New Tiguan is a great all-rounder
29/02/08 20:20 Filed in: Road
Test
When Volkswagen set out to build their new
off-roader, the Tiguan, their stated intention was to produce a
smaller version of the Touareg.
The newcomer certainly looks the part. Like its bigger sibling the lines are classy, perhaps even understated. Indeed, despite its newness, the Tiguan caused little stir on a week of commuting and a weekend at the tourist haunts in Perthshire.
My test car was the two litre diesel, which currently comes in 140PS form. A more powerful 170PS version will be available later this year. However, I found the current engine lively enough. It’s 0-62 acceleration of 10.5 sounds slower than the car feels and the usual diesel torque means is plenty of punch at overtaking speeds.
Inside the Tiguan is relatively spacious, comfortable and, in usual Volkswagen style, exudes an aura of build quality.
There are two versions to choose from – Sport, or Escape. The main difference is the front end treatment. Because the Tiguan has a fairly long front overhang, the spoiler could be in mortal danger if you indulged in serious off-roading. The Escape, therefore, has a shallower cut-away front with a skid plate, to allow more challenging angles of attack.
The test car had two gadgets that would be the envy of any L-driver. The first, fitted as standard, is an auto-hold that takes the terror out of hill starts. The second is the £450 option of Park Assist. This doesn't just beep at you, it actually parks the car!
My only previous experience with a similar system was on a top-of-the-range Lexus. The Tiguan trounces it for ease of use. You simply drive slowly past a line of parked cars and the system alerts you when it finds a space big enough. Then ¬– when you start reversing – it automatically steers the perfect reverse park!
All four passengers (and the dog) on the Perthshire jaunt agreed that the Tiguan offered good space and comfortable conditions. It’s a refined vehicle to drive, proving equally at home on city streets, dual carriageways or country roads.
I was most impressed with the Tiguan’s ability on the twisty mountain roads around Loch Tay. Where other off-roaders can have passengers feeling like they are on a stormy crossing of the Pentland Firth, the Tiguan stays remarkably flat. That, combined with responsive steering and good handling, makes this an ideal vehicle for these roads.
I was also pleasantly surprised by my overall consumption, at just a shade under 35 mpg. That’s an excellent figure for a 4x4 off road vehicle.
My test car had the excellent £1250 six-speed 'tiptronic' automatic gearbox. The Tiguan suits this transmission well, and it gives the option of an effective sports mode or manual changes.
So is this a really ‘soft roader’ with no ability to take to the heather tracks? Well, no. Like many other small off-roaders, it does lack a low-ratio gearbox or differential locks. But, one prod of the off-road button adjusts the throttle response, engages hill-descent assist and uses the brake sensors to stop the wheels spinning.
A few weeks ago I had the chance to drive the top-of-the-range V10 Touareg. Climbing into the Tiguan after that is a stern test. At £20,050 it is almost a third of the price of its bigger brother, but it stands up to comparison. Yes, Volkswagen have built their small Touareg!
My test car was the two litre diesel Tiguan which currently comes in only one form, putting out 140PS. But a more powerful 170PS version will be available later this year. I actually found the current engine lively enough. It’s 0-62 acceleration of 10.5 sounds slower than it feels and the usual diesel torque means that, at overtaking speeds, there is plenty of punch.
Inside it is spacious, comfortable and, in usual Volkswagen style, exudes an aura of good build quality. Initially I wished for a steering wheel that adjusted lower, but soon became used to the taller driving position.
There are two versions to choose from – Sport, or Escape. The main difference is the front end treatment. Because the Tiguan has a fairly long front overhang, the front spoiler and valance could be in mortal danger if you took to the really rough stuff. The road test Escape version has a shallower front with a skid plate style to allow sharper angles of attack.
The Tiguan has two gadgets that would be the envy of any L-driver. Fitted as standard is an auto-hold function, that takes the terror out of hill starts. More unusually, the test car had the £450 option of Park Assist. This doesn't just beep at you, it actually parks the car!
