VW TIGUAN 2.0 TSI 265PS R-Line 4Motion

Provided fuel economy is not a priority, this is a very fine tow car, says David Motton

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TECH SPEC

Price £50,220

What Car? Target Price £47,689

Retained value after three years N/A

Kerbweight 1753kg

85% of kerbweight 1490kg

Gross vehicle weight 2220kg

Max towing limit 2200kg

Gross train weight 4420kg

Towball limit 100kg

Price of towball £1095

Boot size 652-1650 litres

Payload 467kg

Test conditions Dry

Engine size 1984cc

Power (hp/rpm) 265/5250-6500

Torque (lb ft) 295/1650-4350

Official combined economy 33.2mpg

Towing economy 22.9mpg

CO₂ emissions 193g/km

First year car tax £3300

Second year car tax £620

Insurance group 32

Euro NCAP rating ★★★★★

What's new?

We've tested the Tiguan before, but the diesel version we drove lacked four-wheel drive.

Buyers wanting a Tiguan that sends power to all four wheels need a petrol model with either 204hp or 265hp. Now we've had the opportunity to drive the more powerful of the two.

What are we looking for?

Four-wheel drive has obvious advantages when you are towing a caravan, but does it make the Tiguan too thirsty? Can the car justify its price?

Towing ability

You can argue that Volkswagen has missed a trick by restricting four-wheel drive to the two most powerful petrol models. Surely a diesel 4x4 would make sense, especially for buyers in the towing market?