2026 Volkswagen Tiguan 110TSI Elegance review

You need only look as far as the streets in your suburb to appreciate the cut-through that Volkswagen’s achieved with the Tiguan nameplate. Countless examples of the first and second generations still line Australian roads, thanks to their sharp dynamics, smooth drivelines, and attractive silhouettes.

It was a lot to live up to with the third-generation car, which landed in Australia approximately 12 months ago. It’s no secret that it’s on the back foot trying to recapture the success of preceding generations, particularly with a slew of new operators on the market.

But with a wide range of powertrain options – including hybrids – available to customers, the Tiguan is well positioned to compete with nameplates like the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Outlander, and even newcomers like the BYD Sealion 6.

We’ve already spent time in other variants, such as the top-spec 195TSI R-Line and 150TSI Elegance, but we were concerned with how the entry-level powertrain fares, and whether it’s well suited to the medium SUV market in 2026.

This review homes in on that variant, but if you want to learn more about the Tiguan range in its entirety, visit our new-car showroom.

Whereas 2026 VW Tiguan pricing kicks off from $45,650 before on-road costs, the variant I drove is one rung up the ladder, priced from $51,450 plus ORCs. The 110TSI Elegance strikes a middle ground, driven by the least powerful engine in the range, but is finished with the higher-end Elegance trim grade.

In practice, that means its 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine produces 110kW/250Nm, which is sent to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Trim highlights include part-leather upholstery, roof rails, ventilated/heated seats with massage, chrome trim pieces, rear privacy glass, power adjustment for the front seats, and enhanced lighting for the exterior and interior.

That’s on top of stuff you get in the base 110TSI Life grade, such as a 12.9-inch touchscreen with sat nav and wireless smartphone mirroring, keyless entry, wireless phone charging, powered boot release, and Travel Assist semi-autonomous driving.

Rivals include the Hyundai Tucson Elite Hybrid N Line, priced at $50,850 plus ORCs, and the Mazda CX-60 G25 Touring, from $52,740 plus ORCs. However, these alternatives include efficient hybrid power in the Hyundai’s case, and is physically larger in the Mazda’s case.

So, you’re literally getting more for your money in these cases, even though they miss out on niceties such as massaging seats.

The cabin represents a major departure from the previous Volkswagen Tiguan, thanks to backlit plastic panels inserted on the dash and doors, a huge infotainment screen, and a completely redesigned centre console area.

The driver sits on part-leather-upholstered seats with plenty of bolster and thigh support, though the inserts are very pronounced and stick in your lower back. There is memory seat position recall and power adjustment, including bolstering, but the middle of the seat protrudes into your back even on the shallowest lumbar setting.

Regardless, there’s a good driving position provided by the seat and the steering wheel, the latter of which again comes with physical buttons that are less ambiguous to operate than the old Tiguan.

There’s good storage found in the centre console bin, twin cupholders, a nifty switchable shelf that lowers and raises to reveal a wireless phone charger, plus ample room for big bottles in the felt-lined door pockets.

Disappointingly, there were a few creaks and rattles in my time with the Tiguan. First of all, the driver’s side mirror squeaked every time the car unlocked. There was also a buzzing vibration from the headlining area under certain engine loads, and the steering-wheel-mounted gear selector had a bit of play when you twisted it to select a gear.

Though the light-up panels are customisable in myriad colours, they felt a bit chintzy and plasticky compared to the trims of the older Tiguan.

However, I was a fan of the way you interact with the car’s technology. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto display nice and big on the screen, taking up the full display, while contextual shortcuts to other functions pop up on the screen’s outer so that you can quick jump between functions.

Although much of the car’s air controls are done via the touchscreen, it’s fairly easy to bring the menu up and adjust things on the fly, especially with the touch sliders beneath the bezels.

The driver’s instrument cluster is configurable and you can have important information, like a map display, show proudly show on the 10.25-inch screen. In addition to that, there was a head-up display on our tester, so that you barely have to take your eyes off the road while driving.

That head-up display comes courtesy of the $2700 Sound and Vision package that also includes an 11-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. It has good punch and sound clarity, though I’d like to test it back to back with the standard system next time, to see whether it’s really worth the extra spend.

