Tiguan is Volkswagen’s first compact SUV. It was introduced to the Australian market in May this year, and has been the subject of a long waiting list almost since day one. It seems the Australians’ love of VWs due to the German marque’s reputation for making rugged long-lasting machines sparked an instant liking for Tiguan.

But not just for its quality and so on, because Tiguan is just the right sort of vehicle for many people. It’s neither too big nor too small, has the ease of entry and egress that makes it ideal as a family wagon. It comes with a versatile interior, a good boot and plenty of stowage areas for all those little bits and pieces that seem so necessary in a car these days.

This Volkswagen SUV is a competent people mover, which let’s face it, is what most of its type are used for almost all of the time. It seat five adults, provided the three in the back are on the slim side, four with plenty of comfort.

The back seat can slide back and forward by up to 160 mm to let you juggle the passenger/cargo compromise. Its backrest also tilts to several angles to improve passenger comfort and/or increase luggage space. A real bonus is that the front passenger seat folds flat to let you carry extra long items in security and out of the weather.

The first shipment of Tiguans to Australia came only with turbo-diesel engines so our week’s road test was of that economical powerplant. The four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine produces 103 kW and 320 Nm, the latter over a handy range from 1750 to 2500 revs. It has enough performance for normal use, but a heavy load may challenge it in some hilly conditions. Try it for yourself during that test drive if you are live in an area where hillclimbing is the norm.

Petrol variants of Tiguan are due within a few weeks and those looking for the added refinement and improved throttle response these engines offer may be well advised to hold off then do their own comparison tests.

Volkswagen Tiguan's diesel-fuel consumption will be about seven to eight litres per hundred kilometres in country driving, and nine to ten litres per hundred in the suburbs.

At the moment there's a daft situation in Australian fuel pricing that makes diesel engines a poor choice. Because diesel is currently being retailed at around 25 to 35 per cent more than petrol. A figure that wipes out the typical 20 to 30 per cent lower fuel usage of diesel engines. And can’t justify the added cost of a diesel engine ($2000 in the case of the Tiguan).

How long this inexplicable pricing is going to last is a mystery. In today’s unprecedented economic times it could be tomorrow – or perhaps the year after next…

And far be it for me to speculate that oil companies may be manipulating diesel prices to suit their long term plans…

The Tiguan has an advanced version of Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. It works well on beaches, forest trails, slippery boat ramps and so on. Paying an extra $290 gets you an off-road package with more sophisticated electronics in the 4Motion system. This gives added traction on softer and/or rougher surfaces. It also adds hill-descent and hill-ascent functions to make the terrors of very steep hills almost a thing of the past.

Tiguan comes to Australia with a front end that’s almost sedan like in its appearance. In some other countries it’s sold with a 4WD-style front end that provides a considerably better approach angle of 28 degrees, compared with the 18 degrees of the suburban model. We may also see imports of the 28-degree Tiguan further down the track.

The Tiguan is refined and quiet on smooth surfaces and copes quite well with rough surfaces like coarse-chip bitumen. It’s handling isn’t as good as that of a car and there's a slight vagueness in the steering compared with, say, a VW Golf. But for its class it feels quite acceptable. It holds the road well and remains safe and neutral at speeds that are considerably higher than those likely to be attempted by a sensible driver.

Off-road it remains stable and competent and, again, is likely to give the normal owners all they want in the way of the ability to explore forest trails, beaches and other outdoor areas in this great land of ours.

Having just spent a week in a Volkswagen Tiguan it comes as no surprise that the local importer is struggling to keep up with demand. It’s a nice size, easy to drive, offers plenty of practicality and is pretty well priced for an imported German car.

AT A GLANCE

MODEL RANGE

Tiguan 103 TDI 2.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon: $35,990 (manual), $38,290 (automatic)

Tiguan 125 TSI 2.0-litre turbo-petrol five-door wagon: $33,990 (manual), $36,290 (automatic)

Tiguan 147 TSI 2.0-litre turbo-petrol five-door wagon: $42,990 (automatic)

FEATURES

ABS Brakes: Standard in all models

Air Conditioning: Standard in all models

Automatic Transmission: Standard in 147 TSI, $2300 option in 103 TDI and 125 TSI

CD Player: Standard in all models

Cruise Control: Standard in all models

Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models

Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models

Stability Control: Standard in all models

Traction Control: Standard in all models

SPECIFICATIONS (Volkswagen Tiguan 103 TDI 2.0-litre turbo-diesel five-door wagon)

ENGINE:

Capacity: 1.968 litres

Configuration: Transverse, four cylinders in line

Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder

Compression Ratio: 16.5:1

Bore/Stroke: 81.0 mm x 95.5 mm

Maximum Power: 103 kW @ 4200 rpm

Maximum Torque: 320 Nm @ 1750-2500 rpm

DRIVELINE:

Driven Wheels: All-Wheel-Drive

Manual Transmission: Six-speed

Automatic Transmission: Six-speed

Final Drive Ratio: NA

DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:

Length: 4427 mm

Wheelbase: 2604 mm

Width: 1809 mm

Height: 1683 mm

Turning Circle: 12.0 metres

Kerb Mass: 1630 kg

Fuel Tank Capacity: 64 litres

Towing Ability: 750 kg (2000 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: 10.5 seconds

FUEL CONSUMPTION:

Type: Diesel

Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 7.4 L/100km

GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:

Greenhouse Rating: 6.5/10

Air Pollution Rating: 5/10

STANDARD WARRANTY:

Three years/100,000 km