2020 Volkswagen Tiguan: Model overview, pricing, tech and specs – Roadshow

2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen added more standard safety features to the 2020 Tiguan to keep it competitive in a hot market.


Volkswagen

For 2020, the Volkswagen Tiguan gets a few adjustments to make it more appealing to compact crossover shoppers. New for this year is a standard set of safety systems, and buyers now get five-year access to some of the company’s Car-Net vehicle integration services.

Click here to read our most recent VW Tiguan review.

Powertrain and specs

All Tiguans come with VW’s 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. The Tiguan’s four-cylinder makes 184 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque. While the only transmission on offer is an eight-speed automatic, there is still one choice to be made with the Tiguan’s powertrain: Buyers will need to decide whether they require VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system or if they can make do with front-wheel drive.

The front-wheel-drive Tiguans achieve a respectable EPA-rated 25 miles per gallon combined, but choosing the all-wheel-drive variant sacrifices some efficiency. The AWD Tiguans still manage a combined rating of 23 mpg and come with a slightly larger fuel tank to compensate for a lessened range.

Interior

Two-tone brown and black leather seating is available on the top-level SEL Premium R-Line, but buyers can choose between black and gray leather on lesser trims. The rest of the models come with either leatherette or cloth seating, once again available in either black or gray.

The Tiguan is one of a few compact crossovers that offers a third row of seats. The third row is standard on all front-wheel-drive Tiguans and optional on the AWD models, but either way, the third row will still come at the expense of maximum cargo capacity. The second row bench has a three-way, 40/20/40 split and, if so equipped, the third row has an even 50/50 split. For three-row models, maximum cargo capacity is 65.7 cubic feet, or 12 cubic feet with the third row upright. In the two-row models, the maximum cargo volume is slightly higher at 73.5 cubic feet with the second row folded down and 37.6 cubic feet with the seats up.

2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

Cloth, leatherette or leather, interior seating is available in either black or grey for the 2020 VW Tiguan.


Volkswagen

Technology

You can think of Car-Net as VW’s version of OnStar, as it allows drivers to interact with the vehicle remotely and for the car to contact emergency services or Car-Net agents and perform other, similar services. The telematics system was first launched in 2014, but it has since been upgraded to contain a whole plethora of available features, such as remote start, Wi-Fi, a driver monitoring and alert system that can now be connected to your insurance provider, vehicle health reports. Owners can now interact with their Tiguan through an app on their phone, but VW also plans to launch an app to work with smart devices and watches. All Tiguans are available with this functionality, and some of the more basic features are included for the first five years, but a subscription is required to access the rest.

When it’s equipped with the Tiguan’s available navigation system, owners with the subscription service can even get directions sent to their car, but many may find the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto features to be more familiar.

The S trim gets buyers manual climate control, a 6.5-inch touchscreen, cruise control and little else. SE trims and higher come with VW’s dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless entry, wireless charging, push-button start, power seats, heated front seats, heated washer nozzles and an 8-inch touchscreen. A panoramic sunroof is optional on the SE — at the cost of $1,200 — but comes standard in the more expensive Tiguan trims.

Many of today’s most desirable features are available on the top-of-the-line Tiguan SEL Premium R-Line. These features include LED headlights, a foot-activated automatic tailgate, power-folding side-view mirrors with courtesy lighting, memory seating, high-beam assist and an overhead-view camera. A Fender-branded 480-watt, nine-speaker audio system is also available on the Tiguan with the SEL Premium R-Line, and replaces the spare tire with a subwoofer for better sound quality.

Rear traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring and forward-collision avoidance come with every 2020 Tiguan, and the SEL trim and higher receive parking sensors as well. Adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist are also standard on the SEL and SEL Premium R-Line.

2020 Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen’s Tiguan retains its sharp, yet understated looks for 2020, but the foot-activated automatic tailgate is a helpful new feature for the top-of-the-line model.


Volkswagen

Pricing

The base price for the 2020 Tiguan is $25,515 for the S with front-wheel drive. The SE FWD is priced from $28,115, while the SE R-Line Black FWD starts at $31,315. The SEL FWD and SEL Premium R-Line are priced at $33,265 and $39,815, respectively. Be sure to add on $1,300 for all-wheel drive on all but the very top SEL Premium R-Line, and an extra $595 for the third-row seating on those AWD models, too. All prices include VW’s $1,020 destination charge.

Availability

The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan is on sale now.

source: cnet.com