My only previous experience with this type of system was on a top-of-the-range Lexus. The Tiguan trounces it for ease of use. You simply drive slowly past a line of parked cars with Park Assist activated and the car will alert you when it finds a space big enough. Then ¬– when you start reversing – it automatically turns the steering to help you to execute the perfect reverse park! You just accept the compliments of your passengers.
All four passengers (and the dog) on the Perthshire jaunt agreed that the Tiguan offered good space and comfortable conditions. It’s a very refined vehicle to drive, proving equally at home on city streets, dual carriageways or country roads.
The diesel engine is quite quiet, only making its presence known at tickover or under low-speed acceleration. The ride, though taut, is generally good, with just a little crashing on speed bumps.
Its ability on the twisty mountain roads around Loch Tay was very impressive. Where other off-roaders can have passengers feeling like they are on a stormy crossing in the Pentland Firth, the Tiguan stays remarkably calm and flat. That, combined with responsive steering and confidence inspiring handling, makes this a good companion in such conditions.
My overall consumption, including commuting was just a shade under 35 mpg. That’s an excellent figure for a 4x4 off road vehicle. Any eco-warriers who look up their noses at this vehicle are most certainly misguided.
The test car had the excellent six-speed 'tiptronic' automatic gearbox, which adds £1250 to the basic on-the-road price. But it is a good choice. The car suits the auto box well, and you have the usual option of sports mode or manual changes.
So is this a really ‘soft roader’ with no ability to take to the heather tracks?
Well, no, it is quite competent there. Like many other small off-roaders in this class, it lacks a low-ratio gearbox or differential locks. But, the off-road button adjusts the throttle response, engages hill-descent assist and uses the brake sensors to stop the wheels spinning – Volkswagen say it mimics the effect of a differential lock.
A few weeks ago I had the chance to drive the mightily impressive top-of-the-range V10 Touareg. Climbing into the Tiguan after that is a stern test. At £20,050 it is almost a third of the price of its bigger brother, but it stands up to comparison.
Yes, Volkswagen have built their small Touareg!
The newcomer certainly looks the part. Like its bigger sibling the lines are classy, perhaps even understated. Indeed, despite its newness, the Tiguan caused little stir on a week of commuting and a weekend at the tourist haunts in Perthshire.
My test car was the two litre diesel, which currently comes in 140PS form. A more powerful 170PS version will be available later this year. However, I found the current engine lively enough. It’s 0-62 acceleration of 10.5 sounds slower than the car feels and the usual diesel torque means is plenty of punch at overtaking speeds.
Inside the Tiguan is relatively spacious, comfortable and, in usual Volkswagen style, exudes an aura of build quality.
There are two versions to choose from – Sport, or Escape. The main difference is the front end treatment. Because the Tiguan has a fairly long front overhang, the spoiler could be in mortal danger if you indulged in serious off-roading. The Escape, therefore, has a shallower cut-away front with a skid plate, to allow more challenging angles of attack.
The test car had two gadgets that would be the envy of any L-driver. The first, fitted as standard, is an auto-hold that takes the terror out of hill starts. The second is the £450 option of Park Assist. This doesn't just beep at you, it actually parks the car!
My only previous experience with a similar system was on a top-of-the-range Lexus. The Tiguan trounces it for ease of use. You simply drive slowly past a line of parked cars and the system alerts you when it finds a space big enough. Then ¬– when you start reversing – it automatically steers the perfect reverse park!
All four passengers (and the dog) on the Perthshire jaunt agreed that the Tiguan offered good space and comfortable conditions. It’s a refined vehicle to drive, proving equally at home on city streets, dual carriageways or country roads.
I was most impressed with the Tiguan’s ability on the twisty mountain roads around Loch Tay. Where other off-roaders can have passengers feeling like they are on a stormy crossing of the Pentland Firth, the Tiguan stays remarkably flat. That, combined with responsive steering and good handling, makes this an ideal vehicle for these roads.