Our car also had a panoramic sunroof, which cost $2100 on its own.

There’s good space in the second row for your passengers to get comfortable – it didn’t feel cramped or hemmed in, while USB-C ports, air vents and cupholders are the amenities we like to see.

The seat base slides and the backrest reclines to make the space a bit more adaptable.

Open the power-operated boot to reveal a space with anchor points, a space-saver spare wheel under the floor, and a claimed 652 litres of boot space with the seats slid forward. It expands to 1650L with the second row flattened.

Like its predecessor, the Tiguan comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

It’s cool how the Tiguan’s safety gear can be configured within the infotainment screen, and certain features were able to be switched off or dulled as necessary.

However, it was generally pretty easy to get along with the safety interventions. Rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring were well behaved and worked appropriately when other cars surrounded the car, plus the adaptive cruise control worked a treat alongside the lane-centring. These two systems combined are called Travel Assist, in VW speak.

The only overactive system was the forward collision warning, which activated too often, unnecessarily.

In regards to service costs, it’s cheaper if you pay up front with one of VW’s Care Plans. It costs $1565 over three years, or $2847 over five. Services are expected to take place every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever comes sooner.

As always, Volkswagens are covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia.

A year of comprehensive insurance coverage with a leading provider comes in at $2294, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

A clear differentiator between this Tiguan and its peers, at least for now, is the lack of electric assistance for its range of four-cylinder engines. As such, it makes do with a comparatively thirsty fuel consumption of 7.6 litres per 100 kilometres on a mixed driving cycle across urban and country road use.

That’s the claim, but the reality is marginally worse. I saw 8.9L/100km after my time with the car, spent across motorways, country roads, and suburban driving.

It’s not out-of-this-world inefficient, but it clearly lags behind rivals like the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, which gets less than 6L/100km in real-world driving.

Compared to other new medium SUVs, the Volkswagen Tiguan in 110TSI specification comes off rather underpowered. With just 110kW/250Nm put through the front wheels, it’s behind rivals such as the base-spec Mazda CX-60 (138kW/250Nm), Nissan X-Trail (135kW/244Nm), and Hyundai Tucson/Kia Sportage (115kW/194Nm).

It feels sluggish on the road. You’re constantly having to work hard on the throttle to get the engine into the right rev range, and even when you’re there, it feels out of breath. Medium SUVs should really have more power these days.

The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is also hard to gel with. It can be laggy to get the car moving from a standstill, and you effectively need to pre-empt traffic gaps by pressing the throttle earlier than other cars.

The engine/gearbox combination means that buyers will be better served in a Tiguan by spending more on a 150TSI variant with more power.

Luckily, the ride quality is a highlight, with soft, supple suspension that easily smooths out speed humps and road imperfections – big and small. It means that the body rolls a bit through suburban street corners taken at speed, but medium SUV buyers would rather a comfortable car than a sporty one.

It’s just that this generation has erred towards ride and comfort compliance, whereas the predecessor had more of a sporty drive character to it.

There’s quick steering to ensure the body is simple to spin into a parking spot, plus the hushed wind/road noise is an improvement on its predecessor.

Volkswagen has long traded on a hard-earned reputation for a dynamic, stylish and comfortable medium SUV with the Tiguan.

But, the new-generation car shakes things up a lot. There are some question marks remaining over build quality that we’ll be keen to investigate the next time we get a Tiguan for testing, meanwhile the laggy driving experience represents a step backwards for the nameplate.

There’s little doubt that the Tiguan has embraced a new era with families in mind, thanks to its excellent technology and practical interior layout.

While these updates are great in isolation, it’s two steps forward in some areas and one step back in others.

Buyers serious about a medium SUV purchase shouldn’t cross the Tiguan off their lists, but the best experience is had with a more powerful version like the 150TSI. It’s well worth cross-shopping against rivals too.

Tom started out in the automotive industry by exploiting his photographic skills but quickly learned journalists got the better end of the deal. With tenures at CarAdvice, Wheels Media, and now Drive, Tom's breadth of experience and industry knowledge informs a strong opinion on all things automotive. At Drive, Tom covers automotive news, car reviews, advice, and holds a special interest in long-form feature stories.

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