2016 Volkswagen Tiguan review, test drive
The Tiguan is a new SUV from VW, only its second ever in India, and it’s a model the company just has to get right.
Published on Apr 21, 2016 01:07:00 PM
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What’s it like to drive?
As with most larger VW models, the mainstay of the Tiguan will be the 2.0-litre TDI engine, which is available in Europe in 150hp, 190hp and twin-turbo 240hp guises, with the former two likely to make it to India. There are also some petrol engine options, and both motors are available in various configurations with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG dual-clutch auto, front-wheel drive or ‘4Motion’ all-wheel drive.
The driving experience will be very familiar if you’ve driven one of the newer VW Group cars with this same engine – especially the Skoda Octavia or Superb. It’s a little clattery at start-up, but then, it settles down into a smooth rhythm at low revs, only becoming audible again when you rev it past 3,000rpm. You have to hand it to the superb cabin insulation for this, because it also does a great job of keeping road and wind noise out, even at derestricted Autobahn speeds, as we got to experience here in Berlin. The 150hp motor feels more than strong enough for a car this big, and there’s only the slightest delay when you pull it hard from low revs; it gets into its stride really quickly. The seven-speed DSG gearbox is, as ever, brilliant – intuitive, quick and never letting you know it’s there. What’s even more impressive is the manual – the slick, light and smooth short-throw lever is a joy to use, and there’s a great feature wherein, if you stall the car, you just have to press the clutch, and the auto stop-start system turns it on again, so you can continue on with minimal embarrassment.
This is Germany, so in order to evaluate the ride quality, we had to literally take the Tiguan off the tarmac and onto a forest track, which was still a smoother surface than many of our Indian roads. The great news is that the suspension has a nice pliancy to it, just like the Jetta, and though this car feels light on its feet, when it comes to ironing out bumps, it feels just as solid as the rest of them. It’s a pretty tidy handler too, again, feeling like just a taller version of the Jetta, and though the steering is a little light, even in Sport mode, it’s got enough heft and accuracy to make quick lane changes at three-digit highway speeds with full confidence. VW did also take us on an obstacle course to demonstrate the Tiguan’s off-roading ability using the special off-road version which has a smaller chin for better approach angles; VW is still debating which of the two versions to bring to India. It’s actually incredibly capable, with the Haldex-based AWD system sailing us over obstacles you’d think you’d need a low-range gearbox for.
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