I was also pleasantly surprised by my overall consumption, at just a shade under 35 mpg. That’s an excellent figure for a 4x4 off road vehicle.
My test car had the excellent £1250 six-speed 'tiptronic' automatic gearbox. The Tiguan suits this transmission well, and it gives the option of an effective sports mode or manual changes.
So is this a really ‘soft roader’ with no ability to take to the heather tracks? Well, no. Like many other small off-roaders, it does lack a low-ratio gearbox or differential locks. But, one prod of the off-road button adjusts the throttle response, engages hill-descent assist and uses the brake sensors to stop the wheels spinning.
A few weeks ago I had the chance to drive the top-of-the-range V10 Touareg. Climbing into the Tiguan after that is a stern test. At £20,050 it is almost a third of the price of its bigger brother, but it stands up to comparison. Yes, Volkswagen have built their small Touareg!
My test car was the two litre diesel Tiguan which currently comes in only one form, putting out 140PS. But a more powerful 170PS version will be available later this year. I actually found the current engine lively enough. It’s 0-62 acceleration of 10.5 sounds slower than it feels and the usual diesel torque means that, at overtaking speeds, there is plenty of punch.
Inside it is spacious, comfortable and, in usual Volkswagen style, exudes an aura of good build quality. Initially I wished for a steering wheel that adjusted lower, but soon became used to the taller driving position.
There are two versions to choose from – Sport, or Escape. The main difference is the front end treatment. Because the Tiguan has a fairly long front overhang, the front spoiler and valance could be in mortal danger if you took to the really rough stuff. The road test Escape version has a shallower front with a skid plate style to allow sharper angles of attack.
The Tiguan has two gadgets that would be the envy of any L-driver. Fitted as standard is an auto-hold function, that takes the terror out of hill starts. More unusually, the test car had the £450 option of Park Assist. This doesn't just beep at you, it actually parks the car!
My only previous experience with this type of system was on a top-of-the-range Lexus. The Tiguan trounces it for ease of use. You simply drive slowly past a line of parked cars with Park Assist activated and the car will alert you when it finds a space big enough. Then ¬– when you start reversing – it automatically turns the steering to help you to execute the perfect reverse park! You just accept the compliments of your passengers.
All four passengers (and the dog) on the Perthshire jaunt agreed that the Tiguan offered good space and comfortable conditions. It’s a very refined vehicle to drive, proving equally at home on city streets, dual carriageways or country roads.
The diesel engine is quite quiet, only making its presence known at tickover or under low-speed acceleration. The ride, though taut, is generally good, with just a little crashing on speed bumps.
Its ability on the twisty mountain roads around Loch Tay was very impressive. Where other off-roaders can have passengers feeling like they are on a stormy crossing in the Pentland Firth, the Tiguan stays remarkably calm and flat. That, combined with responsive steering and confidence inspiring handling, makes this a good companion in such conditions.
My overall consumption, including commuting was just a shade under 35 mpg. That’s an excellent figure for a 4x4 off road vehicle. Any eco-warriers who look up their noses at this vehicle are most certainly misguided.
The test car had the excellent six-speed 'tiptronic' automatic gearbox, which adds £1250 to the basic on-the-road price. But it is a good choice. The car suits the auto box well, and you have the usual option of sports mode or manual changes.
So is this a really ‘soft roader’ with no ability to take to the heather tracks?
Well, no, it is quite competent there. Like many other small off-roaders in this class, it lacks a low-ratio gearbox or differential locks. But, the off-road button adjusts the throttle response, engages hill-descent assist and uses the brake sensors to stop the wheels spinning – Volkswagen say it mimics the effect of a differential lock.
A few weeks ago I had the chance to drive the mightily impressive top-of-the-range V10 Touareg. Climbing into the Tiguan after that is a stern test. At £20,050 it is almost a third of the price of its bigger brother, but it stands up to comparison.
Yes, Volkswagen have built their small Touareg!
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