2022 Volkswagen Tiguan Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Many of the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan’s rivals are, shall we say, ugly. But not this Vee-Dub. Like other VWs, the refreshed 2022 Tiguan has a creased, folded, and symmetrical design that errs on the side of conservatism. Granted, the approach doesn’t elicit a strong emotional response unless you’re a fan of simplicity and minimalism, but it definitely ages well.

For 2022, new front styling better aligns the Tiguan with Volkswagen’s larger Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport models. The restyled grille carries the new VW logo, and an illuminated grille bar is available. This year, LED headlights are standard, new nameplate lettering graces the rear liftgate, and all Tiguans get redesigned aluminum wheels.

In Canada, new Tiguan models come in four trim levels: Trendline, Comfortline, Comfortline R-Line Black Edition, and Highline R-Line, all with standard 4Motion all-wheel drive (AWD; front-wheel drive (FWD) is not offered in our market). Prices range from MSRP of $33,395 to $43,395, and the destination charge to ship it to your dealership from VW’s Puebla, Mexico, factory is $1,950. Our test vehicle is in a U.S. specification that’s closest to the Highline R-Line with an estimated Canadian cost of $44,943.

As was true before, the R-Line models have a sportier look, and the Comfortline R-Line Black Edition comes with a trendy blacked-out appearance. Atlantic Blue Metallic is one of five paint colours for the Highline R-Line, and our evaluation vehicle looked terrific in it, with available machined-surface 18-inch alloy wheels matching the SUV’s exterior’s shiny brightwork. (On Highline R-Line, 20-inch wheels are standard.)

Inside, the Tiguan Highline R-Line features a richer-looking cabin with perforated and piped leather upholstery, new technology, touch-sensing steering wheel and climate controls, and ambient cabin lighting with a choice between 30 different colours. Like the SUV’s exterior, the interior glints with tastefully rendered metallic accents for a decidedly upscale appearance. However, the hard plastic covering the lower half of the cabin gives the Tiguan’s mass-market brand status away.

Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are standard. Starting with the Comfortline trim, 2022 Tiguans have standard features that include keyless entry with push-button engine starting and remote engine starting. Depending on the model, new Cinnamon and Noisette Brown interior colours and a panoramic sunroof are available.

Overall, the updated 2022 Tiguan retains its great looks while adding a little extra pizzazz. That should keep it fresh until Volkswagen gives it a full redesign in a few years.

Volkswagen makes no substantial powertrain changes for 2022. The Tiguan continues to use a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine making power specs of 184 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 221 pound-feet of torque kicking off at 1,900 rpm.

An eight-speed automatic transmission transfers the power to VW’s 4Motion AWD. Up to half of the power can flow to the rear wheels, but when AWD isn’t needed, the system decouples the rear axle from the drivetrain to save fuel.

Drivers can choose between Eco, Normal, Sport, and programmable Individual driving modes, and these are now standard on all trims for 2022. An Active Control system supplies Onroad, Snow, Offroad, and Custom Offroad settings.

In Offroad mode, the Tiguan’s Hill Descent Control system engages and operates at speeds up to 30 kilometres per hour. But with just 19 centimetres of ground clearance available, you’ll want to keep the Tiguan on well-traveled paths. Approach, breakover, and departure angles are pretty shallow, too.

The Tiguan employs MacPherson struts in front and a multi-link independent rear suspension in back. It uses 13.4-inch vented front discs and 11.8-inch solid rear discs, and the variable assist steering automatically lightens up at low speed and firms up at highway speed.

Circling back to the engine’s torque figure, the 221 lb-ft arrives a little later than with some turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The result is momentary turbo lag when accelerating from a stop, so if you’re turning across traffic or onto a busy road, give yourself extra room to accommodate the delayed response.

Once the torque is making itself useful, the Tiguan is enjoyable to drive. But it certainly does seem as though VW should be able to wring more power and performance out of this engine. The supposed benefit is fuel efficiency, but Natural Resources Canada says R-Line grades will do no better than 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. Our short drive netted a 9.5 L/100 km average.

As for the ride and handling, the Tiguan is what might be called a 5/10ths kind of a vehicle. In normal driving situations, it feels nimble and responsive thanks to the clear lines of communication between human and machine that are common to German-engineered vehicles. However, if you push the Tiguan much in search of outright fun, the tires and suspension make poor partners in crime.

Will the average consumer care about this? No. But the average Volkswagen loyalist might.

Among compact crossover SUVs, the 2022 VW Tiguan is a giant. The interior is spacious enough that it really ought to be compared to the smaller midsize SUVs such as the Chevrolet Blazer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Cherokee, and Kia Sorento. Volkswagen even offers an optional third row.

