The 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan is one of the best-selling cars in the German automaker’s lineup, and there are many reasons why car shoppers continue to choose the Tiguan. One of those reasons is because the company has a variety of trims for drivers to choose from. Although the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan has several well-liked trims, there’s one trim option that’s more popular amongst car shoppers than the rest.

A brief overview of the trims that are available on the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen offers four trim levels on the Tiguan right now. All Tiguans start with a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder that gets 184 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque, and no other engine options are available. The cheapest trim option is the S, which starts at about $27,000. 

The trim after that is the roughly $30,500 SE trim. It adds a few luxury features to the car, such as a leatherette-wrapped steering wheel.

After that is the SE R-Line Black, which goes for just over $33,000. This trim adds a lot of exterior and interior upgrades to the car. For example, it swaps the standard 17-inch wheels out for 19-inch ones. The steering wheel is wrapped with real leather instead of leatherette. It also gets a parking distance control feature.

The top trim that VW offers is the SEL R-Line. It goes for nearly $38,000, Naturally, it adds even more features to the SUV. For example, the front seats are ventilated, the seats have leather upholstery, and it comes with 20-inch wheels. On top of that, it starts with all-wheel drive, while the other trims start with front-wheel drive.

This is the most popular trim for the compact crossover

While those top-of-the-line trims have a lot of great features, Edmunds notes that the most popular trim right now is the SE. One of the great aspects of this trim is that it starts with VW’s IQ.Drive & S Convenience package as standard, and that gives the SUV a lot of smart tech features that drivers may be looking for. 

The SE gets smart tech features such as adaptive cruise control, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a blind-spot intervention system, and more. This trim upgraded the SUV’s tech features in other ways too. For example, it gets an 8-inch touchscreen instead of the standard 6.5-inch one. The German automaker also gave it wireless phone charging and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Furthermore, this trim gives the SUV upgrades to its luxury and comfort levels. In addition to the leatherette-wrapped steering wheel, it comes with a power liftgate, synthetic leather upholstery, remote engine start, and more. Unlike the more expensive trims, VW didn’t give the SE trim many exterior upgrades. However, it does get 18-inch wheels, which are bigger than the standard 17-inch ones.

Why car shoppers may be going for the 2023 Volkswagen Tiguan SE

It’s not surprising that the SE trim is the most popular trim. In fact, it’s the trim that Edmunds recommended. The reason why the car critic recommended the trim is because of its value. This is likely the same reason why shoppers are interested in this trim more than others. 

Overall, the Tiguan’s trim options are similar to one another under the hood. The main differences mostly have to do with what’s inside the car. As such, the SE strikes the best balance for car shoppers in terms of practical features and price.

To be fair, it doesn’t have the most luxurious interior. However, Volkswagen shoppers probably aren’t in the market for that in the first place.