Volkswagen Golf vs Volkswagen Tiguan

What's the difference?

Modern cars tend to be judged on what they cost and what’s included in that price. Of course, that’s car-buying 101, but in the case of something like the new Golf, there’s an almost-intangible that must come into the final reckoning. Both the 1.4-litre models and the Golf GTI have a certain accessibility and ability to satisfy your transport needs and your appreciation of quality at the same time. Not every mainstream car manages this.

The refinement is unquestionable and the dynamics of either Golf variant speak of engineering that is sophisticated beyond the price-tag, certainly when compared with the cars the Golf is destined to sell against. Against that, prices on all but the entry-level car have risen, and even that car has lost some standard equipment. It’s also worth saying that not everybody who buys a new car is going to notice this ethereal notion of quality and sophistication. And if that’s the case, there are other cars out there that will do just as good a job. But if you can appreciate a car with a bit of soul, the Golf is truly a class-leading proposition that also happens to be able to hold its own on most other fronts.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The new Tiguan is as confident as ever in its identity, even in such a crowded mid-size SUV space where there are so many models worthy of your attention.

No matter which version you choose, this is still the mid-size SUV for a driving enthusiast who doesn’t quite have premium dollars to spend.

While it may not quite expand its appeal as much as the brand hopes precluding a hybrid variant, those who are choosing this as their family hauler for the right reasons won’t be disappointed.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

As a facelift (and a fairly mild one at that) rather than a new model, the move to Golf 8.5 specification doesn’t represent any major engineering or stylistic shift. But what it does signal is a recognition that the driver interface set-up in the previous version was not without its foibles and faults.

Many owners complained that the touchscreen mechanism for operating many of the car’s functions required two key-strokes, when one would have been the case in a less convoluted system. So, VW has revisited the way humans interact with the car and come up with some genuine improvements.

Now there are quick-access buttons above and below the central info screen as well as physical steering wheel buttons replacing the previous car’s touch buttons which sometimes had a mind of their own.

In terms of styling changes, well, they’re minimal to say the least.

But keen car-watchers will spot the Golf 8.5's new front and rear bumpers, tweaked headlight and tail-light treatment, new alloy wheel designs and an illuminated bonnet badge on everything bar the Style variant.

Oh, and retro design gets a look in this time, too, with the alloys on the GTI bearing a striking resemblance to those on the iconic Golf 5 GTI from the early part of this century and, arguably, the car that gave the Golf concept the shot in the arm that sees it still around today.

The new Tiguan is a bit of a mind-bender. Its new design seems to make it feel smaller than the outgoing vehicle, despite it being both slightly wider and longer.

This, I have decided, is because the design creates a visual effect, where the upper curvier parts seem to shrink it down, and the additional length makes it seem narrower than the more boxy visage of the previous model. Also, it’s 20mm shorter than the previous design, which we’re told combines with the new bodywork to make for a 15 per cent drag reduction.

Either way, it’s nice not to see a mid-size SUV not continually engage in an arms race to get bigger and bigger. Volkswagen will also introduce the dedicated seven-seat Tayron later in 2025. It’s a half-size up and replaces the outgoing Tiguan Allspace, and this time it features a much more distinct design from its Tiguan sibling.

The third-generation Tiguan not only embraces a more curvy design aesthetic than its predecessor, but it also features many more contemporary design elements. The headlights and curvy accents over the wheelarches feel like they more closely associate this SUV with the new ID.4 and ID.5 EVs, while the light bar across the front on some grades combines with the new light bar across the rear to give it a trendy silhouette. It tops things off with the ‘Tiguan’ letterwork on the tailgate, and, as usual, a sporty spoiler fitting giving the rear hatch a bit of depth.

As usual, VW’s array of gloss-black, chrome or plastic garnishes on the outside, depending on grade, offer a subtle and tasteful finish to the exterior appearance.

The inside is revolution rather than evolution, now heavily screen-centri, and featuring an array of lighting features like many of its rivals.

