By the time this review is out, Volkswagen Malaysia is close to or has already launched the facelifted Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace. But before we put our focus on the all new Tiguan, we’ll have a last look at what made this generation Tiguan rather popular among Malaysians. The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace is available in 2 different variants, the Highline and the R-Line. The variant that we have here is the R-Line, which carries a more powerful engine and sportier styling.
From the exterior, the Tiguan Allspace definitely looks longer than the regular Tiguan, and Volkswagen does a good job in ensuring that the extension doesn’t look like an afterthought. Personally, the Tiguan Allspace is not a SUV that you want if you prefer your vehicle to stand out from the crowd. It’s not a bad looking vehicle, but it lacks the flamboyant design of French or Korean competitors. 
In order to spice up the R-Line variant, the Tiguan Allspace R-Line comes with a more aggressive looking bodykit and larger wheels compared to the regular variant. The R-Line body kit includes sportier looking front bumpers, R-Line Black rear spoiler, and R-line badges around the vehicle. As for the larger wheels, the R-Line gets a set of large 19″rims wrapped in 255/45 R19 tyres that really enhanced the sporty look of the SUV. 
Heading onboard, I am greeted by the typical Volkswagen interior, where everything is ergonomically placed, and the driver gets a superb seating position. Both front seats get 12 way electrically adjustable seats with memory functions in order to provide the driver and front passenger the maximum level of comfort. The materials used around the cabin are top notch, especially the interior door handles. Instead of using silver color plastic parts, Volkswagen uses real aluminum for the door handles that gives the cabin a touch of class. 
Coming to the storage compartment, Volkswagen has fully utilized the available space around the SUV to allow the vehicle owners to store their items, including the ceiling of the Tiguan Allspace. Among the different storage compartments, my favorite storage compartment is the storage compartment that is fitted in the center console. It not only acts as a storage compartment, with a push of a button, it turns into 2 cup holders for the driver and front passenger to secure their cups or bottles. 
Specifically for the Tiguan Allspace R-Line, the interior gets a 9.2 inch infotainment screen, Aluminum pedals, and R-Line side scuff plates that were not available on the Highline variant. The highlight here is the 9.2 inch infotainment screen, which features wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay, and its link to an 8 speaker sound system that provides good sound quality. Around the cabin, Volkswagen has given the Tiguan Allspace some subtle ambient lights that makes the interior look classy after sun sets. 
Since the Tiguan Allspace is marketed as a 7 seater SUV, the rear of the vehicle received 2 additional rows of seats. In the 2nd row, passengers get a decent amount of legroom and headroom to spare, and it is comfortable enough to travel in for long journeys. For added bonus, the 2nd row seats have the ability to slide forward and aft to provide some room to the 3rd row passengers when needed. For added comfort and practicality, 2nd row seat passengers get 2 flat trays that feature 2 slide out cup holders for rear passengers to utilize. The 2 trays are located behind the driver and front passenger seats. 
As for the 3rd row seats, I did try to fit in it, but the lack of space for my legs stopped me from pulling the 2nd row seat back up. Climbing in and out of it is definitely not the most graceful or elegant way to enter or exit any vehicle. Since the 3rd row seats are practically not suitable for adults, most owners will use the Tiguan Allspace as a 5 seater SUV with a large boot. With all the 3rd row seats folded away, the boot capacity for Tiguan Allspace has been increased to a whopping 700L from the meager 230L with all the seats up. If the owners need more space, they could fold all the seats down and create a flat floor with a carrying capacity of 1,775L. 
Under the hood, the Tiguan Allspace R=Line comes with Volkswagen’s famous EA888 engine. It’s a 2.0L turbocharged 4 cylinder engine that is mated to a 7 speed dual clutch transmission. Power is sent to all 4 wheels through the 4motion all wheel drive system. This engine has the ability to produce 220PS of total output at 4,500-6,200 rpm and a peak torque of 350Nm at 1,500-4,400 rpm. According to Volkswagen, the Tiguan Allspace R-Line has the ability to hit the 100km/h mark from standstill at 6.8 seconds, and to a top speed of 223km/h. 
On the move, the Tiguan Allspace R-Line is an easy vehicle to drive fast. Across the rev range, the engine has plenty of torque for the SUV to keep up with the traffic, while overtaking can be done in an instance. Under hard acceleration, I was expecting it to accelerate much harder, but it feels more gradual than the figure suggests. Don’t get me wrong, the Tiguan All space R-Line is still a very fast vehicle when the situation permits. Apart from that, I do notice that the exhaust note sounded very good as well.
Helping the engine to transmit the power to the ground is Volkswagen’s famous dual clutch transmission, which is mated to the 4motion all wheel drive system. Volkswagen’s dual clutch transmission has always been a quick and snappy transmission when shifting gears, and the same characteristic can be found on the Tiguan Allspace R-Line. The whole drivetrain helps the SUV to accelerate out of corners without breaking a sweat, and it gives the driver a sense of security when driving on twisty roads. 
Speaking about twisty roads, my 1st impression about the steering wheel is that it’s over assisted. As I start driving the Tiguan Allspace R-Line in the different available drive modes, I do notice that the steering wheel does weight up nicely and become more precise when I go into sports mode. In this mode, I start to feel that the SUV shrinks around me, making me feel like I’m driving a jacked up Golf. The handling capability of the Tiguan Allspace R-Line is further enhanced when the DCC mode goes into sports mode as well, giving me the feeling that the SUV is driving on rails. 
The Tiguan Allspace R-Line also gets a very well tuned suspension, where it does a good job of soaking up bumps and uneven roads. The suspension has a sense of sophistication in the way it rides over road imperfections. Apart from that, the suspension also does a good job in making sure that the body roll is kept to a minimum when going on a spirited drive. As for the brakes, the brakes on the Tiguan Allspace R-Line are strong, and the brake pedal does feel progressive when stepping on it.
Lastly, let’s talk about safety. The Tiguan Allspace R-Line is lacking in advanced driver assistance systems, which is somewhat disappointing. For the upcoming facelift model, hopefully Volkswagen will add on driver assistance features to bring more value to the vehicle. The available system in the Tiguan Allspace R-Line include 6 airbags, Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Brake Assist (BA), Driver Alert System, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Engine Drag Torque Control (EDTC), ISOFIX Child seat anchor, Multi-collision brake system, and Traction control (ASR) with Electronic differential lock (EDL).
Overall, the Tiguan Allspace R-Line is a very likable vehicle, and it really impresses me. Currently, the pre-facelift Tiguan All space R-Line is priced at RM 209,637.39. When the facelift arrives, I hope that Volkswagen Malaysia could retain the vehicle price, yet add on advanced driving assistance features. If you have a passion for driving, and you need the practicality of a SUV, I think the Tiguan Allspace R-Line is the vehicle for you to consider.
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