Volkswagen Allspace - Fast Family Adventures

The Volkswagen Tiguan has been one of the best-selling models of the carmaker here in Nepal and around the world. It is one of those SUVs that gets a lot of things right whilst rarely leaving anything substantial to complain about. The Allspace is just that, but more. It claims to do everything that a Tiguan can, which incidentally the SUV is based on, and much more.The Allspace builds upon the Tiguan and claims to bring in much more to prove that it isn’t just a Tiguan with a longer body. The Allspace claims to offer more practicality, more driver-oriented performance, and most importantly, a better car. How much of that claim is true? And should you get one for yourself? We answer that below!ExteriorUnmistakably German would be an appropriate way to describe how the Allspace looks. The boxy silhouette, a wide stance, and strong character lines all make for a smart suited appearance. Upfront you get a bold front grille, the front gets all-LED headlamps with some of the best looking LED DRLs currently available in the market. You get a massive air dam flanked by LED fog lamps. It would be amazing if the air intakes above the fog lamps were real but let’s not get caught up in wishful thinking.The profile is less distracting, your attention is shared by a duet of a strong character line that streaks across the bodywork and classy 18-inch alloys which the SUV sits on. Over on the back, the Allspace opts for decency rather than being edgy. You get large LED taillamps, a roof spoiler with an integrated stoplight, and huge… but sadly faux exhaust which should have been real.Our test drive unit was in the “Blue Silk” color which is one of the best iterations of the color blue. Over the years of seeing “in your face” blue colored cars, it is nice to see one in a shade that allows you to savor the view.InteriorThe interior of the Allspace is as tasteful as the outside, all from the choice of materials to the kits inside the cabin, everything oozes quality. Much like the paint on the exterior, the interior is also pleasing to look at. Let’s take the seat first because that’s what everyone does inside the car before anything else. The seats in the Allspace are phenomenal. You get loads of electronic adjustments in the driver’s seat including lumbar support and memory function.Any form, size, and shape of the driver will find his/her perfect driving position easily in the Allspace. The seat themselves come with proper padding that is well balanced without being too firm or too soft, you get large side and thigh bolsters that tuck you into place like a racing seat.You get an all-black cabin with a harmonious design concept where everything just falls into your hand. The dashboard has a simplistic layout governed by large AC vents and a large infotainment screen. The infotainment screen comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as expected from a car in this segment. But the Allspace also gets the “DYNAUDIO Excite Surround” sound system.Eight speakers are perfectly positioned in the Volkswagen Allspace and meticulously matched to each other for pristine sound. A powerful 16-channel digital amplifier with 400 watts of output supplies tweeters, bass mid-range speakers, and woofers as well as the centre speaker and subwoofer with clear signals.You also get a 12.3-inch driver instrument screen dubbed the Active Info Display that displays important driver data that you can operate with the steering mounted controls. The air conditioning system is another highlight in the Allspace, named the “Air Care Climatronic” it allows the preferred temperature to be set individually for the driver, front passenger, and rear passengers.The electric control unit factors in all the important variables, such as the position and strength of the sun and the outside temperature, and introduces more or less cool air accordingly. Allergy sufferers will also be happy to know that the “Air Care Climatronic” air conditioning system not only includes an automatic recirculated air mode but a biogenic filter too.Family members will also be quite happy inside the Allspace, the rear seat have great cushioning for the back and the thighs which will make long road trips feel tireless, three people can happily accommodate the second row, although the high transmission tunnel will dig into the shins of the middle passenger making long journeys less ideal.The Allspace also comes with a third row and we will say it right now, it is only for kids and strictly not for adults. Even larger teens will find it difficult to spend their time in the third row on longer journeys, the last two seats are best left folded.The Allspace comes with an all spacious boot that simply swallows all your luggage with ease. In this seven-seater, there’s an adequate 230 litre boot behind the third row. Fold the third-row seats flat and the boot space increases to a large 700 litres, fold the second-row flat and you have a huge 1,775 litres of boot space.Performance and SafetyNow that the family is sorted, let’s come to the driver, and this is where the VW Allspace shines. The Allspace is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder TSI petrol mated to VW’s iconic DSG transmission that sends 180 Bhp and 320 Nm of peak torque to all four wheels via the 4MOTION All-Wheel-Drive and we will just say it right now, the Allspace is much faster than it looks.Weighing in at just a sack of Bratwurst above 2 and a half tons the Allspace lunges from a standstill to 100 kph in just 7.7 seconds, and does 208 kph flat out meaning your family getaway destination will not be too far away. But what leaves you in awe is how the Allspace gathers speed, no turbulence, no torque steer… this SUV drives like a sedan.The hero under the bonnet is the DSG gearbox, optimized and fine-tuned over the years this gearbox is so smooth and efficient at matching revs and changing gears that even the most seasoned drivers will find it difficult to pinpoint when the gears change.Overtakes don’t need any sort of prior planning and triple-digit speeds come instantly. This gearbox milks every last drop of performance from the engine and puts it on the ground efficiently. Corners are another highlight in the Allspace, the driver-oriented seats with a body that mitigates roll mean you can hit a corner hard and power out faster as the gearbox quickly sends horses when you dearly need it. Overall the Allspace makes for a thrilling ride.Big SUVs are always considered safe simply because “There’s more body to be crushed before it gets to you” which isn’t completely wrong, but not entirely right either. In this regard, the Allspace offers a host of safety features to make an already safe big SUV even safer.You get ABS, ESP, and six airbags. You get ESC and an active hood Sensor for pedestrian safety. In case of a collision, the front bumper signals the Active Hood and raises it, minimizing damage. Apart from this, there is an entire list of safety features that you get that makes the Allspace a safe place for you and your family.VerdictThe Volkswagen Allspace comes in only one fully loaded variant. One car, one variant, you get everything which eliminates the confusion you get when you have to pick the one you want from 20 variants in other cars.The Allspace comes with a price tag of 1.58 crores which is a lot of money, but you are getting a car that is an all-rounder, it is a great looker, comes with a plush cabin, and is tremendous fun to drive, and it comes with Volkswagen’s praiseworthy service benefits that include a 2-year unlimited km warranty, 3-year paint warranty, and a 6-year anti-perforation warranty. All of which makes the Volkswagen Allspace one of the best cars for your money.