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Auto Express Car Reviews
Volkswagen Tiguan
New VW Tiguan ready for action
Official preview as all-new compact SUV heads for the hills to take on Freelander
By Ross Pinnock
13th June 2007
Look out Land Rover – Volkswagen’s Freelander rival is nearly ready! These revealing official pictures show the Golf-based Tiguan on test in the harsh, arid landscape of Namibia in southern Africa, as engineers prepare to sign off the exciting new 4x4. Auto Express can lift the lid with full details on the clever technology under the skin of VW’s first-ever compact SUV.
Although this pre-production car is wearing a light disguise, the photographs leave little to the imagination. Black tape obscures the wraparound-style headlamps and VW grille, but its squared-off wheelarches and chunky lines are clearly visible.
The true shape of the rear light clusters is also apparent, and while the disguise conceals the colours, it’s possible to see that the angular lamps will extend toward the centre of the tailgate. What you’ll also spot is the fact that the Tiguan will come with a choice of front ends – one for on-road users, and the other for buyers who need greater mud-plugging ability.
The latter design will allow the car to tackle steeper terrain without scraping the bodywork, as its approach angle is 10 degrees greater than that of the on-road version. To help avoid parking scrapes, customers will also be able to opt for VW’s Park Assist; a world first for an SUV, this automatically steers the Tiguan into spaces.
Inside, there’s a circular theme, with eight distinctive air vents dominating the facia. Four round instruments ahead of the driver, plus a trio of dials to control the ventilation system, complete the look. The smart two-tone dashboard comprises classy metal trim, and hi-tech standard equipment includes an advanced radio and sat-nav set-up.
Top-spec models feature a 16.5cm central display with touchscreen controls. This provides ultra-fast navigation and works as a GPS system when off-road, to help drivers retrace their route. It’s linked to a 30GB hard drive for storing sat-nav details, as well as digital music files, while the display shows images from the rear-facing camera for easy reversing, too.
Engineers have worked hard to give a hatchback-like driving experience, and the Tiguan looks set to compete with agile rivals such as the Freelander and BMW X3. VW’s 4MOTION permanent four-wheel-drive set-up, as well as a host of electronic aids, will provide plenty of traction in the rough stuff.
With the off-road mode selected, the standard hill descent control system is activated, while the differential locks, ABS, throttle settings and automatic gearbox are all tuned to optimise mud-plugging performance.
Power will come from a five-strong engine line-up, and while bosses have yet to confirm exact details of the UK range, petrol buyers are likely to be given a choice of three units: 148bhp and 168bhp versions of the clever turbo and supercharged 1.4-litre TSI, plus the Golf GTI’s 197bhp 2.0 turbo. Meanwhile, diesel customers will get the option of 138bhp or 168bhp TDIs.
After its world debut at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the Tiguan is set to reach UK dealers later this year. Expect prices to start below £20,000.
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| Although this pre-production car is wearing a light disguise, the photographs leave little to the imagination | |
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Although this pre-production car is wearing a light disguise, the photographs leave little to the imagination. Black tape obscures the wraparound-style headlamps and VW grille, but its squared-off wheelarches and chunky lines are clearly visible.
The true shape of the rear light clusters is also apparent, and while the disguise conceals the colours, it’s possible to see that the angular lamps will extend toward the centre of the tailgate. What you’ll also spot is the fact that the Tiguan will come with a choice of front ends – one for on-road users, and the other for buyers who need greater mud-plugging ability.
The latter design will allow the car to tackle steeper terrain without scraping the bodywork, as its approach angle is 10 degrees greater than that of the on-road version. To help avoid parking scrapes, customers will also be able to opt for VW’s Park Assist; a world first for an SUV, this automatically steers the Tiguan into spaces.
Inside, there’s a circular theme, with eight distinctive air vents dominating the facia. Four round instruments ahead of the driver, plus a trio of dials to control the ventilation system, complete the look. The smart two-tone dashboard comprises classy metal trim, and hi-tech standard equipment includes an advanced radio and sat-nav set-up.
Top-spec models feature a 16.5cm central display with touchscreen controls. This provides ultra-fast navigation and works as a GPS system when off-road, to help drivers retrace their route. It’s linked to a 30GB hard drive for storing sat-nav details, as well as digital music files, while the display shows images from the rear-facing camera for easy reversing, too.
Engineers have worked hard to give a hatchback-like driving experience, and the Tiguan looks set to compete with agile rivals such as the Freelander and BMW X3. VW’s 4MOTION permanent four-wheel-drive set-up, as well as a host of electronic aids, will provide plenty of traction in the rough stuff.
With the off-road mode selected, the standard hill descent control system is activated, while the differential locks, ABS, throttle settings and automatic gearbox are all tuned to optimise mud-plugging performance.
Power will come from a five-strong engine line-up, and while bosses have yet to confirm exact details of the UK range, petrol buyers are likely to be given a choice of three units: 148bhp and 168bhp versions of the clever turbo and supercharged 1.4-litre TSI, plus the Golf GTI’s 197bhp 2.0 turbo. Meanwhile, diesel customers will get the option of 138bhp or 168bhp TDIs.
After its world debut at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the Tiguan is set to reach UK dealers later this year. Expect prices to start below £20,000.
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