Test drive Volkswagen Tiguan
Volkswagen came up with five names and readers voted for the Tiguan. What you imagine as a combination of two such different animals, of course, is up to you.
The market for such vehicles is growing rapidly; Tiguan is already the fourth similar car presented this year. Volkswagen is convinced that even though the competition is young and strong, their main trump card will be successful.
Tried and tested methods were used in Wolfsburg – the Tiguan was developed based on technology we already know. The platform, that is, the technical basis, is a combination of Golf and Passat, which means that the interior, axles, and engines come from here. If you're sitting in the front seats, it's easy to tell: the dashboard is the same as in the Golf Plus. Except that it has (for an additional fee) the latest version of the audio navigation system. Even otherwise, the interior is very homey, from the shape to the materials, and since the body is a Tiguan van, the interior, along with (or especially) the boot (well), adapts accordingly.
However, even this car is no different from others in conquering buyers, as it will first of all try to convince with its appearance. We can say that this is a small Touareg or just a well-drawn off-road version of the Golf (Plus). It is interesting to choose two different bodies; It looks like just two different front bumpers, but this entails other features.
In addition to a differently styled hood and various side protection strips, the Tiguan 28-degree also features an additional steel transmission reinforcement and an Off Road button with which the driver adapts all electronics for off-road driving. Such a Tiguan can also legally (and not only to factory specifications) tow trailers weighing up to 2 tons in some countries. The basic version is a 5-degree, with the front bumper lowered closer to the ground and is designed primarily for driving on paved roads.
Theoretically, the engines are also known. Two (tables) will be available at the start of the sale, with three more to join later. Gasoline engines belong to the TSI family, that is, with direct injection and forced filling. The base is a 1-litre and also has a supercharger that is always on when the Off Road program is on (best off-road torque!), while the other two are two-litres. New turbodiesels of the same volume, which no longer have pump-injector refueling, but they are equipped with the latest generation of common lines (pressure 4 bar, piezo injectors, eight holes in the nozzle).
However, regardless of the engine, the Tiguan always has a six-speed gearbox; Those who pay extra for the automatic (petrol 170 and 200 and diesel 140) and for the Off Road package, the combination will also give him transmission control (rollover prevention) when the off-road program is turned on. The 4Motion quasi-permanent all-wheel drive is also known, but improved (the latest generation of the center differential - Haldex couplings).
Tiguan offers three sets of equipment tied to the front bumper: the 18-degree is available as Trend & Fun and Sport & Style, and the 28-degree as Track & Field. For each of them, Volkswagen traditionally offers a wide range of additional equipment. These include a parking assist system (almost automatic side parking), a smartly folded and easily folded towbar, a rearview camera, a two-piece panoramic roof, and the aforementioned Off Road package.
In the first few kilometers, the Tiguan was very convincing, easy to drive, with no unwanted body lean, good handling (steering wheel) and only a little bit of TSI engine jerk at very low steady speeds in slow motion. He also studied very well in the field courses specially prepared for him. We didn’t feel particularly strong associations with a tiger or an iguana, but this does not spoil the first impression: Tiguan is a neat, technically good and useful soft SUV. Now it's the clients' turn.
Vinko Kernc
Photo: Vinko Kernc