Our Highline R-Line was exceptionally comfortable. Both front seats came wrapped in leather and offered eight-way power adjustment with heating and ventilation. If you prefer it, you can adjust the seat to create a tall driving position, like you’re sitting at a dining room chair. Outward visibility is excellent, too, and the panoramic glass sunroof lets plenty of light into the cabin.

The Tiguan’s second row is just as roomy, and is comfortable in headroom and legroom even for adults. That means it will easily accommodate children—even those in reverse-facing child safety seats. The test vehicle had rear air conditioning vents, a USB smartphone charging port, and a decent amount of storage.

One of the big changes for 2022 is a switch to touch controls on the steering wheel and dashboard. Though they look more sophisticated than the traditional buttons and knobs they replace, they’re also harder to use. It’s easy to miss the touch-sensing zone, and then, when nothing happens in response to your input, confusion sets in, which is distracting to a driver. Perhaps with more time behind the wheel this concern fades to black.

Cargo space continues to rank among the best in the class, though the available third-row seats make compromises on this front. Behind the third-row seat is a paltry 339 litres available. Fold it down, and the Tiguan supplies a reasonable 934 litres of cargo volume. The maximum number with the rear seat folded down is 1,854 litres.

Our test vehicle, in two-row configuration, was even more accommodating. Behind the back seat it had 1,064 litres of luggage volume, while maximum capacity measured 2,078 litres. Both figures are in midsize SUV territory.

For 2022, every Tiguan has standard digital gauges, which Volkswagen calls Digital Cockpit. In most versions, it uses an 8-inch display. The Highline R-Line features a new, more sophisticated Digital Cockpit Pro system with a 10.25-inch display.

Introduced last year, Volkswagen’s MIB3 infotainment system carries over in all but the base Tiguan Trendline, which uses MIB2 with a 6.5-inch touchscreen and Bluetooth. The MIB3 system has an 8-inch touchscreen display mounted under glass, standard Car-Net connected services, standard App-Connect smartphone mirroring, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Upgrade to the Highline R-Line and you’ll get a redesigned navigation system and an excellent nine-speaker Fender premium audio system.

One improvement VW touts with MIB3 is natural voice recognition. However, during testing, the system proved mighty disappointing. Connect your smartphone to MIB3 and just run Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, or Mirror Link through the Car-Net App Connect feature.

Beyond infotainment, the 2022 Tiguan offers an available Park Assist system that can autonomously steer the SUV into a parallel or perpendicular parking space. It is standard with Highline R-Line trim.

For model year 2022, Front Assist (forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection) and Side Assist (blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert) are standard safety features and driver assistance features on the Tiguan. Additionally, Volkswagen adds a couple of available significant safety-related improvements to the Tiguan’s collection of advanced driving assistance systems.

The first one is Travel Assist. It combines adaptive cruise control with lane-centring assistance, and it works at speeds over 65 kilometres per hour. To use it, set the adaptive cruise control to the speed you wish to travel, and then push the proper steering wheel icon that shows a cruise control pictogram with lane markings.

This sounds easy, but with the switch to touch-sensing controls rendered in glossy black plastic, it’s not. Depending on how much reflection the buttons on the steering wheel cast, it can be hard to find the Travel Assist icon. Then, if you don’t push on it just right, it might not engage. We encountered situations in which we thought Travel Assist was on, but it wasn’t. So, make sure you have it engaged before relying on it.

The other important upgrade is Emergency Assist. This feature operates when the Tiguan’s Travel Assist is active. If the driver lets go of the steering wheel or becomes otherwise unresponsive, after a series of prompts and warnings of increasing urgency, it will begin to slow the SUV and can safely bring the Tiguan to a full stop in its lane of travel.

The 2021 Tiguan earned a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Perhaps the newly standard LED headlights and more sophisticated driver aids will improve that score for 2022.

The automaker’s standard warranty plan includes four years of roadside assistance, a four-year/80,000-kilometre new-vehicle limited warranty, and a five-year, 100,000-kilometre powertrain warranty

While the 2022 Tiguan is more appealing in terms of value than some competitors, it still pales in comparison to others. In particular, the Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe, which bookend the Tiguan in size and retail price, crush the VW on this front. But then, they crush just about every competitor in the same manner.

At less than $45,000 in top trim, our test Tiguan’s sticker price aligned well with the class sales leaders. And when you factor in the Tiguan’s undeniably impressive utility, and its engaging driving dynamics in typical situations, it makes a good alternative to the same Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, and Toyota RAV4 everyone else is driving.

Note: Images show a US model.