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01/02/2012
REVIEW By ALISTAIR KENNEDY
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On sale in Australia since late 2008, Tiguan was Volkswagen’s first entry into the booming compact SUV market.
As with its numerous competitors Tiguan caters for those who want the convenience and practicality do a 4WD, but without the off-road capability and subsequent additional cost.
The latest Tiguan, released here in October 2011, further expanded its appeal by adding a two-wheel drive alternative to the all-wheel drive models. Apart from bringing the purchase price under $30,000 for the first time, the new entry level Tiguan 118TSI combines a 1.4-litre Twincharger petrol engine with Volkswagen’s new BlueMotion technology to combine performance and fuel economy for further.
The Twincharger is a clever combination of supercharging and turbocharging that’s well suited to small capacity engines. The supercharger provides near-instant power at start-up before seamlessly switching over to the turbocharger at higher revs.
The other engine options, as before, are a pair of 2.0-litre turbo-petrol units and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel. The 103TDI diesel is unchanged (103 kW and 320 Nm) but the two petrol engines have been tweaked to give them the combination of increased power and the low fuel consumption that we’ve grown to expect nowadays. The outgoing Tiguan 125TSI (125 kW) becomes the 132TSI (132 kW) while the higher-pressure 155TSI Tiguan replaces the previous TSI147.
Externally 2012 Tiguan has been given a new frontal appearance to bring it into line with the latest Volkswagen horizontal theme that is now a feature on all late-model VWs from the Polo through to the Amarok utility. As well as changes to the front, the new Tiguan has revised taillights that also have a horizontal look.
Interiors feature new seat trim and a redesigned steering wheel. There’s plenty of leg and headroom in both front and rear seats.
Rear storage space is a reasonable 395 litres, expanding to 1510 litres with the rear seatbacks folded. Both the rear and front passenger seats in the 155TSI fold flat and we were able to transport a couple of 2.4-metre posts without any problem. The front seatback can act as a table when folded.
We were able to drive both the 118TSI and the 155TSI as part of our road test program. The 118TSI presently comes only with a six-speed manual gearbox – a DSG automatic transmission will be added sometime this year – while the 155TSI is only available with DSG.
While driving enthusiasts will clearly prefer the semi sporty performance from the 155TSI most buyers will be more than satisfied with the economy model.
Handling is surprisingly good for a tallish vehicle and it can be pushed through corners at reasonable speeds without much body roll.
Noise and vibration reduction is very good on smooth to moderate roads, although not so good on the typical Australian coarse-chip surfaces.
For those looking to take their Tiguan off-road the AWD models now come with a very useful approach angle of 28 degrees. In line with its more suburban role the front-wheel drive 118TSI is limited to just 18 degrees. So check which model you’re driving before venturing into the bush.
Standard features in all Tiguan models include six airbags, ABS brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, auto-hold parking brake, electronic stability and traction control, cruise control, roof rails, rear fog lamps, alloy wheels (17-inch on the 155TSI, 16-inch on the other models with optional 18-inch), auxiliary and USB audio inputs, Bluetooth telephone and audio streaming, media devise interface (MDI) and leather covered steering wheel and gear lever.
The flagship 155TSI adds chrome side mouldings, window trim and roof rails, front fog lamps, sports front seats with storage drawers, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, low tyre pressure indicator and driver fatigue detection system.
Having spent a fortnight in models at each end of the Volkswagen Tiguan range there’s enough variety to appeal to a variety of buyers and their budgets.
MODEL RANGE
118TSI Twincharger 1.4-litre petrol 2WD five-door wagon: $28,490 (manual)
103 TDI 2.0-litre turbo-diesel 4WD five-door wagon: $35,990 (manual), $38,490 (DSG)
132TSI 2.0-litre turbo-petrol 4WD five-door wagon: $33,490 (manual), $35,990 (DSG)
155 TSI 2.0-litre turbo-petrol 4WD five-door wagon: $42,990(DSG)
Note: These prices do not include dealer or government charges. Contact any Volkswagen dealership for driveaway prices.
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: DSG standard in 155TSI, optional in 103TDI and 135TSI, not offered in 118TSI
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Electronic Stability Program: Standard in all models
Rear Parking Sensors: Standard in 155TSI, optional in all other models
Reversing Camera: Not offered
USB/Auxiliary Audio Inputs: Standard in all models
Bluetooth: Standard in all models
Steering Wheel Mounted Controls: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Volkswagen Tiguan 118TSI Twincharger 1.4-litre petrol 2WD five-door wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.390 litres
Configuration: Transverse, four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.0:1
Bore/Stroke: 76.5 mm x 75.6 mm
Maximum Power: 118 kW @ 5800 rpm
Maximum Torque: 240 Nm @ 1500-4000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Six-speed
Automatic Transmission: Not offered
Final Drive Ratio: NA
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4427 mm
Wheelbase: 2605 mm
Width: 1809 mm
Height: 1686 mm
Turning Circle: 12.0 metres
Kerb Mass: 1493 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 64 litres
Towing Ability: 750 kg (1800 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: 8.9 seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Petrol 95RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 6.9 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 7/10
Air Pollution Rating: 7.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km |
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