The screens look the part and have fast and mostly straightforward-to-navigate software, while the seat designs are a real highlight, being both aesthetically pleasing and nice to the touch in all grades.

The ambient lighting features add a sense of presence to the cabin, and unlike the outgoing car, the new one feels a bit more driver-centric thanks to the design of the dash and screens effectively pointing their way down the road from the driver’s point of view.

It does away with the sparse feeling of the previous car, elevating things a notch with an increase of nice materials throughout.

While some may find the abundance of gloss-black finishes a bit harder to maintain, it’s hard not to feel like this new Tiguan is a major generational jump from the previous one. Mission accomplished, VW.

Up front, the Golf is all sensible and grown up. In fact, there’s a sniff of European boardroom simplicity and elegance and none of the gimmickry some of its competitors throw at their products in the name of looking racy or plush. Faux metallic finishes or air vents that look like jet engines? You won’t find them here. That said, if you’re looking for a bit of noise and bling, the cabin might just seem a little austere. At first glance, anyway.

Scratch a bit deeper and the practicality starts to shine through. Okay, so the new quick access buttons seem a bit scattered, but we won’t class that as a criticism, because the alternative where those same functions are buried under multiple menus on a touchscreen is vastly less appealing and ergonomically 'right'.

 The centre console is home to a pair of cupholders and a 12-volt output socket, and there is a pair of USB charging ports tucked under the ledge of the lower part of the dashboard. The sun visors each feature a lit vanity mirror and the lower doors house deep and large pockets capable of holding a full-sized bottle.

Back in the rear seat, there’s decent foot room and very generous headroom, but knee-room might be a bit limited if the person directly in front is tall. In fact, any front-seater getting on for 180cm will be asked to move their chair forward by any person of roughly similar stance attempting to sit in the back. But the rear seat itself is good, although, like so many cars, the rear-centre position is last place in the comfort stakes.

A fold-down armrest is available if the fifth (centre) seat is not in use, and it also hides a pair of cupholders. Assuming those knees allow, there are three pockets in the back of each front seat as well as a good sized door pocket on each side. The rear seat also includes centre air vents, reading lights and a pair of USB charge-points.

With the rear seat in place, VW claims a luggage capacity of 374 litres with a reasonable loading lip height of 675mm. Fold the rear seat down and there’s a huge space for cargo, but if you still need one rear seat, the backrest is split 60/40 and also includes a ski-port, allowing access to the luggage from the rear seat. The luggage area also houses three top-tether restraint fixing points and there’s a space-save spare tyre under the floor. Four tie-down points are also located in each corner of the cargo area.

Like the previous model, VW hasn’t forgotten its pragmatic touches for the interior, despite its increase in complexity and appointments.

Finding a driving position was easy for me at 182cm tall, with both a healthy adjustment range for the seats and steering wheel. The digital instrument cluster remains one of the best on the market in terms of usability and customisation, while the multi-function steering wheel commits to buttons rather than the widely-disliked haptic feedback panels, which have appeared on various other VW models.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t entirely extend to switchgear for key functions, with the climate control exclusively controlled via touch sliders, a touchscreen menu or the Tiguan’s new voice control suite, none of which are as intuitive as just having a physical dial for temperature and fan speed and buttons for recirculate, auto and on-off.

However, the Tiguan does have a central dial on the console, which can cycle through volume control, drive modes or ambient lighting modes when pressed. A welcome addition.

Moving the shift stalk to the steering column, like the ID.4 and ID.5, has also allowed additional space for the centre console area, which is now quite versatile. It includes a variable-height armrest console box with either dividers or a dual-bottle-holder fitting, which can be interchanged between the two areas, while the dual-charging bays up front have a rubberised cover, which can be pulled down as to not waste the storage space. This has the additional feature of making the cooling system for the wireless charging phones more effective.

There are two large bottle holders and pockets in each door, which have a carpeted finish to reduce vibration, and there’s also a passenger glovebox.

