Volkswagen Tiguan Full review

You may remember the Volkswagen Touareg, or perhaps you may not. It was a handsome, well-built and seriously capable luxury SUV that was built on the same platform as the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, no less.

(Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0L TDI 4 Motion India spec)

The Volkswagen Tiguan is a compact crossover SUV produced by the German automaker Volkswagen. Introduced in 2007, it was the Volkswagen brand's second crossover SUV model after the Touareg. The first generation is based on the PQ46 platform, while the second generation, released in 2016, utilizes the Volkswagen Group MQB platform.[1]

The name Tiguan is a portmanteau of the German words Tiger ("tiger") and Leguan ("iguana") and won a naming contest by German car magazine publisher Auto Bild—from a field of names that also included Namib, Rockton, Samun and Nanuk.

As of the spring of 2020, six million units had been sold worldwide, with 910,926 units manufactured in 2019 alone. This makes the Tiguan the best-selling car overall in the Volkswagen Group. It is also the best selling SUV in Europe respectively.

So the Tiguan’s positioning is a little ambiguous, but VW cars’ appeal generally lies in their solid build quality, the latest technology and typically restrained German styling. The latter is immediately apparent. Save for the wheel arches, the Tiguan's exterior design is made up entirely of straight lines. Any added character simply comes from the use of thicker, more pronounced straight lines, like the deep shoulder crease that flows into the LED tail-lamps. The grille with the big VW logo at the front is standard VW fare, but at least the large LED headlamps do stand out a bit. And though the 18-inch alloys on this Highline trim look good, the Tiguan has more of a hunkered down crossover stance than that of a full-on SUV. It's a design that grows on you and its clean simplicity should allow it to age well, but it just doesn't have the flamboyance of the Hyundai nor is it as imposing as a Fortuner or an Endeavour, which unfortunately, will make a big difference in our image-conscious market.

INTERIORS:-

This is where VW’s other characteristic traits of solid build and high tech come into play, and boy, have they done a stellar job here. The dash design, like the exterior, is restrained as ever, but they have experimented a bit with more angles and shapes this time. What's a little disappointing is the all-black colour scheme for all but the roof lining (which is grey); a bit more colour, even if just for the plastic trim inserts, would have gone a long way. Mind you, the ambience improves drastically at night when the subtle LED ambient lighting comes on.

Fit and finish is just outstanding, with rich soft-touch plastics on the dash top, and near perfect panel fitment. Yes, many switches are carried over from other VW cars but they all work with a crisp Germanic feel. And then there’s the equipment list which, on the Highline at least, is properly vast and, yes, just about good enough to rival a proper luxury SUV. Automatic LED headlamps, automatic wipers, cruise control, an electric driver’s seat with memory settings, an electronic parking brake with hill hold, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera, three-zone automatic climate control, paddle shifters, push-button start, heated front seats, tyre pressure monitoring, a big touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto (navigation only comes via one of these systems though), an auto-opening-powered tailgate, two separate sets of driving modes for on and off-road, and a massive panoramic sunroof. Even on the safety front, there are six airbags, ABS, ESC and even a bonnet that rises up in a frontal crash to reduce the impact on a pedestrian, should you accidentally hit one. They really have gone to town.

(Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 2020 Germany)

(Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0L TSI Bluemotion Germany)

POWERTRAIN:-

There’s only one powertrain option - a 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine (INDIA SPEC) mated to a seven-speed DSG automatic and 4Motion all-wheel drive. And before you ask, these are VW’s new-generation powertrain components- the EA288 diesel motor (so you needn’t worry about emissions issues) and the DQ500 gearbox (so you needn’t worry about transmission issues). The engine will even decouple itself from the gearbox in Eco mode when you’re coasting to help reduce consumption. The latest-generation Haldex AWD system is permanently active, constantly shifting torque between the front and rear as the situation desires, reverting to FWD under minimal loads, like when cruising out on the highway respectively.

The motor is in a 143hp and 340Nm state of tune for India, which in practice, feels quite adequate for this 1.7-tonne SUV, although once again, at this price point, you simply expect more, or at least a more effortless driving experience. After a slight grumble at startup, the motor settles down to a decently quiet idle, and when you do hear it again at about 2,000 rpm, it's still impressively contained. In fact, it's so refined that you will notice quite a bit of wind noise around the wing mirrors, even at 80-100kph.

FACELIFT (2020-2021):-

The updated Tiguan was released on 30 June 2020, along with the introduction of Tiguan R and Tiguan eHybrid. The updated Tiguan features newly designed headlamps, radiator grille and broad bumper intakes as the hatchback, along with a new bonnet, new LED tail lights and a tweaked rear diffuser. A new multifunction 'digital' steering wheel is offered and a redesigned centre dashboard incorporates a new touchscreen display with VW’s latest MIB3 software. Also new is Volkswagen’s Travel Assist feature, which can take over the steering, braking and acceleration of the vehicle respectively.

TIGUAN R-LINE:-

For the first time, the Tiguan line-up also includes the performance-oriented R variant. Released alongside the facelifted model, the Tiguan R is powered by a new 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 that delivers 320 PS (235 kW; 316 hp) and 420 N-m (310 lb⋅ft), shared with the Arteon R and the Mk8 Golf R. The engine is mated to an all-wheel-drive system which has the ability to split torque between the axles and between the rear wheels. Other performance upgrades of the Tiguan R include lowered suspension, 21-inch wheels, upgraded brakes, and an available Akrapovic exhaust. A driving mode selector is included complete with a “Race” setting which can be prompted by a dedicated button on the steering wheel.

(VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN R-LINE 2.0L TURBOCHARGED POWERTRAIN DEUTSCHLAND)