In the yesteryears, Volkswagen tried its luck with the SUV – Touareg in India, but it did not gain any traction. After years of absence from the segment, Volkswagen is back in the SUV segment with the Ti
guan. The Tiguan was one of the most awaited SUVs in India since VW showcased the car at the 2016 Auto Expo. But is it really worth it? We have spent some time with the Tiguan and here’s all you want to know about Volkswagen’s latest.
Looks
The Tiguan does not look huge. It is quite compact and measures only 4.48 metres. However, the vehicle has a towering road presence due to the impeccable styling. The Tiguan comes with LED DRLs and full-LED headlamps giving it a unique and expensive look. The LED lights are standard across the range. The tail lamps also get LEDs and have a signature design that makes the Tiguan exclusive and very recognizable on the road.
The Tiguan gets plastic cladding all around the body to give it a rugged feeling. The lower-end variants get 17-inch diamond cut alloy wheels while the higher-end variants get 18-inchers. Volkswagen has used a decent amount of chrome, and it does not look overused.
The car gets a very elegant styling like all the Volkswagen cars. It is not very loud and subtle. It will be the choice of the classier people rather than mass segment crowd.
Interiors
The Tiguan gets the stereotypic Volkswagen design. There is an 8-inch touch-sensitive infotainment system that gets Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink. The car does not get inbuilt navigation; you will have to use your phone to know the directions. It gets the dual zone climate control system at front and a third temperature controlled area for the rear passengers.
The flat bottom steering wheel is right to hold and gets audio controls; cruise controls buttons. The car also gets paddle shifters. The instrument cluster is analogue with Multi Function Display in between the dials. The all-black interiors look good, and the car also gets white ambient lighting with a panoramic sunroof. The interiors feel quite plush, and it is well loaded.
Tiguan is quite spacious and gets smart features like a foldable tray for the rear passengers, but space feels low when you compare it with the other SUVs in the same price segment.
Engine and drive
The Tiguan only comes with 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine that generates a maximum power of 141 Bhp and peak torque of 340 Nm. The engine comes mated to a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox that can be controlled by the paddle shifters. As per ARAI, the Tiguan returns a maximum fuel efficiency of 17.06 km/l.
The Tiguan feels like it has adequate power and is quick. The DSG gearbox is flawless and comes with driving modes like sports, eco and normal. It feels very planted at high speeds, and suspensions are tuned for comfort rather than driveability so cornering at high speed can be concerning. The Tiguan comes with a standard 4WD option, but the 149mm ground clearance is not enough to take the vehicle to some serious rough patches.
Should you buy one?
The Tiguan starts at a price of Rs. 27.98 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi. Yes, at that price, other options like Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour look more tempting, but Tiguan has a premium feel to it which other cars cannot offer. The Tiguan competes against the likes of Mercedes-Benz GLA and BMW X1 rather than the Endeavour and Fortuner. If you’re in the market looking for a 5-seater soft-road car that looks unique, this is the one to go for!
