An imposing, impressive brick outhouse of a car for its modest dimensions, the Volkswagen Tiguan was a car I'd looked forward to driving for some time.
It certainly looks the part, impeccably finished and beautifully put together, it certainly continues to reinforce Volkswagen's commitment to build quality.
Technically it has some cutting edge features that up until only a year or so ago were considered the utmost in refinement and specification. The latest Tiguan diesel power plant is quieter, has considerably more 'punch' and offers a level of performance that would have been reserved for what were classed only a decade ago as high performance vehicles.
One thing that particularly struck me about the Tiguan was the incredible versatility. It can be used as a very comfortable family car, a truly worthy load-lugger, an incredibly economical runaround, a nimble off-road explorer or an extremely long-legged grand tourer. It is an SUV with pretences to every class of car out there.
The interior is so well put together and oozes quality, with an air of refinement and a finish quite at home in much more expensive vehicles. The model I drove had the DVD touchscreen Navigation system, rear view camera, the absolutely fascinating 'Park Assist' and an SD card reader for MP3 music files. The music system was outstanding and surprisingly easy and intuitive in its use. Steering wheel controls added to the already excellent ergonomics and safety awareness.
Behind the WheelI have to say I was completely split on my opinions here. The Tiguan is undoubtedly a soundly-built, safe, powerful and versatile car. In many ways it really impressed me with its solidity and its effortless cruising at legal motorway speeds. But I had some real misgivings with what would otherwise be a truly great all-round car.
Firstly, there are features and accessories that are conspicuous by their absence. On a car as well appointed as the 4Motion SE there was no cruise control. When this feature is being increasingly fitted to relatively inexpensive vehicles nowadays, I would have thought that a car as at home cruising at seventy as any I've driven recently would benefit enormously from this simple accessory and would have really put the icing on the cake! However, the whole time I was on the motorway I would honestly say that if one thing would have brought this vehicle closer to perfection it would have been the inclusion of cruise control as standard on this variation of the Tiguan.
Another feature on the 4Motion is the 'Auto Hold' feature, which effectively applies the handbrake whenever the vehicle comes to a stop. Fine if you're in a traffic jam on an uphill stretch, but absolutely infuriating when you're in a traffic jam going downhill! Yes, it can be disabled, but then the next time you get into the vehicle it is on by default again. I have never come across a more irritating piece of gadgetry in the thirty-one years I have been driving. Anyone who is likely to 'need' the auto hold feature is unlikely to be using and driving the vehicle in a way it would be most justified. It takes away some of the positive control possibilities that a good old conventional handbrake has.
Let's not overlook the fact that the Tiguan is a tremendous and very capable car. It is outstandingly built and utilises some of the latest and greatest technology available to produce a solid and capable all-round car which will have something for everyone. However, I couldn't help at the end of the week drawing comparisons with its competitors. This is where I started to question the overall value-for-money issue when putting it alongside its Nissan, Hyundai and Kia colleagues, all of which are now similarly spec'd cars with superior warranties, comparable levels of comfort and performance, but with noticeably lower price tags.
Model driven
Tiguan SE 2.0 Litre TDI 4Motion 170 PS 6spd Manual
Basic OTR Price: £24,535
Optional Extras as fitted: £3,945
Total £28,480. |
The Volvo C30
