5 Family-Friendly Features on the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

Much of life becomes complicated when you become a parent. Putting your children’s needs first can mean sacrificing your own preferences. Luckily, some things truly are designed for the whole family. For instance, you don’t have to put your sense of style or comfort on the back burner in order to get a vehicle that will keep your kids safe and happy mile after mile. Whether you’re planning your next summer road trip or just looking for a way to get the kids to school, extracurriculars, and play dates, the Volkswagen Tiguan is a great option.

There are plenty of SUVs on the market, but you don’t have to dig into head-to-head comparisons like the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan vs 2023 Nissan Rogue for long to see that the Tiguan goes above and beyond to provide features that can come in handy for families of all sizes. Let’s look at five particular things this sporty midsize SUV has to offer; from basic design elements to cutting-edge tech features, these attributes come together to give you everything you need to transport your most precious cargo wherever they need to go.

1) Spacious Interior

Your little ones won’t stay little forever. Unless you want to be replacing your vehicle every time someone hits a growth spurt, it’s nice to have a spacious interior that your kids can grow into as they age. The Tiguan offers plenty of legroom so that everyone in the front and back can stretch out and get comfortable.

The Tiguan is available with either a two-row, five-seat configuration or a three-row, seven-seat configuration. If you have a small family and don’t think you’ll need extra seating, you’ll likely prefer the two-row model. If you think you’ll make use of that third row, even if it’s only during special occasions, then you don’t have to worry about it taking up cargo space when you’re not using it. It can fold completely flat when not in use, and it has a 50/50 split for extra versatility. If you have a small family, you might leave the third row tucked away most of the time, but you’ll have the option to make use of it if you need space for your kids’ friends or for visiting family members.

In the back, you’ll find a cargo area that’s perfect for stowing anything from backpacks and grocery bags to sports gear and coolers. The cargo area is well-lit internally, so you can keep it organized and find what you’re looking for, day or night. It’s also carpeted to help protect any delicate cargo, like shoebox dioramas or historical sites made out of sugar cubes. You can use the standard tie-down hooks for larger items, like furniture, to keep everything stable and secure.

2) App-Connect

When you’re a parent, staying connected and flexible is important. You need to be reachable by your partner, your kids, their teachers, and their club leaders in case of an emergency or a sudden change of plans. At the same time, you need to be able to stay safe on the road at all times, which means you can’t be looking down at your phone in your lap.

With App-Connect, you can safely stay in touch with your family and associations while on the road. USB-connected App-Connect comes standard on the 2023 Tiguan, and wireless connectivity is available on higher trim levels. This feature connects compatible smartphones to the infotainment interface of the Tiguan, letting you use the vehicle’s touchscreen, steering wheel controls, and voice commands to access your apps on the go. Since both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, the majority of phones are compatible with this system.

Music streaming apps and podcasts can keep you and your kids entertained on the road. With navigation apps, it’s easy to get to out-of-town track meets or speech tournaments without getting lost or stuck in avoidable traffic. And, of course, messaging apps can keep you in contact at the push of a button, so you’ll never miss that crucial call when your partner finds a second open parking space.

3) Comprehensive Safety Suite

Staying safe on the road is a priority for every driver, but it becomes even more vital when your kids are on board. The 2023 Tiguan has a myriad of safety features, from the basic elements of its construction—like front and rear crumple zones paired with a rigid safety cage—to high-tech driver assistance features. When these elements unite, it becomes clear why the Tiguan was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Across all trim levels, the 2023 Tiguan comes standard with a glut of driver assistance features. The forward collision warning lets you know when a collision is imminent, while pedestrian monitoring keeps track of foot traffic in front of the vehicle. Autonomous emergency braking can act automatically to prevent or mitigate damage; if a collision does occur, the advanced protection system features six airbags to prevent serious injury. An active blind spot monitor lets you know when another vehicle is in your blind spot, so you can change lanes safely on the highway, and a rear traffic alert comes in handy when backing out of a space in a parking lot, giving you a warning when cross traffic is coming.

4) myVW

Life can get complicated when you’re a parent, and it can be difficult to stay on top of everything that needs to get done, but with the myVW app, taking care of your Tiguan is simple. You can get service reminders, view your service history, schedule service directly through the app, and look at your upcoming scheduled maintenance to stay on top of everything you need to do to keep your car in ship shape. If you run into trouble while out and about, you can also use the app to request roadside assistance.

If you activate VW Car-Net, you can also use the app for remote commands. The remote start lets you get the heat or AC going before you reach the vehicle, which can come in handy on cold winter mornings or hot summer afternoons. Remote lock and unlock are also available; if you’re not sure whether you locked the doors on a hectic day or one of your kids needs to run back to the car to get something they forgot, you can easily remedy that situation with a few taps in the app. Once the kids get old enough to drive on their own, you can set speed alerts to make sure they’re driving responsibly.

5) Back Seat Amenities

Many of the most popular automotive features are designed around the experience of the driver, but we know that you love your kids and want them to get some great features, too. The back seats in the Tiguan aren’t just spacious; they also have several extra touches that make them particularly comfortable.

For instance, the second-row seats are reclinable, and they can slide back and forth, letting you get the right balance of legroom between the second and third rows. With second-row air vents, passengers get easy access to climate control and thus can stay comfortable in any weather. Best of all, if your kids are old enough to have their own mobile devices, they’ll appreciate the Tiguan for its available rear USB charging port.