Completely renewed for the 2025 model year Volkswagen Tiguan, US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS) encountered an unexpected result in its updated front-lap test. Although the vehicle receives full points in driver and front passenger protection, it is poor in rear seat passenger safety. “Weak”(Poor) failed the class by taking notes.
Risk of “Submarining” in the Backseat
IIHSIn tests conducted with small-sized mannequins representing more slender passengers, two critical problems were identified in the Tiguan’s rear seat belt system:
- Risk of Neck Injury:It was observed that at the time of the collision, the shoulder belt slid up too much and put pressure on the model’s neck area.
- Internal Organ Damage:Sliding of the waist belt over the pelvis towards the abdomen ( submarining), was included in the report as a factor that increases the risk of injury to vital internal organs.
Headlight Performance and Other Data
The Tiguan performed very well in other crash tests (side and small frontal overlap) and in safety systems such as pedestrian detection. However, an inconsistency stands out on the headlight side: The upper equipment SEL RWhile the LED projectors in the version received a “Good” rating, the lighting systems in lower equipment could only reach an “Average” rating. These test results once again reveal that automakers need to make further improvements to seat belt tensioners and load limiters for rear seat passengers while focusing on front-row safety.
