at the launch in Durban, VW had the Allspace models to pickup and take us to the conference venue about 2km away.

As short as I am, I tried to fit into the third row seats, which were hassle free to get up or down.

It was a bit cramped at the back until the second row of seat was slid forward, thus creating a bit more legroom.

The rest of the short journey to the launch venue was comfortable, but it left me with the impression that these are only occasional seats best designed for kids and short people.

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You can solve this by telling the people in the second row to adjust their seats forward, in which case you will all be cramped.

Commendably, there’s been a lot of attention paid to passenger comfort back there.

To conclude, if the normal Tiguan is too small for what you need it for, and you still want to remain within the Volkswagen brand, then the Allspace is not a bad choice.

It has extra two seats, and its good ride quality, decent handling, stylish appearance and classy cabin make it stand out of the crowd, but because of the upgrades it costs a lot more than the standard one.

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New Tiguan Allspace Prices (VAT and emissions tax included)

• 1.4 TSI 110kW Trendline DSG R463 400
• 2.0 TSI 132kW Comfortline 4MOTION DSG R523 800
• 2.0 TDI 110kW Comfortline 4MOTION DSG R571 100
• 2.0 TSI 162kW Highline 4MOTION DSG R604 800

The new Tiguan Allspace comes standard with a five year/90 000km Service Plan, three year/120 000km warranty, 12-year anti-corrosion warranty and space saver spare wheel.

Service Interval is 15 000km.