Volkswagen Tiguan review - MPG, running costs & CO2 emissions

While many of the Volkswagen Tiguan’s rivals are offered with hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric tech, it sticks to a more traditional approach from launch with two 1.5-litre petrol options and a 2.0-litre diesel. Those after a fully electric model are already catered for by Volkswagen’s similarly-sized ID.4 model, so it’s unlikely the Tiguan will get its own electric variant. Volkswagen has said two plug-in hybrid models will later arrive with either 201bhp or 268bhp with an electric range of up to 62 miles thanks to a larger 19.7kWh than before, so we should expect these to be the most economical models with the lowest emissions if charged frequently.

The petrol engines – badged eTSI – are turbocharged and mild-hybrid assisted, so they’re reasonably efficient for a car this size, though drivers that regularly cover long distances on the motorway will be best served by the TDI diesel.

Pick either 1.5-litre petrol and it will return mid-40s mpg – the difference is fairly marginal, so if you really want the 20bhp of extra grunt there’s little compromise, especially given that lower mpg figure is also down to the higher-output engine only being available on the heavier ‘Life’ trim level and above, rather than the base model.

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The 2.0-litre TDI diesel can return up to 52.5mpg with emissions of 141g/km. While this is more impressive than the petrol models, it’s important to note that it’s best suited to those doing regular motorway drives rather than for short journeys about town. Efficiency for the diesel has actually dropped in comparison to its application the old Tiguan, however, so it emits roughly 3g/km more carbon dioxide and has lower mpg.

Those emissions figures mean no version of the Tiguan sits in a particularly favourable BiK (Benefit-in-Kind), so company-car buyers will be better off with a rival plug-in hybrid or electric model such as the Volkswagen ID.4 thanks to their low emissions putting them into lower bands. If you can wait and want to buy a Tiguan as a company car, you’re best holding out for the plug-in models.

How efficient is the Volkswagen Tiguan in the real world?

We tested a 2.0-litre TDI diesel model in Elegance trim, with an official fuel economy figure of 49.9mpg – we found by our real-world calculations that we were achieving figures around the low 40s.

What will the Volkswagen Tiguan cost to insure?

We’re yet to get official insurance figures for the Volkswagen Tiguan, although the outgoing model sat between a wide range from group 15 to 36. We expect something similar for this new model, and perhaps with the discontinuation of the hot Tiguan R model the maximum group will be lower.