THE VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN Allspace is a larger and more practical version of the five-seat Tiguan SUV. It is longer and taller with a longer wheelbase and it has a larger boot. It is also available with an optional row of occasional seating making room for six passengers in total.
The Tiguan Allspace, however, is not a full-time seven-seat vehicle and the seats are really only to be used by little people. Adults can squeeze into them but sitting in them for long journeys would be uncomfortable and a killer on the knees.
If you occasionally pick up a few extra passengers a couple of times a week these extra two seats will come in handy.
When not in use, the extra seats fold down flat into the boot and you are left with a more spacious Tiguan.
The boot of the Allspace can hold 230 litres with all seven seats in place. As a comparison, the seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq can hold 270 litres. With all rear seats folded flat, the Allspace can hold 1,775 litres, which is 120 litres larger than the 1,665 litres of the regular Tiguan but it can’t beat the 2,005 litres on offer in the seven-seat Kodiaq.
The interior of the Tiguan Allspace is near identical to the regular Tiguan, meaning it is classy looking, practical and well laid out. The materials used and the fit and finish are very good and the infotainment system is big, bright and brilliant to use.
Out on the road, again, it feels much like the regular Tiguan with nice weighted steering, a firm but comfortable suspension setup and composed ride quality with well controlled body-roll.
You would hardly even notice the extra weight or length over the regular model, however, I am sure this will be a different story when all seats are occupied and the boot is full. Thankfully, there are some powerful diesel engines in the range.
Those engines are a 150hp 2.o-litre TDI until that can be had with a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG gearbox both of which can be had with 4Motion all-wheel drive.
There is also the option of a 190hp or 240hp 2.0-litre TDI both of which come with a seven-speed DSG and 4Motion all-wheel drive transmission. The only petrol option is a 150hp 1.4-litre TSI mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.
And here’s the sting in the tail: the starting price for the five-seat 150hp 1.4-litre TSI version is €34,050RRP and the seven-seat model starts at €34,820. The regular Tiguan costs from €29,350RRP for the lesser powered 125hp 1.4-litre TSI.
So you are paying €4,700 more for 85 litres extra boot space and a bit more leg and headroom. To be honest, the regular Tiguan is roomy enough in the first place and those extra 25hp aren’t going to make a lot of difference with the added weight of the Allspace.
When we square the entry-level seven-seat Tiguan Allspace up against the 125hp 1.4 TSI seven-seat Skoda Kodiaq (they are mechanically identical), the price difference is €34,820 compared to €30,832. For €3,988 less, the Kodiaq offers a lot more real estate for your money – more boot space, headroom, legroom and it is wider too.
However, the Skoda Kodiaq isn’t quite as classy, stylish or refined as the Tiguan Allspace and it just hasn’t got the badge appeal that the Volkswagen does.
Overall, if the regular Tiguan is too small for your needs and the Skoda Kodiaq is too big or just not your cup of tea, then the Tiguan Allspace is a great choice thanks to those extra two seats, and its good ride quality, decent handling, stylish appearance and classy cabin.
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