Around 1.5 million units of the long-wheelbase Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace has been sold worldwide since it was first launched in 2017 and that’s a massive number. Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) recently launched the new Tiguan Allspace in Malaysia. The two variants — the Elegance and R-Line 4Motion — are assembled in Pekan, Pahang.
The differences in them are, of course, in price, the engines and the extra goodies in the R-Line 4Motion variant. Both variants have a new front that features a redesigned grille, sleeker headlamps and a refreshed bumper with signature LED illuminated light strip, Tiguan lettering at the rear and a new Volkswagen logo.
The Elegance, which replaces the outgoing Highline variant, has a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 150PS and 250 Nm of torque, with a six-speed DSG wet dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel-drive. Here you have four modes to choose from: Eco, Normal, Sport or Individual.
The R-Line 4Motion is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged mill with 220PS and 350Nm of torque. It comes with seven-speed DSG and 4Motion all-wheel drive. The R-Line comes with DCC (Dynamic Chasis Control) and you’ll be able to choose from five modes: Eco, Normal, Comfort, Sport, Individual or Offroad.
We drove both units for about 20 minutes or so. If you’re looking for something that’s sportier and has additional grunt, go for the R-Line. But if you’re happy with the 1.4L turbocharged mill, which still has enough power, that would be the better option. The price difference is around RM45,000.00, so it’s worth giving it some thought.
Seats are really comfortable in both variants as you get black Vienna leather. Also, both variants come with 12-way power-adjustable front seats with memory. If you are planning on long family trips, the third row is for children 10 years and below; however, shorts jaunts around the city are bearable for small-sized adults and we stress the words ‘short’ and ‘bearable’.
Both SUVs sport a 9.2” Discover Pro infotainment which supports Apple Car Play and Android Auto, voice control, inbuilt navigation systems and other functions, plus a digital instrument display that has been upgraded to an 11.7-inch unit. The R-Line gets Harmon Kardon 480-watt sound system with 10 speakers compared to the Elegance’s standard 8 speakers.
In terms of tyre size, the Elegance sits on 18” Frankfurt alloys and the R-Line has 19” Valencia alloy wheels. You get to choose from a five-colour palette: Atlantic Blue, Oryx White, Deep Black, Platinum Grey and Pyrite Silver.
Safety-wise, the Elegance has 6 airbags whereas the higher-end variant has 7. Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Brake Assist (BA), Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS), Electronic Parking Brake (EPB), Lane Assist and Driver Alert are standard across the board. However, the R-Line gets hill-descent control. If you can live without blind-spot monitoring and autonomous emergency braking, this SUV is worth a buy.
It all comes down to the price and the Elegance is offered at RM174,745.68 with the current sales tax exemption and the R-Line is RM219,443.59, excluding sales tax and including a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty. So, which would you go for? Leave us a comment.