• High-quality cabin ambience a Volkswagen trait
• Switchgear and touchscreen intuitive to use
• Finding an ideal driving position proves easy

How is the quality and layout?

Over the past two decades, VW has honed its reputation for producing high-quality cabins and the one installed in the Volkswagen Tiguan is no exception. Not only is there a satisfying degree of squidginess from the upper dashboard plastics, but this time around the Tiguan’s treated to a unique interior, rather than one shared with the Volkswagen Golf SV.

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It’s a quiet cabin with an upmarket tactility and precise, well-damped actions for the switchgear, the whole thing feeling as though it’s built to stand the test of time.

Infotainment and tech

Infotainment is a prominent feature in the Tiguan’s dashboard, and for the 2020 facelift most models get the latest 8.0-inch touchscreen system. This is one of the best on the market – the graphics are clear and classy, the interface simple to use and the screen’s beautifully responsive to touch. A larger 9.2-inch version is optional, but loses out a little on ease of use, due to the removal of shortcut keys and physical knobs.

Underneath it sits a touch-sensitive climate control panel, which is much less successful in its implementation. Here it simply feels unnecessary – a step forwards that isn’t really any better than the system it replaces.

The same can be said for the touch-sensitive steering wheel buttons standard on R-Line and R trims – they simply don’t work as well as the standard, clicky units you’ll find on lesser trim levels (pictured above), being all too easy to activate the wrong function.

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As with other SUVs you’re sat high in the Tiguan, with a commanding view of the road ahead. We like the relatively shallow dash, helping the Tiguan feel more like a conventional hatch, while finding a comfortable driving position is no problem – especially with the ergoComfort seat on high-end models offering 14 different kinds of adjustment.

The biggest change you’ll notice in the Tiguan R will be the large sports seats up front in a rather fetching blue check pattern. You also get stainless steel pedals, blue stitching, usefully bigger shift paddles, a drive mode button on the steering wheel and carbon-effect dash inserts, but the differences are otherwise subtle compared with the rest of the range.

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Comfort

• Spacious passenger compartment front and rear
• Little exterior noise enters the cabin
• Adaptive suspension option improves ride quality

Up front the seats are comfortable and supportive, especially the ergoComfort driver’s seat with additional adjustment including a tilt function and electrically controlled lumbar support. Tiguan R models get figure-hugging sports seats that remain comfy, but are much better at holding you in place during hard cornering.

Volkswagen has worked hard to make sure the Tiguan’s cabin remains quiet with little engine, road or wind noise permeating into the cabin at a cruise. Impressively, that’s also true of the Tiguan R despite massive 21in wheels. That this is also true On this front, it is worth noting that the diesels are much louder than the petrols, especially on a cold morning.

It’s also worth noting the 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine has been a little hit-and-miss in terms of refinement within the Volkswagen group. Thankfully, it’s a little bit smoother in the Tiguan as it is in the more expensive Audi Q3, which sounds rough and feels lethargic in comparison. In the Tiguan, this engine is more willing to rev and a little more refined with fewer vibrations sent into the cabin.