The rear seat offers a healthy amount of space behind my own driving position. I had leagues of knee room and a healthy amount of airspace above me, however the presence of a tall raise for the transmission tunnel eats into the amount of room a centre passenger would have for their feet.

The comfortable seats continue and are on rails if you need to increase the amount of room in the boot, or simply want a more aggressive recline. When it comes to storage, there are bottle holders in each door, a drop-down armrest with dual bottle holders, dual USB-C outlets on the back of the console, as well as dual air vents with a touch control panel for the independent third climate zone. The only thing it seems to be missing is built-in window shades, which are offered on some Skodas and the now-discontinued Passat (RIP).

The boot helpfully features a powered tailgate on all grades, and measures in at 652 litres with the second row up, or 1650L with the seats down. Numbers can be deceptive, but it does seem large for the class, and there’s a space-saver spare wheel under the floor.

Volkswagen is attempting to broaden the appeal of the Tiguan this time around. As such, it hasn’t jacked prices up massively like some recent new-generation versions of rivals, despite a comprehensive cabin tech overhaul and big lift in standard equipment.

As a result, the range is vast, with six variants covering a wide price spectrum and, as the brand says (or hopes), a wide range of potential buyers.

Kicking it off is the base model 110TSI Life, which, at $44,990 plus-road costs, is only $1000 more than the outgoing version. It sports a carryover 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, although it has a new version of VW’s seven-speed wet dual-clutch automatic sending power to the front wheels, replacing the derided dry dual-clutch that marred the base version of the old car.

Standard equipment on the base car is high, including 19-inch alloys, a full array of LED lights both for the headlight clusters and rears, it also includes a 12.9-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster with the brand’s signature digital cockpit software, tri-zone climate control, ‘comfort’ cloth seats (said to be benchmarked against the best in-class) with manual adjustments, a leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel, dual wireless phone chargers, ambient dashboard lighting and even an electric tailgate.

The mid-spec Elegance grade can be chosen with either the 110TSI engine in front-wheel drive, or the new 150TSI 2.0-litre engine in all-wheel drive, priced at $50,690 and $60,690 respectively. It increases the equipment to include chrome styling on the exterior with alternate 19-inch wheel designs, rear privacy glass, improved LED headlights with a lit-up centre strip and dynamic cornering functions, leather interior trim, power adjustments with heating, ventilation, and message functions for the front two seats, and a heated steering wheel.

Alternatively, there is the 150TSI R-Line which starts at $55,690, representing a $4600 price reduction compared to the outgoing 162TSI R-Line. It is also all-wheel drive only and features an R-Line styling pack inside and outside, with sporty but manually adjusted cloth bucket seats featuring integrated headrests up front (which miss out on the heating and ventilation of the Elegance grade), black headlining, an R-line steering wheel with additional contouring, 19-inch alloys in a sportier design, a wider wheel and tyre package for enhanced grip, and the VW’s signature progressive steering tune.

Both 150TSI cars also add adaptive chassis control and hill descent control as standard, with an additional off-road and snow driving mode, while the Elegance specifically scores a larger 15-inch multimedia screen.

Finally, topping out the range is the new 195TSI R-Line priced at a massive $70,490. Not only does this grade score its own 195TSI engine sourced from the Golf GTI, but it also adds everything available in the range, swapping out the 150TSI R-Line’s cloth seats for the leather-trimmed, heated, cooled and massaging ones otherwise only available on the Elegance, along with the larger 15-inch screen, sporty steering wheel and R-Line appearance package inside and out, along with its own set of 20-inch alloy wheels.

Option packs include a black styling pack for the R-Line at $1500, a panoramic sunroof available on the Elegance and R-Line grades at $2100, and the Sound and Vision package, which adds premium audio and the larger 15-inch multimedia screen to the 110TSI variants for $2700.

This makes the Tiguan range span from surprisingly good value at the low end, to a real enthusiast-only proposition at the pinnacle, with VW even pitching the 195TSI R-Line at the lower-end BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC buyers.

