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By
EWAN KENNEDY
1 December 2008
Tiguan is Volkswagen’s first compact SUV. It was introduced to
the Australian market in May this year, and has been the subject
of a long waiting list almost since day one. It seems the
Australians’ love of VWs due to the German marque’s reputation
for making rugged long-lasting machines sparked an instant liking
for Tiguan.
But not just for its quality and so on,
because Tiguan is just the right sort of vehicle for many people.
It’s neither too big nor too small, has the ease of entry and
egress that makes it ideal as a family wagon. It comes with a
versatile interior, a good boot and plenty of stowage areas for
all those little bits and pieces that seem so necessary in a car
these days.
This Volkswagen SUV is a competent
people mover, which let’s face it, is what most of its type are
used for almost all of the time. It seat five adults, provided the
three in the back are on the slim side, four with plenty of
comfort.
The back seat can slide back and forward
by up to 160 mm to let you juggle the passenger/cargo compromise.
Its backrest also tilts to several angles to improve passenger
comfort and/or increase luggage space. A real bonus is that the
front passenger seat folds flat to let you carry extra long items
in security and out of the weather.
The first shipment of Tiguans to
Australia came only with turbo-diesel engines so our week’s road
test was of that economical powerplant. The four-cylinder
turbo-diesel engine produces 103 kW and 320 Nm, the latter over a
handy range from 1750 to 2500 revs. It has enough performance for
normal use, but a heavy load may challenge it in some hilly
conditions. Try it for yourself during that test drive if you are
live in an area where hillclimbing is the norm.
Petrol variants of Tiguan are due within
a few weeks and those looking for the added refinement and
improved throttle response these engines offer may be well advised
to hold off then do their own comparison tests.
Volkswagen Tiguan's diesel-fuel
consumption will be about seven to eight litres per hundred
kilometres in country driving, and nine to ten litres per hundred
in the suburbs.
At the moment there's a daft situation
in Australian fuel pricing that makes diesel engines a poor
choice. Because diesel is currently being retailed at around 25 to
35 per cent more than petrol. A figure that wipes out the typical
20 to 30 per cent lower fuel usage of diesel engines. And can’t
justify the added cost of a diesel engine ($2000 in the case of
the Tiguan).
How long this inexplicable pricing is
going to last is a mystery. In today’s unprecedented economic
times it could be tomorrow – or perhaps the year after next…
And far be it for me to speculate that
oil companies may be manipulating diesel prices to suit their long
term plans…
The Tiguan has an advanced version of
Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. It works well on
beaches, forest trails, slippery boat ramps and so on. Paying an
extra $290 gets you an off-road package with more sophisticated
electronics in the 4Motion system. This gives added traction on
softer and/or rougher surfaces. It also adds hill-descent and
hill-ascent functions to make the terrors of very steep hills
almost a thing of the past.
Tiguan comes to Australia with a front
end that’s almost sedan like in its appearance. In some other
countries it’s sold with a 4WD-style front end that provides a
considerably better approach angle of 28 degrees, compared with
the 18 degrees of the suburban model. We may also see imports of
the 28-degree Tiguan further down the track.
The Tiguan is refined and quiet on
smooth surfaces and copes quite well with rough surfaces like
coarse-chip bitumen. It’s handling isn’t as good as that of a
car and there's a slight vagueness in the steering compared with,
say, a VW Golf. But for its class it feels quite acceptable. It
holds the road well and remains safe and neutral at speeds that
are considerably higher than those likely to be attempted by a
sensible driver.
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.
Having just spent a week in a Volkswagen
Tiguan it comes as no surprise that the local importer is
struggling to keep up with demand. It’s a nice size, easy to
drive, offers plenty of practicality and is pretty well priced for
an imported German car.
AT
A GLANCE
MODEL
RANGE
Tiguan 103 TDI 2.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon: $35,990
(manual), $38,290 (automatic)
Tiguan 125 TSI 2.0-litre turbo-petrol five-door wagon: $33,990
(manual), $36,290 (automatic)
Tiguan 147 TSI 2.0-litre turbo-petrol five-door wagon: $42,990
(automatic)
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in 147 TSI, $2300 option in 103
TDI and 125 TSI
CD Player: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Stability Control: Standard in all models
Traction Control: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS
(Volkswagen Tiguan 103 TDI 2.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.968 litres
Configuration: Transverse, four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 16.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 81.0 mm x 95.5 mm
Maximum Power: 103 kW @ 4200 rpm
Maximum Torque: 320 Nm @ 1750-2500 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: All-Wheel-Drive
Manual Transmission: Six-speed
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: NA
DIMENSIONS,
WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4427 mm
Wheelbase: 2604 mm
Width: 1809 mm
Height: 1683 mm
Turning Circle: 12.0 metres
Kerb Mass: 1630 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 64 litres
Towing Ability: 750 kg (2000 kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION
AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, lower wishbone,
anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent, four-link, coil springs, anti-roll
bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 10.5 seconds
FUEL
CONSUMPTION:
Type: Diesel
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 7.4 L/100km
GREEN
VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 6.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 5/10
STANDARD
WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km
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Marque Publishing Company
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