Compare the2023 Volkswagen TiguanVS 2022 Kia Niro

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Tiguan has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Niro doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Tiguan SE R-Line Black/SEL R-Line has standard Maneuver Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Niro doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Tiguan offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Niro doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Tiguan SEL R-Line has a standard Area View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Niro only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Tiguan has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Niro LXS/LXS SE/Touring SE/EX Premium offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Tiguan has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Niro LXS/LXS SE/Touring SE/EX Premium has a rear cross-path warning system.

The Tiguan has standard Car-Net, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Niro doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Tiguan and the Niro have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available lane departure warning systems.

The Volkswagen Tiguan weighs 503 to 704 pounds more than the Kia Niro. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Volkswagen Tiguan is safer than the Kia Niro:

	Tiguan	Niro
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	49	138
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	82 lbs.	196 lbs.
Hip Force	337 lbs.	342 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	156	170
Spine Acceleration	44 G’s	77 G’s
Hip Force	510 lbs.	993 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Tiguan its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 92 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Niro has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Tiguan’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Niro’s (7/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Tiguan for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Kia doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Niro.

Reliability

The Volkswagen Tiguan’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Niro’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

Engine

The Tiguan’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 45 more horsepower (184 vs. 139) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (221 vs. 195) than the Niro’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Volkswagen Tiguan is faster than the Kia Niro:

	Tiguan	Niro
Zero to 60 MPH	8.6 sec	9.9 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	17.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	81.5 MPH	80.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

Both the Tiguan and Niro have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The Tiguan has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

The Tiguan FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Niro (15.3 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Tiguan AWD’s standard fuel tank has 4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Niro (15.9 vs. 11.9 gallons).

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Volkswagen Tiguan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Niro.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Tiguan’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Niro:

	Tiguan	Niro
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	11 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	10.3 inches

The Tiguan stops much shorter than the Niro:

	Tiguan	Niro
60 to 0 MPH	124 feet	138 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	152 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Tiguan has larger standard tires than the Niro (215/65R17 vs. 205/60R16). The Tiguan SE R-Line Black’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Niro (255/45R19 vs. 225/45R18).

The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Niro Touring SE’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tiguan S has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Niro LX/LXS/EX Premium. The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Niro Touring SE.

The Tiguan has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Niro; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The Tiguan has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Niro doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tiguan’s wheelbase is 3.6 inches longer than on the Niro (109.9 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

The Tiguan 4Motion® handles at .82 G’s, while the Niro LXS pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Tiguan 4Motion® executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Niro LXS (28.1 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

Passenger Space

The Tiguan offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Niro can only carry 5.

The Tiguan has 23 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Niro (123.9 vs. 100.9).

The Tiguan has .8 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 5.2 inches more rear hip room and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Niro.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Tiguan’s middle row seats recline. The Niro’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Tiguan’s cargo area provides more volume than the Niro.

	Tiguan	Niro
Third Seat Folded	33 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	37.6 cubic feet	19.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	65.3 cubic feet	54.5 cubic feet
Max Cargo Volume	73.4 cubic feet	54.5 cubic feet

The Tiguan’s cargo area is larger than the Niro’s in almost every dimension:

	Tiguan	Niro
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	17.2”/39.7”/74.5”	n.a./31.8”/64”
Max Width	55”	48.2”
Min Width	39.8”	41”
Height	33.5”	36”

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Tiguan’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Niro doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Tiguan SE/SEL has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Tiguan SEL R-Line, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The Niro doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Payload and Towing

The Tiguan has a 1500 lbs. towing capacity. The Niro has no towing capacity.

The Tiguan has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Niro (1157 vs. 1089 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

The Tiguan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Niro uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the Tiguan SEL R-Line, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Niro doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Tiguan’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Niro’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Tiguan’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Niro’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Tiguan SE/SEL/SEL Premium the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows with the driver’s door power window switch. The driver of the Niro can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Tiguan’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Niro’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Tiguan’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Niro’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Tiguan SE/SEL to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Niro doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the Tiguan’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Niro’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Tiguan SE R-Line Black/SEL/SEL Premium R-Line has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Niro doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Tiguan SEL Premium R-Line also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Tiguan’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia only offers heated mirrors on the Niro Touring SE/EX Premium.

Both the Tiguan and the Niro offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Tiguan has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Niro doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Niro doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The Volkswagen Tiguan outsold the Kia Niro by almost five to one during the 2021 model year.