2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Life Review

Volkswagen has sold the seven-seat Tiguan Allspace in Australia since 2018 to reasonable sales success (especially before pandemic stock shortages), with the Tiguan name comfortably the best-selling Volkswagen locally. It was facelifted recently with some freshened styling, the return of diesel power to the range and a whole host of new standard equipment across the range. Considering the recent outburst of newer smaller seven-seat SUVs on the market, we thought we would test the entry level 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Life 110TSI to see how it compares to the competition.

Rivals for the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace include the Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan X-Trail, Mazda CX-8 and Honda CR-V, all of which offer seven seat variants. The Allspace variants of the Tiguan range add a third row of seating with a slightly longer wheelbase to allow for this. We love the five-seat Tiguan here at DiscoverAuto, so let’s see how the Allspace compares.

Price & Equipment: 9/10

The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Life 110TSI is the entry level Allspace variant of the Tiguan range. It can be had from $44,490 plus on road costs (roughly $49,300 drive away). The Allspace is $2,000 more than the equivalent five-seat Tiguan.

For an entry-level model, the Tiguan Allspace Life comes with a decently long equipment list. It includes 18-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting, auto lights and wipers, an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation, wireless smart phone charging, tri-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, heated and auto-folding mirrors, an auto-dimming rear mirror, a digital driver’s display, cloth upholstery, lumbar adjustment for both front seats, three USB-C charging ports, an eight-speaker sound system and a cooled glove box.

Standard safety equipment across the Tiguan range includes seven airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian monitoring, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane assist with adaptive lane guidance, adaptive cruise control, driver attention monitoring, auto high beam, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, rear auto braking, tyre pressure monitoring and even automatic parking.

Optional on the Tiguan Allspace Life is a $600 power tailgate with kick-to-open functionality and the $5,600 Luxury Package that includes leather upholstery, ‘comfort sports’ front seats, a 10-way electric driver’s seat with memory, heated front seats and a panoramic sunroof.

The only standard colour available on the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Life 110TSI is our test car’s ‘Pure White’. For an additional $900, you can choose from ‘Deep Black Pearl’, ‘Atlantic Blue’ or ‘Platinum Grey’ and ‘Pyrite Silver’. ‘Kings Red’ is also available for $1,100. Black cloth seats come as standard.

Main rivals to the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Life 110TSI are the $47,000 drive away Mazda CX-8 Sport and the $47,560 drive away Mitsubishi Outlander Aspire. Both of these cars are cheaper but miss out on equipment such as auto parking, an auto-dipping mirror, an eight-speaker sound system, fully digital driver’s displays and cooled glove boxes, though they both have larger central displays than the Tiguan (the Outlander has a 9.0-inch screen and the CX-8 a 10.25-inch unit) and the Outlander has part-leather upholstery with heated front seats and larger 20-inch wheels.

Engine & Performance: 8/10

The entry level of the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace uses the same 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that the brand has been using in its Golf hatchback for years now. It produces 110kW of power (hence the 110TSI name) at 6,000rpm and 250Nm of torque between 1,500rpm and 3,500rpm. The standard and only transmission available is a six-speed dual-clutch DSG automatic that sends power solely to the front wheels.

The engine is more than adequate for this SUV, despite being the smallest engine on offer in this segment, it actually doesn’t feel like it. There are no issues getting the Tiguan Allspace up to speed. The little 1.4 will accelerate with all its might to achieve a reasonable claimed 0-100km/h time of 9.5 seconds. We know that 0-100 times shouldn’t matter for family SUVs and though it doesn’t seem quick enough on paper, in real world conditions it is more than fine. We also like how refined this engine is, there is very little engine noise in the cabin, unlike the Mazda CX-8.

The dual-clutch transmission is better than we have experienced previously. There is little to no hesitation on take off but when selecting gears prepare to wait a tiny but unlike torque-converter automatics. Once up and moving the Tiguans transmission does an excellent job of balancing drivability and keeping the revs down to aid in fuel efficiency. There is still a little fine tuning to to do to make this gearbox perfect but for now it does the job well.

The claimed average fuel consumption figure of the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Life 110TSI is 7.7L/100km. In our week spent behind the wheel of the Tiguan we saw a combined fuel consumption figure of 8.6L/100km with a mixture of urban and highway use. The Outlander has the exact same claimed fuel consumption figure as the VW (7.7L/100km) though the Mazda uses slightly more fuel as its claim is 8.1L/100km. The Tiguan requires 95RON fuel to fill its 55-litre fuel tank.

