Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace launched in India

Volkswagen India has just launched the 7 seat version of the Tiguan SUV. Called the Tiguan AllSpace, the new SUV rivals the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq, Toyota Fortuner, Honda CR-V and the Ford Endeavour. More of a crossover than an SUV, the AllSpace is meant for those seeking a comfortable vehicle to seat 7 adults while having enough ground clearance and performance to handle good roads, bad roads and no roads with ease. Prices of the Tiguan AllSpace start from Rs. 33.13 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi.

This makes it about 5 lakhs pricier than the outgoing model, and the price is introductory, which means that it’s very likely to be raised upwards in the coming months. The 7 seat SUV is built at Volkswagen’s Aurangabad factory, alongside the Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq, through the completely knocked down (CKD) kit route.

Though the Tiguan AllSpace is based on the 5 seater Tiguan, there are 2 key changes. 1. The new SUV is 215 mm longer than the outgoing model. 2. It’s petrol-only, which is a big deal in a segment that’s dominated by diesels. Volkswagen India is steering away from diesel engined cars even as emission norms are a lot tighter with the introduction of Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) standards.

The Tiguan AllSpace’s engine is a BS6 compliant, 2 liter-4 cylinder TSI turbocharged petrol unit with outputs of 187 Bhp-320 Nm. The gearbox is a 7 speed, twin clutch DSG automatic unit, and a 4MOTION all wheel drive layout is standard with this SUV. The transmission transmits most power to the front wheels of the SUV and the rear wheel drives get powered only when wheel slip is detected.

Coming back to the new SUV’s dimensions, the wheelbase has risen 2,787 mm, which is a full 110 mm more than that the 5 seat Tiguan offered. The additional space has allowed Volkswagen to squeeze in another row of seats. Width and height remain largely unchanged at 1,839 mm and 1,674 mm while the boot space has gone up to 700 liters (from 610 liters).

To sum it up, the Tiguan AllSpace represents a much larger vehicle compared to the outgoing model, and most buyers will appreciate this. As for features, it’s a pretty loaded SUV.  7-airbags, ABS, ESP, tyre pressure monitoring system, LED projector headlamps, a fully digital instrument cluster,  tri-zone automatic climate control, a panoramic sunroof, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, hands-free powered tailgate, 8-speaker audio system and front parking sensors are some of the highlights on the new SUV. Bookings are open, and deliveries will begin shortly.