In reality many of its mainstream rivals should include options like the dominant Toyota RAV4 ($42,260 - $58,360), Subaru Forester ($38,690 - $50,140), Nissan X-Trail ($38,025 - $59,265), Hyundai Tucson ($39,100 - $61,100) and Kia Sportage ($32,995 - $55,420).

The surprise, some will note, is all of the Tiguan’s rivals have at least one hybrid variant, where VW has chosen to stick with combustion only for the time being for its new-generation mid-sizer.

All Golfs apart from the GTI and R (so that’s the Life, Style and R-Line, then) get the familiar 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine which makes 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque. It’s a well known unit that provides adequate performance and better than average levels of refinement and smoothness. Based on previous experience, it’s actually more engaging than those bald numbers suggest.

In either case, it drives through an eight-speed conventional automatic transmission driving the front wheels. That word 'conventional' is important, too, and distinguishes the unit from the allegedly sportier (and previously troublesome) dry-clutch dual-clutch transmission.

The GTI, of course, offers much more performance and does so with the latest version of the perhaps the even more familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. This time, however, it’s been tuned up to provide more power (195kW this time) and the seven-speed (wet) dual-clutch transmission also makes a return. There’s no manual gearbox option and the GTI remains front-wheel drive as one of its major differentiators from the all-wheel drive Golf R.

But don’t go thinking front-wheel-drive plus big power and torque equals an unruly drive. Because the GTI has a pretty sophisticated front differential which, based on past experience, does a good job of sending torque to the wheel that can best handle it, as well as helping the car corner more effectively. Plenty of people have driven more recent Golf GTIs and wondered aloud if the all-wheel drive of the Golf R is really necessary.

Part of that is the variable steering assistance and ratio of the GTI that can lighten up the steering for low-speed moves, and then add weight for high-speed stability. The rest of the secret lies in the electronically operation of the diff that allows it to lock and unlock quickly and effectively depending on the grip available and the torque being fed through it at the time. Like the adaptive dampers, VW claims the differential has been tweaked and improved over the Golf GTI 8.0 which also featured this tech.

Volkswagen also claims an electronic differential for the Life, Style and R-Line models, but in reality (and while it does offer advantages) it’s a braking-based system that can brake individual front wheels to maintain traction, rather than an actual limited-slip differential.

There are three engine options in the Tiguan range, and it is notable none are even mild hybrids (MHEVs) in 2025.

The base engine present in 110TSI variants is even a carryover 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, providing 110kW/250Nm to the front wheels. The big news for these base cars is the dry-clutch DCT has been swapped out for the better-performing wet-clutch version, which also has various improvements made to it for this iteration. Notably, VW has stripped-out the stop-start system with this engine and transmission combination. 

The brand says it opted not to use the more recent 1.5-litre MHEV version of this engine as it simply didn’t need it to meet Australia’s new emissions standards and it would have added a prohibitive amount to the cost of entry-level variants to justify its inclusion in the range.

Next up is the new 150TSI engine. It is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder unit, which replaces both the 132TSI and 162TSI engines from the previous-generation model. It provides 150kW/320Nm and drives all four wheels via the same seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. This engine also reintroduces stop-start.

At the top of the range, solely available on the R-Line, is the 195TSI engine. VW says this offers buyers of the previous Tiguan R somewhere to go, but also an option for those who wanted more than the previous 162TSI R-Line offered. The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged 195TSI engine is sourced from the Golf GTI and produces 195kW/400Nm, driving all four wheels via the same seven-speed dual-clutch. It reduces the 0-100km/h sprint time from 7.1 seconds to 5.9 seconds.

It is a shame in the current environment VW hasn’t chosen to make a splash with the 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant, which is available overseas. This Tiguan features a 25kWh battery paired to the 110kW engine to make for an estimated 100km electric-only driving range. It even features both 11kW AC charging and 50kW DC charging for convenient top-ups.