Ride & Handling: 9/10

Riding on 18-inch alloys the Tiguan Allspace Life is very compliant. There is a good amount of rebound without being too soft like some SUVs can be. Speed bumps and driveways are no issue for the Tiguan. We accept that the ride on the Mazda CX-8 is a little bit more compliant but as far as this class goes the Tiguan is a better all-rounder with more driving fun from behind the wheel and a more nimble nature. It’s also more comfortable than the underdamped Mitsubishi Outlander.

One word we would use to describe the handling ability of the Tiguan is mature. The Tiguan feels safe when cornering with some slight body roll but the solid nature of it gives you reassurance. We would say that the Tiguan is one of the more dynamic offerings in this segment as the chassis is based off the smaller Golf hatch. The Tiguan’s active safety tech works really well too. The adaptive cruise control works intuitively, the forward collision alert isn’t too sensitive and the lane keep assist only shows itself when necessary. The cameras are clear and sharp, making parking a simple task.

Interior & Practicality: 8/10

This generation Tiguan’s interior (especially the facelift) has always been one of the best in the mid-size SUV segment thanks to a winning combination of excellent build quality, great practicality and a good use of technology. Thanks to more of the latter and a general freshening, the cabin of the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 110TSI Life is better than before. Cabin materials haven’t changed and are disappointingly hard in some places – the cheaper Skoda Karoq’s plastics are better quality – but the new dashboard inlays and cloth materials on the seats and doors make it feel relatively plush.

Up front, there are plenty of storage options in the Tiguan. These include a sliding centre console, covered cupholders that double as a storage bin, flock-lined door bins, two large overhead cubbies, a deep glove box, a small compartment by the driver’s right hand knee to hide valuables and map pockets on back of the front seats with portions for phones.

The 8.0-inch touchscreen in the Tiguan Allspace is simple but quite good. It is easy to use on the move and the shortcuts on the sides of the screen make using it easier. We also love that there is still a physical volume knob unlike some of Volkswagen’s more premium and newer head units. The satellite navigation works as it should and is easy to set, the audio system is more than adequate and the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was simple to set up and faultless for our testing period. Finally too, there’s a wireless phone charger in the centre console.

The second row seating of the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is quite generous, with ample room in all directions, even for taller passengers. It’s reasonably well featured too, with a separate climate zone, map pockets, flock-lined door bins and a central arm rest with cupholders. There is also one USB-C input and a 12-volt power outlet for passengers to charge their devices.

Popping into the third row is easier than you may think as there is a lever to slide the second row forward and once back there there is enough legroom for kids to is there. We wouldn’t recommend putting adults back there as they will likely be quite cramped. There are also not many features for them – a cupholder and some storage, but no charging ports or air vents.

Opening the boot of the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Life 110TSI reveals 230-litres of cargo space with all the seats in place. Folding down the third row via the handles on the seats opens this up to 700L. Though if you want the most storage capacity of the Tiguan folding all the seats down reveals a cavernous 1,775L. In comparison the Mazda CX-8 has 209-litres with all seats in place and 775-litres with the third row folded (Mazda do not give a boot space figure on folding the second row down).

Service & Warranty: 7/10

Like other Volkswagen products in Australia, the Tiguan Allspace 110TSI Life comes with a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty with one year of roadside assistance that’s extended for as long as the car is serviced at a Volkswagen dealership. The Mazda CX-8 also has a five-year warranty, though also five years of roadside assistance regardless of where it’s serviced. Mitsubishi offers up to 10 years of warranty if serviced at a dealership.

Servicing the Tiguan is expensive at $3,561 for five years/75,000km (or $712.20 per service), though Volkswagen offers a five-year service plan that can be purchased with the car for $2,850 that covers the same five years/75,000km ($570 a service). The service plan also includes five years of roadside assistance. In comparison, the Mazda CX-8 will cost $2,127 to service over five years or 75,000km and the Mitsubishi Outlander will cost $1,595 to service over five years or 75,000km.

2023 Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI Life Allspace DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.2/10

We really like the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace here at DiscoverAuto. In this entry level Life 110TSI, we think it is great offering in the mid-sized SUV segment that gives a premium touch without the premium price tag. While yes, the Tiguan Allspace has its drawbacks – it’s expensive to service and the third row is tight – we think that the good driving nature and excellent practicality outweighs them.

Would we put our money where our mouth is and buy a Tiguan Allspace? Well the Mazda CX-8 is a bigger car externally and offers more interior space and the Mitsubishi Outlander is a more modern car, but we think that the Volkswagen is definitely worth consideration and should definitely be on your test drive list. It’s great value for money and it offers a refined and mature driving experience.