Should You Buy a 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan?

The second generation of the Volkswagen Tiguan was launched in 2017 and was an instant success, both in North America and worldwide. In Canada, last year, the Tiguan was the best-selling vehicle in all Volkswagen’s lineup. Here we are, in 2022, and Volkswagen launched a refreshed Tiguan. Considering the popularity of the current generation, the German manufacturer did not want to rest on their laurels and decided to improve the car’s styling and technology to make it even more desirable.

The refreshed exterior of the 2022 Tiguan boasts a completely revised front end that includes: a distinctive bumper and grille with optional LED headlights and daytime running lights (DRLs), while the new illuminated light line next to the VW logo can be added to further enhance its look. The compact SUV also has some new sets of wheels, as well as new colour options. The Tiguan also features a new rear emblem that is now centred and matches the rest of the new Volkswagen family design.

The side profile of the 2022 Tiguan remains mostly unchanged, so is its powertrain. The German manufacturer didn’t touch the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder TSI engine which pushes the same 184 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. Well, that is a bit misleading since they did tweak it a bit. They might not have changed the output but sure made the car more responsive. Working in concert with the standard 8-Speed automatic transmission, those small changes made the SUV more dynamic, more engaging.

For 2022, the Tiguan is available in four trims: Trendline, Comfortline, Comfortline R-Line Black and Highline R-Line. The base model starts at $33,395 but can go up to $43,395 for the fully-loaded version. 4MOTION is also standard across the lineup.

That said, let’s dig in to see why you should buy the 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan or why you shouldn’t buy it.

Why you should buy a 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan:

• Volkswagen’s refreshed Tiguan is a head-turner, and the R-Line package takes it to another level.
• The powertrain tweaks, as small as they are, made the driving experience more enjoyable.
• The Tiguan’s interior enhancements, such as the Digital Cockpit, provide an elevated experience. The experience is only made better with the cabin’s superb fit and finish.
• The fact that the 2022 Tiguan offers three rows of seating even though you rarely have seven passengers is a big plus in that category.

Why you should not buy a 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan:

• Notwithstanding that Volkswagen made some changes to the powertrain, they didn’t go far enough. The Tiguan would greatly benefit from a 20+ horsepower bump.
• Though I enjoyed the ride of the 2022 Tiguan, I found that it didn’t have the excitement I was looking for from a Volkswagen product.
• In their quest to innovate, Volkswagen replaced a lot of physical buttons with touch controls. Although they look good, they are hard to use while driving.
• Wireless CarPlay is a great feature, but it’s not perfect. It works most of the time, but occasionally it will disconnect in the middle of your drive. Combine this with the wireless charging pad, which causes your phone to overheat after a 30-minute drive and you’ll get a headache. It’s much better to invest in a USB-C cable and call it a day.

Conclusion:

The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan is the newest compact SUV in town, but does it measure up to previous generations of its namesake? The answer is yes – with a few caveats. Overall, the Tiguan 2.0 is a great vehicle. The fit and finish on the car, the new look of the vehicle, and the new technologies included in the car make the Tiguan a great vehicle, but I would have liked to see a few more tweaks, especially with the powertrain and the driving dynamics of the vehicle. In the end, it’s still a good car, but not quite great, for me.