If you want it, tell your dealer. VW tells us they’re working on a business case for the PHEV in the background, but if you want electric driving for now, it’s pointing current customers to the ID.4 (from $59,990 before on-roads).

Without the extra weight of an SUV, it’s no surprise to learn the new Golf is a fuel sipper. The 1.4-litre variants all claim an official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel consumption number of 6.3 litres per 100km. And thanks to the efficiency of the entire platform, you’ll probably get closer to that in the real world than a lot of cars do to their own official number. Take it as read that you’ll be comfortably into the sixes on a highway cruise and perhaps even knocking on the door of a five.

And that’s just as well, because the VW requires 95-octane fuel which (depending on the price of diesel on the day) is about the second most expensive per-litre brew you’ll find at the bowser.

Based on the 50-litre tank fitted, the range of the 1.4-litre Golf should be comfortably beyond 700km.

The extra power of the GTI, of course, as well as the greater capacity, dictates that it will use more fuel. And it does with a government number of 7.2 litres per 100km. But the other thing to consider is that you’ll almost certainly drive it harder, too, at which point it can start to use even more fuel.

That said, a spirited strop on an alpine road during the launch drive netted a fuel number in the mid-10s, while our overall score after a long day on the road equalled 8.5 litres per 100km.

So it’s hardly a greedy car given the performance on tap. Again, 95-octane ULP is the order of the day. And that same 50-litre tank should be good for at least 600km between visits to the servo.

Efficiency is remarkably even across the Tiguan range, with the new engines and updated transmission helping to make things reasonably straightforward.

The base 110TSI versions have an official/combined fuel consumption of 7.6L/100km, as do the 150TSI versions thar benefit from the stop/start system but have the added heft of all-wheel drive.

The top-of-the-range 195TSI R-Line, meanwhile, is said to consume 8.5L/100km. All versions require 95RON mid-shelf unleaded. And for those who care, the 110TSI and 150TSI produce 173g/km of CO2, while the 195TSI produces 194g/km.

Interestingly, the 110TSI variants have a 55-litre fuel tank, while the 150TSI and 195TSI have a 58-litre fuel tank.

The Golf has, for at least a decade or more, been at the absolute top of the small-hatchback tree when it comes to driving sophistication. And whatever else you think about the product, a lack of refinement and driver involvement has not been missing from the formula.

This time around, VW claims to have tweaked the suspension rates slightly for the Life, Style and R-Line and it’s hard to argue with the result. Just as all Golfs for the last couple of decades have, the 8.5, even in its simplest specification, rides and corners with a combination of balance and ride quality that few small cars - and pretty much no mainstream hatchback - under $50,000 can match.

It sounds like a big statement, but the first few kilometres will convince you this is how all good cars should steer and handle bumps and lumps. There’s no sense that the Golf will ever run out of suspension travel, nor any suggestion it’s anything other than an entertaining and engaging thing to drive.

The same goes for the engine. Peak power of 110kW mightn’t sound like a whole lot, but the torque is always where you need it and the zesty, zingy feel of the little engine makes you want to work it even harder; something it absolutely loves.

While the eight-speed automatic suggests a slightly lazier experience than a dual-clutch, this time around, the differences in shift speed and smoothness between the two types of trasmission are all but eliminated. Not only that, the Golf’s conventional automatic now obeys the paddle-shifter's commands with a degree of relentless faithfulness that makes you think it’s a dual-clutch after all.

Just as the more mainstream models have been class leaders dynamically, so too has the Golf GTI shown the way to the rest of the hot-hatch pack. This time around, though, there’s a sense it’s a more serious performance car than ever, and that has consequences.

While previous GTIs have felt immediately rewarding and flattering to pretty much any driver, this time, the GTI’s performance envelope has been stretched to the point where it now kind of needs to be driven faster than ever to offer those rewards.

It’s certainly not unfriendly at low speeds, nor an uncommunicative car by any means, rather the limit is now so sky-high, it seems a shame not to tap into it. Which means you need the right time and the right place to most enjoy what the car has to offer.

