8 February 2011
Considering the popularity of vehicles like Honda's CRV or Toyota Rav 4, its amazing Volkswagen haven't thrown their hat in the midsize SUV ring earlier.
Their first foray into this territory, the $53,990 Tiguan may bare a naff name drawn from a bizarre mish-mash of two Jungle creatures, (the Tiger and Iguana) but don't let that detract from the vehicle's good points, of which there are many.
Externally, the Tiguan offers all the prestige appeal of pricier European vehicles thanks to a contemporary take on Volkswagen's styling.
The rear end seems to take cues from the popular Golf, but the front offers a new direction that's likely to filter down to future products. It's hard to find an angle that the Tiguan doesn't look good from.
Dimensionally it occupies about the same space as its Japanese rivals, but inside feels much roomier and while our test vehicle was fitted with an optional panoramic glass roof ($2500), which gave the illusion of more space, five adults can still seat in absolute comfort. If extra rear leg or luggage room is required, the rear seat conveniently slides forward or aft or folds entirely flat to suit requirements.
Rear privacy glass, a luggage cover and under seat drawers keep prying eyes off valuables left in the luggage compartments. Kids who insist on eating on the run will (hopefully!) make good use of the rear tray tables in the front seat backs, rather than making a mess.
Our tester was equipped with was a $750 touch-screen RCD510 audio system, another optional extra, it improved both the interior's looks and practicality. Safety orientated buyers might prefer to option the $600 side airbags for rear passengers first, but the intuitive audio system is also money well spent.
We like the refreshing departure from the usual Volkswagen group dash layout; sure there are identifiable commonalities, the dual zone climate controls, window switchgear and the like.
But despite sharing underpinnings with the Golf the Tiguan's centre stack is all its own with attractive vents and tasteful upholstery treatments.
A party trick of the Tiguan is the standard Park-Scan system that, with the push of a button, sizes up available parallel parking spots and steers the Tiguan automatically into the space, the driver only needs to control throttle and brake.
There is only one specification available, with a list of option packs to personalise the vehicle to your needs. For those few who wish to venture off-road with some regularity a "Track and Field" pack ($2000) includes a sharper frontend for increased approach angle (28 degrees), underbelly skid plates and revised Stability Control and ABS protocols for off-road use.
The 2.0 litre turbo-diesel powerplant is well suited for both road and paddock with 103kW @ 4200 rpm and 320Nm of torque available from a mere 1750 rpm. It's fairly refined with minimal diesel clatter and performance is adequate for most family buyers, from standstill 100km/h arrives in 10.7 seconds. The six-speed tiptronic auto transmission feels slightly smoother in other Volkswagen applications, but is far from harsh in the Tiguan.
It also goes a long way to help the car achieve commendable fuel economy, Volkswagen claim an average consumption of 7.5 L/100km. Towing ability is also impressive with a maximum 2200kg (braked) capacity.
On the road the Tiguan's handling is well-sorted and steadfast; the robbing of the Passat and Golf's parts bin is obvious here.
Aside from numbness to the steering, thanks to its electromechanical configuration, it's a fine drive. On twisty sections you're aware of the vehicle's mass, but it's still quite manageable even if driven briskly. While good all-round visibility makes life easier in traffic.
Safety features are plentiful with standard Electronic Stability Program (ESP), rain sensing wipers, 6 airbags, a flat tyre indicator, ISOFIX child restraints and an alarm system. It may be their first mid-size SUV offering but VW's technology and experience really shows and the Tiguan goes straight to the top of the class.