|
By
EWAN KENNEDY
2 June 2008
Several months earlier than anticipated the Volkswagen Tiguan, the
German company’s first ever compact SUV, has reached the
Australian market. Though its only available in limited numbers,
and if you don’t want one with a turbo-diesel engine then
you’re out of luck for the time being.
The
managing director of Volkswagen Australia, Jutta Dierks, explained
that the advanced showing of the Tiguan at the 2008 Melbourne
International Motor Show created so much interest that she pushed
her head office for a faster introduction. Dierks is famed as a
tough negotiator and partly achieved her objective, though at this
time Australian buyers have limited choices in what’s available.
The
first shipment will be restricted to Tiguans with turbo-diesel
engines and come in only one body type. That body is one with
comparatively limited off-road ability, Volkswagen reasons that
most SUV buyers don’t want to go into harsh off-road conditions.
What they want is the practicality and convenience of a station
wagon. Though it has to be said that the outdoor image of a 4WD is
often in their minds as well. So, in one format the Tiguan comes
with a front end that’s almost sedan like in its appearance.
In
the other format the Tiguan is sold with a 4WD-style front end
that provides a considerably better approach angle. The
aforementioned suburban model has an approach angle of 18 degrees,
whereas the off-road’s has 28 degrees. If there's sufficient
buyer demand we may also see imports of the 28-degree Tiguan
coming to Australia as supplies from the factory free up.
Tiguan
features a further development of Volkswagen's 4Motion
all-wheel-drive system that works well on forest trails, slippery
boat ramps and the like. Paying an extra $290 gets you an off-road
package that changes the electronics of the 4Motion to give added
traction on softer and/or rougher surfaces. In particular, it
gives hill-descent and hill-ascent functions.
It
can seat five adults, thought it’s best that the three in the
back are on the slim side. The back seat can slide longitudinally
by up to 160 mm to let you juggle the passenger/cargo compromise.
Its backrest also tilts to several angles to improve comfort
and/or increase luggage space. The front passenger seat folds flat
to let you carry extra long items
Our
initial on-road tests showed the Tiguan to be refined and quiet on
smooth surfaces and to cope in a better than average manner with
rough surfaces like coarse-chip bitumen. It’s handling isn’t
as good as that of a low-slung car, but it holds the road well and
will remain safe and neutral at speeds considerably higher than
those likely to be attempted by the average owner.
Off-road
it remains stable and competent and, again, is likely to give the
normal owners all they want in the way of the ability to explore
forest trails, beaches and other outdoor areas in this great land
of ours.
It
almost goes without saying that the Tiguan has the sort of solid
feel that has endeared Australians to the German marque for many
decades.
The
four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine produces 103 kW and 320 Nm, the
latter over a broad spread from 1750 to 2500 revs. It has enough
performance for normal use, though a heavy load may challenge it
in some hilly conditions.
The
new VW Tiguan will compete in one of the most successful of all
vehicle segments in Australia; that of the compact SUV. Where it
goes head to head with vehicles like Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson,
Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, Nissan X-Trail, Subaru Forester, and
others. Affordable European vehicles are a rarity in this class,
which should give Volkswagen a strong selling point. All the more
so since it’s competitively priced, ranging from $33,990 to
$42,990 (see the full list below).
Still
to come is the VW Tiguan with the option of one of two petrol
engines. Both have turbochargers but come in different states of
tune to produce either 125 kW or 147 kW. These should be in
Australia by the end of the year.
If
you are halfway interested in a Tiguan may we suggest you move
quickly. As we mentioned it’s coming in relatively limited
numbers at this stage and if you want to avoid getting onto the
wrong end of a long waiting list the time to consider the car is
right now.
The
complete Tiguan range, with prices (excluding on-road costs), is:
125TSI 2.0-litre petrol: $33,990 (manual), $36,290 (automatic)
103TDI 2.0-litre turbo-diesel: $35,990 (manual), $38,290
(automatic)
147TSI 2.0-litre petrol: $42,990 (automatic)
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
|