But let’s not ignore the fact the GTI has so much poise, grip and general ability up its sleeve that it will make any driver look like a superstar, and a good driver look like Oscar Piastri. The paddle-shifters are foolproof, the power delivery exacting and relentless and the steering and handling designed to never let you get in over your head. Which is not to say the GTI is uncrashable, but it has more ability than most drivers will have bravery.

Even the suspension, which is now firmer than ever, is far from too stiff or too harsh.

In 'Comfort', only big lateral thumps will get your attention, but even in 'Sport' mode, the shift in ride firmness is subtle enough to make either mode viable on even fairly lumpy roads.

And if that brilliant front end doesn’t make you question the need for the AWD Golf R, it should.

The Tiguan range has some significant upgrades from behind the wheel this time around, but there are a handful of areas where I was surprised to find it didn’t quite live up to expectations.

Firstly, the seating position and driver-centric cabin design make the Tiguan feel like more of a driver’s car than ever before. The bucket-style seats and the high beltline combine to make the seating position feel like more of a hatchback than an SUV. Yet visibility out of the cabin is healthy thanks to large windows and mirrors.

As you set off, the Tiguan feels smoother through its drivetrain than its predecessor, thanks to the new dual-clutch automatic being sandpapered when it comes to its initial engagement and shift-mapping. Even the base 110TSI, which can sometimes struggle for initial torque thanks to a dollop of turbo-lag, has a decent roll-on, and with no stop-start system this time, it’s much more friendly when hopping on the accelerator from a standstill.

The steering tune is great in all grades, helping to make this new Tiguan feel light and reactive, despite its slightly expanded dimensions. This lightness is a trait which shines through on this new version, making it feel much less pedestrian than almost all of its rivals.

On the base variant, this can be to its detriment at times, with the 110TSI engine occasionally overcoming the grip of the front tyres when a lot is asked of it, however all-wheel-drive versions are much more confident in their footing, not only delivering power in a more linear fashion, but also putting it to the ground more smoothly.

R-Line variants, with wider and more expensive tyres, are reactive, grippy, and simply outstanding to drive in this mid-size segment, with the 195TSI bringing a strong additional lump of torque and a throatier engine note.

Indeed, this version of the Tiguan leans into the nameplate’s best traits and solidifies its position as the driver’s option in the segment. The 150TSI R-Line in particular stood out as raucous amounts of fun for a mid-sizer for a fair price, as it could be driven significantly harder than the more powerful 195TSI.

However, this new Tiguan was also not without some disappointments. The amount of road noise in all grades was notable, and while VWs are usually known for their balanced ride quality, all Tiguan variants also featured a certain seemingly inherent firm response to sharper blemishes in the road, perhaps a cost for the otherwise superb body control.

These blemishes in driving ambiance were relatively minor in scale, but surprising to find nonetheless.

Every new Tiguan gets the full array of modern active safety kit, including freeway-speed auto emergency braking with vulnerable road-user protections and intersection features, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, both rear and front cross traffic alert, a 360-degree parking camera suite, driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control and exit warning.

It also features an emergency assist feature, and there’s a suite of nine airbags, including a centre airbag. VW is anticipating a maximum five-star ANCAP rating, although at the time we put this review together, the SUV’s score was yet to be released.

The facelifted Golf carries VW Australia’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing intervals are every 15,000km or 12 months which ever comes first and there will be capped price servicing, but the actual cost had not been revealed to us as we published this review.

But for reference, the previous Golf could be had with capped price servicing at around $2100 for the first five years which is not exactly the cheapest out there when compared with its logical rivals.

It also pays to remember that even though the engines are both quite efficient, you will need to stump up for the more expensive 95-octane stuff every time you fill up.

Volkswagen offers the Tiguan with its usual five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. While this is still the prevailing standard, the warranty wars are back with more manufacturers pushing into the seven-to-10-year category.

The Tiguan requires servicing once every 12 months or 15,000km, although pricing for the service packages was yet to be revealed at the time we put this review together.