New Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line review – a rewarding SUV - Interior and tech

Despite a weightier price tag and more premium badge, the Tiguan isn’t dissimilar inside to its cheaper relatives. There’s the same fuss-free dash, flat utilitarian seats, soft but durable plastics and only a few hints of leather. It does feel brighter and airier than an Ateca and Kodiaq, but only marginally. So, although there’s nothing wrong with the Tiguan’s interior, there’s little that defines it as anything special. Except, that is, some fancy cup holders in the centre console that can be twisted to retract them and open up the space for bigger items rather than cups or bottles. However, this sort of helpful ingenuity is what we’ve become used to from Skoda, so it somehow feels wrong for it to be in the Tiguan.

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You might be tempted to upgrade the satnav to VW’s Discover Navigation Pro system that replaced the standard central 8-inch screen with a 9.2-inch one. It looks sleeker and the bigger display presents more information without looking too complicated. But the two rotary dials of the standard unit are replaced by either pixels or a touch panel for volume adjustment. Without a physical knob to alter the scale of the map or change the volume of the radio, the upgraded infotainment is actually more of a pain to use and more of a distraction while driving.