Does the New Volkswagen Tiguan Have Android Auto?
If you own an Android phone, you love its flexibility as well as all the Google apps. You take it everywhere, including your car. But using your phone while driving can be distracting and unsafe.
Luckily for Android — and iPhone — users, smartphone compatibility is becoming a more common feature on new cars these days. It enables drivers to connect their phones directly to an in-dash interface on their cars.
And automakers, such as Volkswagen, are starting to realize that this feature is a big draw for car buyers. The Tiguan, the smaller of VW’s two SUVs, does come with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, plus a whole slew of infotainment and safety features. Let’s dig deeper into the details.
Infotainment and connectivity offerings on the Volkswagen Tiguan
With a starting price of $24,945, the Volkswagen Tiguan is one of the more expensive compact SUVs on the market. Despite the higher price tag, its standard infotainment features are among the best in the segment and they definitely merit consideration.
A Wi-Fi hotspot and VW’s Car-Net infotainment system come standard on the 2020 Tiguan. The latter allows you to connect with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. MirrorLink, an open-system, non-proprietary smartphone app, is also available.
Car-Net also provides automatic crash notification, weather and traffic updates, and remote vehicle location. You can access the system via a 6.5-inch full-color touchscreen. Other standard tech features include AM/FM radio, two USB data ports in the front and one rear USB charging port, three 12-volt power outlets, and Bluetooth technology.
Tiguan buyers who upgrade can step up their tech game with VW’s advanced digital cockpit. It’s a 12.3-inch screen that replaces the traditional gauge cluster. Information, including a full-screen navigation view, is digitally displayed in high resolution. The cockpit also can store up to four driver profiles and retains personal preferences for settings and systems for each driver.
Other available infotainment features include an 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless smartphone charger, enhanced navigation, HD Radio, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Buyers can also opt for a nine-speaker Fender premium sound system and two extra USB ports.
The Volkswagen Tiguan’s safety and security features
In 2019, IIHS named the VW Tiguan a Top Safety Pick+ for upper-trim models that featured forward collision warning and LED reflector headlights.
This year, Volkswagen has made this SUV even safer. It has made forward collision alert with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection standard, along with blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. A rearview camera system is also standard.
Besides driver assistance tech, the Tiguan has standard passive safety features such as electronic stability control, traction control, and four-wheel disc brakes and ABS. It also has seven airbags, rear-seat LATCH locations, child safety locks, daytime running lights, a tire pressure monitoring system, and integrated turn signal mirrors.
Another important standard safety feature is the VW SUV’s intelligent crash response system. If the SUV’s airbags are deployed in a crash, the system can shut down the fuel pump, unlock the doors, and turn on the hazard lights.
Available active safety features include adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, LED headlights with adaptive front lighting and automatic high-beam control. An optional overhead view camera enables the driver to see what is around the vehicle.
Optional security features are proximity keyless entry, push-button start, and remote start.
Comfort and convenience features
Although the base model Tiguan S offers some fantastic tech, the standard features that make the ride more comfortable are rather basic. These include cloth seats, manual air conditioning, and manually adjustable front seats.
On the other hand, buyers can enjoy some luxuries if they bump up to higher trim levels like the SE, SE R-Line, SEL, and the SEL Premium. They include leatherette seating, dual-zone climate control, a power liftgate, and a panoramic sunroof. A heated steering wheel and automatic wipers are standard on the top-level SEL trim.
If having third-row seating means added convenience for you, you can opt for that in the Tiguan, too. It’s a great choice for parents who want to use the Tiguan as a kid-hauler. With the exception of the Mitsubishi Outlander, the Tiguan is the only small SUV that offers buyers the choice to expand to a seven-seater.
There is only one powertrain option on this VW. It’s a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that makes 184 hp, and it’s paired with an eight-speed automatic. Buyers can choose between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive as well.
The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan has loads of standard technology that are only available as options on rivals such as the Nissan Rogue or the Honda CR-V. Some of the bigger, pricier SUVs don’t even offer these features as standard, either. The Tiguan just might be for you if you want a small SUV that excels at keeping you connected, informed, and entertained.
