Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) just took the covers off the VW Tiguan Allspace – a 7-seater variant of the regular Tiguan.

Like the regular 5-seater Tiguan, the larger 7-seater Tiguan Allspace is also locally-assembled (CKD) in Pekan, Pahang.

Here’s five things we like about the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace, more specifically the top-of-the-line Tiguan Allspace R-Line.

1. Seven-seater but there's a catch

Compared to the regular 5-seater Tiguan, the Tiguan Allspace has a wheelbase that is 110 mm longer, while the overall length is 215 mm more, translating into a cabin that is more spacious than the regular Tiguan.

The additional cabin space also meant that Volkswagen engineers have managed to squeeze a third-row seat, though it is limited to small kids as it is rather tight. 

With the third-row seats folded down, boot space can be increased to 700 litres. Fold down both the second- and third-row seats, boot space can be further increased to 1,775 litres – the best in its segment.

2. It’s a 7-seater Golf GTI

As surprising as it may sound, but the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace R-Line actually can be seen as a 7-seater, more practical version of the Golf GTI.

After all, power output of the Tiguan Allspace R-Line almost matches the Golf GTI (220 PS vs 230 PS, torque identical).

The 10 PS deficit means that the Tiguan Allspace R-Line completes the 0-100 km/h sprint 0.4 seconds slower than the Golf GTI - 6.8 seconds vs 6.4 seconds. Still an impressive number for such an SUV. 

3. 4Motion means no slippery moments

With 220 PS and 350 Nm on tap, putting down all that power effectively might be tricky if the Tiguan Allspace R-Line is front-wheel drive-only.

Thankfully, it gets Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system to deploy all those German ponies efficiently.

When coupled with the adaptive suspension (explained below), the Tiguan Allspace R-Line is capable of tackling off-road stuff with relative ease.

4. It's the only one in its segment with adaptive suspension

If the power output does not convince you that the Tiguan Allspace R-Line is a 7-seater Golf GTI, maybe its Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) will.

Yes, just like the hot hatch, the Tiguan Allspace R-Line is fitted with DCC, allowing drivers to choose their preferred driving style, be it Normal, Eco, Sport, Comfort, or Individual.

Furthermore, the Tiguan Allspace R-Line also gets Hill Descent Control when Off Road mode is enabled. 

5. It's the only offering with a fully-digital cockpit, almost

The top-of-the-line Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace R-Line gets Volkswagen’s fancy Discover Pro infotainment system that features a large 9.2-inch touchscreen display, while the Tiguan Highline gets a smaller 8.0-inch unit.

Like other modern-day infotainment systems, Discover Pro has built-in support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

Audio is routed through an 8-speaker sound system.

Accompanying the Discover Pro infotainment system is an 11.7-inch fully-digital instrument cluster dubbed Digital Cockpit. No other segment rivals can come close to the Tiguan Allspace’s futuristic approach. Thankfully, the air-conditioning controls are physical knobs, not controlled via the touchscreen.

There you have it, five things we like about the newly-launched Tiguan Allspace.

Let us know in the comments which feature is your favourite!