Compare the2026 Genesis GV80VS 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan

The GV80’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Tiguan doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the GV80 and Tiguan have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The GV80 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Tiguan’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the GV80 are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Genesis GV80 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Volkswagen Tiguan has not been tested.

The GV80’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GV80 and the Tiguan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Genesis GV80 weighs 908 to 1775 pounds more than the Volkswagen Tiguan. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Genesis GV80 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Tiguan has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

The GV80 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Tiguan’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the GV80 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Tiguan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Tiguan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The GV80’s 7 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Tiguan runs out after 100,000 miles.

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the GV80 for 1 year and 16000 miles longer than Volkswagen pays for maintenance for the Tiguan (3/36,000 vs. 2/20,000).

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GV80 second among upper midsize premium suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Tiguan isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis above average in initial quality. With 42 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 72 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Genesis higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Genesis 4 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The GV80 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 99 more horsepower (300 vs. 201) and 104 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 207) than the Tiguan’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The GV80 2.5T’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 99 more horsepower (300 vs. 201) and 90 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 221) than the Tiguan’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The GV80 3.5T’s standard 3.5 turbo V6 produces 174 more horsepower (375 vs. 201) and 170 lbs.-ft. more torque (391 vs. 221) than the Tiguan’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

The GV80 has 6.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan FWD’s standard fuel tank (21.1 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The GV80 has 5.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tiguan AWD’s standard fuel tank (21.1 vs. 15.6 gallons).

The GV80 has a tether attaching its gas cap to prevent its loss. The Tiguan’s gas cap isn’t tethered, so it can be left at a gas station if the driver forgets to screw the cap back in.

For better stopping power the GV80’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Tiguan:

The GV80’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Tiguan are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the GV80 has larger tires than the Tiguan (265/40R22 vs. 215/65R17). The GV80 PRESTIGE’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Tiguan (265/40R22 vs. 255/40R20).

The GV80’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Tiguan’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GV80 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Tiguan. The GV80 PRESTIGE’s 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Tiguan.

The GV80 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Tiguan’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The GV80 PRESTIGE/3.5T has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The GV80’s optional drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Tiguan doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GV80’s wheelbase is 6.4 inches longer than on the Tiguan (116.3 inches vs. 109.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GV80 is 3.7 inches wider in the front and 4.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Tiguan.

For greater off-road capability the GV80 has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tiguan (8.1 vs. 7 inches), allowing the GV80 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the GV80 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Tiguan doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The GV80 PRESTIGE uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Tiguan doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The GV80 offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Tiguan can only carry 5.

The GV80 has 36.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Tiguan (140 vs. 103.8).

The GV80 has .7 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, 3.6 inches more front shoulder room and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tiguan.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the GV80’s middle and third row seats recline. The Tiguan’s rear seats don’t recline.

The GV80’s cargo area provides more volume than the Tiguan.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the GV80. The Tiguan doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The GV80’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tiguan’s (6000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The engine in the GV80 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Tiguan. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The GV80’s standard Proximity Key allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. KESSY Keyless Access standard on the Tiguan doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the GV80 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Tiguan only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the GV80 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Tiguan doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The GV80’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Tiguan offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Genesis GV80 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Tiguan SEL.

The GV80 ADVANCED/PRESTIGE has standard front air conditioned seats and the GV80 3.5T PRESTIGE also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Tiguan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

Compared to the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Genesis GV80 eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its standard integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

The GV80 SELECT/ADVANCED/PRESTIGE has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Tiguan doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The GV80 Advanced/Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Tiguan SEL R-Line’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Genesis GV80, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GV80 third among upper midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Tiguan isn’t in the top three.

The GV80 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2021. The Tiguan has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.