New Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line review – a rewarding SUV - MPG and running costs
VW’s best-selling SUV is competent and refined, but it lacks its own clear personality
The official combined mpg figure of only two versions of the Tiguan drop below 40mpg, and only just. The 1.4 petrol, with DSG and four-wheel drive, achieves 39.8mpg, while the 2-litre petrol with the same drivetrain gets 38.2miles from each gallon.
Most of the other cars are well into the 40s and 50s with their mpg, however the winning engine and drivetrain combo is the 2-litre diesel with either 113bhp or 147bhp when combined with a two-wheel-drive manual. On a combined cycle this recipe means the Tiguan can officially achieve 60.1mpg.
Sharing a platform with VW’s staple hatchback, the Golf, means that the Tiguan doesn’t have many overly complicated components and certainly nothing that’s untested. That means it should prove to be reliable, durable and cost-effective to run.
The flashier R-Line Tiguans come with big, 20-inch wheels that require expensive tyres. A full set of 235/45 R20s from a decent tyre brand will cost between £700 and £770, whereas four 215/65 R17 tyres – to fit the Tiguan’s smallest wheels – are between £400 and £520.
