Volkswagen has added 215 mm to the Tiguan and now calls it the ‘Allspace’. But somehow, I preferred the old one

This lockdown has seen the end of automotive journalists like myself jetting off to exotic locations to drive a car, stay in a fancy hotel and return, all usually within 24 hours. Since we are so focussed on the vehicle that we are driving, we really don’t get to experience the joys of either the location or the property. Well, those days are long gone, for now at least, and while some readers (and editors) might not lament the end of travel, there was one slight benefit — all automotive writers and presenters got to drive cars at the same time.

The fact is that the lockdown has unfortunately meant that several manufacturers have had challenges sending their fleet of media test-drive cars across the country, and while dealer cars are an option in a pinch, dealers are rarely happy losing a vehicle for a day when they could make actual potential customers drive the car. Because the truth of the matter is that auto journalists don’t really buy cars. Well, it’s been three years now that I sold my last car.

So, it took a while for me to get my hands on the new Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace. This car is different from the outgoing Tiguan in the sense that it has a 190PS two-litre petrol engine, and crucially is longer by 215 mm overall, mainly the rear overhang but there is also a 109 mm increase in the wheelbase, something clearly evident on the rear doors. As a result of these extra eight inches, Volkswagen manages to fit in an extra third row. Now, we have seven seats in the Tiguan and if you’re wondering where you’ve seen this story before, there was the Skoda Kodiaq which was the Group’s seven-seat competitor in the SUV space, and the Allspace and the Kodiaq are mechanically and structurally the same vehicle. It is just that the Kodiaq isn’t on sale right now as there is no BS6 variant, which reduces the possibility of brand cannibalisation inside the group.

So the Allspace is the Kodiaq, but this one should not evaluate it on that front but actually compare this to the outgoing model. Well, truth be told, I liked the old, not-so-long Tiguan. While eight inches might make a lot of men feel very happy about themselves, it really doesn’t do wonders for the Tiguan. Why do I say that? Well, I’m not a fan of extended wheelbase variants unless you’re talking of cars like the A8, 7-series and S-Class. That is simply because extended wheelbase vehicles, particularly vehicles not designed to function as limousines, compromise on handling dynamics. Yes, engineers can mitigate the impact of Newtonian physics when it comes to such cars but you keep asking yourself whether it is worth it.

And like many other three-row cars, the Allspace’s last row is only to be used in a pinch. Maybe on the school run when you don’t have any need to store luggage. That said, with the third row down, you can now store a lot of luggage and by pushing the second row further back, travel in immense comfort. The Allspace is perfect. If you own a Labrador, for example, and want to take your dog with yourself on a holiday, because you can fit some luggage and a dog, and the dog will find the Allspace a lovely place thanks to features like the panoramic sunroof.

However, I am also a bit disappointed that Volkswagen doesn’t offer a diesel option on the Allspace because as nice as the petrol engine is, you wish that it was a bit torquier. It is perfect for urban conditions but on twisty hill roads, you would wish that you had a diesel motor (or a bigger petrol) instead.

So does this car make sense? Well, as compared to other cars in its class, the Allspace which features ‘4Motion’ all-wheel drive is priced at Rs 33.24 lakh. It is cheaper than the top-end variants of the Ford Endeavor, Toyota Fortuner and the new MG Gloster, but not quite as large and while it is fabulously well put-together, I am not sure if it has the road presence of the competition.