The all-new Volkswagen Tiguan has officially landed in Australia, following its New Zealand debut in July 2024. The latest iteration of the popular medium SUV carries a strong focus on family safety, which is core to Volkswagen cars in general, and now it’s backed by an impressive five-star ANCAP safety rating.
Tested under ANCAP’s latest protocols, the Tiguan demonstrated well-rounded performance across all key safety categories, scoring:
- 83% for Adult Occupant Protection
- 88% for Child Occupant Protection
- 84% for Vulnerable Road User Protection
- 84% for Safety Assist
These scores make the Tiguan a compelling choice for buyers who place safety high on the checklist. ANCAP praised the vehicle’s structural integrity and its suite of active safety systems, calling it a “dependable and practical choice for the safety-conscious family,” as per CEO Carla Hoorweg.
What’s under the hood—and behind the safety rating?
Available in both petrol and diesel variants and priced between $35,000 and $65,000, the Volkswagen Tiguan caters to a wide range of drivers. It’s offered across all variants with the same comprehensive safety kit, meaning buyers don’t have to splurge on the top trims to access life-saving technology.
Standard safety features include:
- Dual frontal, side chest, and side head-protecting airbags
- A centre airbag for additional protection during side impacts
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) for cars, pedestrians, cyclists, junctions, and rear scenarios
- Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Emergency Lane Keeping
- Advanced Speed Assistance System
Real-world crash performance
ANCAP’s testing revealed very good protection for the driver and front passenger in the frontal offset crash. The Tiguan also performed well in side impact assessments, scoring 5.63 in the standard side impact test and 5.51 in the more severe oblique pole test. However, mild concerns were raised regarding submarining—where the dummy’s pelvis slides under the lap belt—during the full-width frontal test, leading to a small penalty.
Despite that, overall crash protection was solid, with the Tiguan offering consistent safety performance across a variety of collision types and scenarios.
Notes for families
While the Tiguan scored a high 88% in Child Occupant Protection, there’s a minor note for parents in New Zealand: ANCAP advises against installing child restraints in the centre rear seat, as there’s no top tether anchorage point in that position. Australian variants may or may not differ, so it’s best to check your local specifications.
Tiguan safety tech: a closer look
Vulnerable Road User Protection
The Volkswagen Tiguan earned an 84% score in this category, with strong results in head protection (12.44 out of 15) for pedestrians, cyclists, and children. Other physical protection scores included 9.00 for knee and tibia, 4.50 for femur, and 4.25 for pelvis. The car’s autonomous emergency braking performed well for forward pedestrian (6.50), cyclist (8.27), and motorcycle (6.00) scenarios, though no points were awarded for backover AEB. Lane Support System (LSS) performance in motorcycle-related tests added a further 2.50 points.
Safety Assist
This section of the ANCAP safety tests also saw the Tiguan shine with an 84% score, supported by strong AEB performance: full marks (4.00) for front-to-rear collision avoidance and 3.80 in junction and crossing scenarios. Lane Support Systems added 3.00, while Speed Assistance Systems contributed 2.73. The vehicle also includes seat belt reminders (1.00) and driver monitoring (0.25), rounding out its suite of active safety tech.
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