The enjoyable All-New Volkswagen Tiguan

In Car Reviews, Volkswagen by Tom Scanlan

The top-seller in the Volkswagen SUV ranges, the All-New Tiguan, released on sale in June, is the 150PS, 2-litre diesel with the manual gearbox in SE Navigation trim – and I am not surprised.

 
Tom Scanlan enjoys a week in the Tiguan SE Navigation 2.0 TDI SCR 2WD 150 PS 6spd manual
 
What’s not to like about this car? Well, very little. Journalists sharing brand-new test cars, without yet knowing the price like to play a little game: ‘How much is it?’

After a while in this Tiguan, I took a guess at £30k-plus…and, honest, that was spot-on. The test car, with about £2500 of options, was priced at £30,535. Well, that is a fair and competitive price. Although the Tiguan is basically a work horse, it was notably pleasant to drive and easy to live with.

A couple of things were a touch troublesome at first. One was the satellite navigation system. The first place that I needed to go to was the Ford Motor Company Technical Centre out in Essex. Well, I just could not enter the post-code…no way; was it a brand-new code? I don’t think so — or did Volkswagen simply not want me to go there? Were powerful forces at work in Wolfsburg?

Anyway, the other little thing was that, to get the rear seats to fold forward you have to access levers in the boot. Otherwise, I found everything first-class.

Driving this Tiguan was a pleasure. The 150PS diesel provided brisk performance especially if you use the slick six-speed gearbox. In fact, the standstill to 62 figure is less than ten seconds and the usual typical diesel torque is really handy for that surge needed for overtaking.

The handling is precise enough with a good feel through the speed-sensitive steering wheel. The car is comfortable to ride in over all type of surfaces. Of course there’s not much a car can do over the worst of road-tops, but the Tiguan copes as well as can be achieved without compromising other aspects of handling.

Of course, the view out is pretty good from the quite high driving position. All but the very tallest or very shortest of drivers will be able to find their practice driving position. Compared with the previous versions, the current Tiguan had more space for passengers, including more than an inch of extra headroom, and loads. And hearty congratulations to Volkswagen – there is a proper, full-size spare wheel ready for action under the boot floor.

This car was fitted with Trailer Assist with Park Assist. I did not try this out with the Tiguan, but I have with a Passat. It’s brilliant, so clever, and, although it will cost owners who tow caravans, horse-boxes and so on £800, it is highly-recommended. Also available, for £715 is an electric-release and swivelling tow bar with all rear lighting and reversing light connections.

Volkswagen claims that, in its class, it sets the standard when it comes to offering high-tech features such as Front Assist and City Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Monitoring along with Automatic Post-collision Braking and Lane Assist. That last device can sometimes be a bit of a beeping nuisances (literally!) for example on narrow roads with white lines that you inevitably sometimes touch or cross, but the beauty of it is that you can switch it off.

Keeping you on track is the Discover Navigation system that has an 8-inch colour touchscreen. Nice to use once you understand it. You get three route options when you enter an address: fast, short and Eco. It’s always ‘fast’ for me, thanks.

If you are desperate to keep in touch with the world outside the car, you will need to check which smartphones are compatible with the car’s technology.

The Tiguan appears to be a well-made, quality vehicle that will take a lot of beating in this increasingly popular sector.


Please note: Images are of All-New Volkswagen Tiguan SEL with off-road pack

Car reviewed: Volkswagen Tiguan SE Navigation 2.0 TDI SCR 2WD 150 PS 6spd manual – On the road £28,035, price as tested £30,535 0-62mph 9.3 secs Top speed 127mph Fuel Economy combined 58.9mpg CO2 emissions 125g/km Engine 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo diesel Max Power 150PS@3500-400rpm Torque 340Nm@1750-3000rpm Transmission 6-speed manual


  • A very likeable SUV

  • Fairly well priced

  • Very well built

  • Not much to not like

About the author

Tom Scanlan

'Tom Scanlan has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, particularly the Reading Evening Post for ten years, having got into motoring journalism in 1973 via the somewhat unlikely back door of the British Forces Broadcasting Service. BFBS produced a weekly radio motoring show for the services overseas and Tom produced it, as well as interviewing experts and eventually reporting on cars. He is into classic cars and has owned Porsche, Ferrari, pre-war Alvis and Rileys and currently owns his fifth old Alfa Romeo, a 1984 GTV 2.0. In his spare time, Tom is a professional cricket coach.'

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