But in recent weeks the price of diesel fuel has become outrageous when compared with petrol. While petrol can be bought in most areas for significantly under a dollar a litre, diesel is still sitting around the $1.30 mark. Making petrol, for the time being at least, a more economical fuel, even taking into account the fact that you burn more of it to cover the same distance.

When launched here in May 2008, the VW Tiguan was sold only with a diesel engine. Now, fortuitous timing has seen the option of the petrol Volkswagen Tiguan introduced at just the right time.

The new 2.0-litre petrol engine is imported in two stages of tune. Either with 125 kW or 147 kW. The latter, having a neat 200 horsepower is aimed at the sporty SUV market. Both engines have a hefty 280 Nm of torque with the lower-powered variant having that grunt all the way from 1700 to 4200 rpm. The 147 kW engine fattens that torque graph even more, the peak figure starting at the same 1700, but rising all the way to 5000 rpm. In both cases most drivers will have the benefit of top torque virtually all the time.

The 125 kW engine comes mated to a six-speed manual gearbox and is also offered with a six-speed tiptronic-type automatic transmission. The 147 kW unit only comes with the six-speed auto. The latter powertrain not what you might expect in a sporting model, but such are the vagaries of vehicle marketing.

Tiguan is a handy sized vehicle that can seat five adults, thought it’s better suited to two than three in the back. Three kids work fine and this makes an excellent family wagon for those wanting to adventure in the great Australian bush or beach. The back seat can slide longitudinally by up to 160 mm to let you juggle the passenger/cargo compromise. Its backrest also tilts to several angles to improve comfort and/or increase luggage space. The front passenger seat folds flat to let you carry extra long items

Tiguan is refined and quiet on smooth surfaces and can cope in a better than average manner with rough surfaces like Australian coarse-chip bitumen. Its handling isn’t as good as that of a low-slung car, but it holds the road well and is predictable in its feel and actions.

Adding to the advantage of owning a Volkswagen Tiguan is the standard fitment of ESP (Electronic Stability Program) to help the driver avoid a crash, and six protective airbags should things still go horribly wrong. It comes as no surprise that the Tiguan has a European NCAP rating of five stars for occupant protection.

The latest Volkswagen Tiguan 125 kW manual has a recommended retail price of $33,990. The automatic transmission adds $2300 to the bill. The 147 kilowatt variant carries a tag of $42,990.