WEIRD things happen when you become a parent. Your weekends shift from afternoons at the pub to attending children’s birthday parties and assessing how many pockets you’ll need in your cargo pants in order to hold spare socks and diapers.
But, what if there was a way to have the convenience of dad-spec cargo pants, with the style and sexiness of the skinny jeans you wore before you settled down. That’s exactly what the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 110TSI Comfortline offers.
Not only does it deliver convenience, safety and comfort – but the compact SUV does it with sleekness and style. It’s the perfect car for a city family that likes to get away on weekends up or down the coast.
Volkswagen have really listened to their target demographic when it comes to the Tiguan, with every nook and cranny of this model offering storage, and a design that favours the lifestyle of a busy parent or frequent driver.
The German car maker’s best electronic driver aids are on hand too, such as adaptive cruise control, lane assist, driver fatigue detection, park assist, and even App connect to make your driving as safe and trouble free as possible.
Ride quality is smooth over the bumpiest of roads, while providing enough grip and stability to get you out of sticky situations. Couple this with Volkswagen’s electronic steering and you lose that truck-like driving style common in earlier SUVs.
Inside is where you’ll find one of the most important features in modern family cars; the entertainment options to keep the little ones at bay, and the Tiguan is no exception. Its 8.0-inch infotainment system features satellite navigation, and even a CD-player.
That’s right, you can wheel out your Wiggles CDs from your own childhood and sing along with your kids. There’s also two standard USB ports, which you’ll need to plugin for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There’s no wireless phone charging though.
The sound system is a highlight, with crystal clear sound, making your 296th playing of The Big Red Car bearable. Once you’ve dropped your kids off at the grandparents though, you can crank out Firestarter by The Prodigy, in all its glory.
Another standout feature of the Tiguan Allspace is its rear seats, with second row passengers (or your rug rats) treated to a tray table for food, iPads or colouring books. These can be adjusted flat, or to a 45-degree angle, to suit your needs.
Couple this with rear climate control and you’ll ensure peaceful travels, at least until sibling rivalry kicks in. When you’ve scored someone else’s kids as well, there’s a convenient third row of seating.
The back row though is a bit of a classic real estate gimmick, advertising a walk-in closet as a bedroom, type situation. It’s strictly kid space back there, and they’ll want to be reasonably young at that.
With the third row stowed away though, you’ll find 615-litres of usable cargo area. Fold the second row down and you can access 1,655-litres. Styling throughout the interior is best described as subtle. It all works, and looks great, but doesn’t stand out.
On the outside, Atlantic Blue Metallic is the colour of choice in a fairly conservative range that also includes Pure White, Indium Grey Metallic, Tungsten Silver Metallic and Deep Black Pearl Effect.
Under the bonnet, you won’t find anything outlandish either, and that’s a good thing. It means it’s not over-engineered, rather it’s reliable, and gets the job done. And in this case, it’s Volkswagen’s 1.4-litre 110kW 4-cylinder TSI motor that’s doing just that.
Paired with a 6-speed DSG transmission it offers good fuel economy at 7.1-litres/100km and while it lacks a little in the right foot excitement area, there’s 250Nm of torque from the front-wheel drive model. It offers an 1800kg braked towing capacity.
If there’s a downside to the engine, it’s that it still runs a timing belt, which will need replacing every 105,000km or so, along with the pulleys that support it. That said, if you’re looking for a compact SUV that gets the job down, then this is it.
With a $44,470 drive away price (when you add the Driver Assistance Package our test vehicle was fitted with), the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 110TSI Comfortline hits the nail on the head in finding the balance between performance and affordability.
Our test vehicle was provided by Volkswagen Australia. To find out more about the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 110TSI Comfortline, contact your local Volkswagen dealer.
