Introduced in 2007 as the youngest crossover in Volkswagen’s lineup, the Tiguan quickly became a bestseller in the Russian market. We have always loved “popular” German cars, add here the emerging fashion for compact crossovers, and here’s a hit. In the second generation, the Tiguan changed its platform to MQB (almost the entire VAG family is built on it) and … grew in size.
I have a model that is current for 2021 on the test, also in the R-Line version. What is this beast (a wolf in sheep’s clothing?) And what is the Tiguan today, I will tell you. By the way, in Europe there is a Tiguan R, the main thing is not to confuse it with the R-Line, they have a lot in common externally, but that one already has 320 horses.
Specifications
- Engine: in-line internal combustion engine, 4 cylinders, 2 liters, turbo, 95th gasoline.
- Power: 220 hp sec., 350 Nm.
- Seven-speed DSG with sport mode.
- Four-wheel drive 4Motion.
- Average fuel consumption during the test drive is 9.6 liters per 100 km.
- I drove 775 km.
Interior and comfort inside
Hello, our bright sensory future
Inconvenient. Yes, this time I’ll start with negative notes, since the older version has sensory everything in our market. Curl your fingers: the main multimedia screen, some of the buttons on the steering wheel and the climate system. Yes, you can live with it … but the right word, why are you with us like that?
Okay, let’s start from afar. But keep in mind that this bundle is almost twice as expensive as the base one. Here, materials in finishing are pleasant to the touch and a very thoughtful organization of the space. All these pockets in the doors (lined with soft material), a niche for a smartphone (with wireless charging and signal amplification!), A spacious glove compartment and a small compartment to the left of the steering wheel. Two Type-C (illuminated) connectors and a cigarette lighter socket in the front, and one Type-C with another cigarette lighter outlet in the back. Front seats with a rich set of adjustment and memory for three people! Heated for four seats. And at the back there is also its own climate (not sensory, by the way) and a folding armrest in the center.
Why am I doing this? Here, all the rich experience of the entire VAG group of companies has been used in terms of convenience and thoughtfulness. Finding fault with anything is extremely difficult.
But here we come back to the “know-how” – touch interfaces. On the way, you will have to be distracted by the climate, shifting your gaze. By the way, even the lowest configuration has a sensory climate.
The main multimedia is a huge screen, a thoughtful and fast interface. There is also customizing of the displayed information, and a very rich assortment of settings for the car itself. Yes, Android Auto and CarPlay are available. This system is very convenient to use, but there is one thing here too … it does not have a single physical button. Most of all, this is annoying in terms of volume control. Moreover, there is gesture control. I wondered why? and continued to point his finger at the huge screen.
The same question applies to the steering wheel touch panels. Here, however, everything is more interesting. They have physical returns. Yes, imagine, there is a vibration motor under each of the two panels. The right panel, responsible for controlling the instrument screen, is fully touch-sensitive. There is a slight physical squeeze, but you can just drag your finger around the block. On the left is the cruise control, and here, fortunately, you need to click on the panel for it. Thanks! It would not be desirable to accidentally change the speed of the “cruise”. But sometimes it was possible to accidentally change tracks and volume.
At the same time, the steering wheel itself has a very comfortable grip and upholstery. Sports look. This is, however, an option, as well as the manual shift buttons. Behind the wheel, the headlights / turn signals and wiper control levers familiar to Skoda / Volkswagen. Here’s an interesting balance.
In general, it looks more like “we can do, we did, and you live with it.” And there is no particular choice. We live.
Grumbled and will be. The Tiguan is also packed with helpers. The main thing in the matter of comfort is adaptive cruise control. And if during the Passat summer test I had questions for him (he liked to pull, especially in traffic), then everything works clearly and confidently. The steering wheel also vibrates if you try to leave the lane without a turn signal. Although, I suspect, the domestic driver will quickly turn off this function, which is annoying for his driving style (and it will turn on again the next time the car is ignited). There is also control of blind spots, and cameras with parking sensors around the perimeter. Full ammunition load of modern technologies.
More praise! It goes to a great digital tidy. There are cool graphics, several modes of information output (you can remove the arrows altogether) and also setting up the displayed information. Thoughtful and convenient.
At the end, my favorite heading: “Look, what a huge hatch!”. Yes, it is here, and it is really huge. Especially for such a small car in general. Like.
What is the bottom line about life inside? Thoughtful, comfortable, strict, but tasteful. All this, coupled with an abundance of touch controls, to which you will definitely have to get used to. With all this, the DSG lever is healthy, and next to it, lo and behold, there are several physical buttons and a dial for changing driving modes.
Let’s hit the road
This Tiguan loves to be naughty
“To blame” this 220 horses under the hood and a turbine. There is an “Eco” mode here, in which it is very calm until you start pressing the gas to the floor. At the same time, even in “Eco” it is felt that with its relatively low weight of 1.8 tons with a little, this power is enough for it.
In practice, it turned out that the eco-mode is good on the highway, and allows you to bring the consumption to 8.6 liters per hundred. In the city it can seem a little leisurely, and if you prefer to be on the wave with the flow, then your choice is the “Normal” mode.
The steering wheel of the Tiguan has a variable ratio, so the steering changes as you pick up speed. And we must pay tribute to the Volkswagen engineers, it was made soundly. This, in general, can be said about the operating mode of the local electric booster. In sport mode, the steering wheel becomes heavier, this is the traditional way of realizing “sporty sensations”. Overall, the Tiguan feels very agile, nimble, and fun to drive. And this is definitely a plus.
All-wheel drive adds confidence and stability. There is no way to interfere with his work, but he adds tenacity on the road. Where is four-wheel drive, there is a desire to move off the asphalt, right? But here is an important point – the very R-Line package has very low front and rear bumpers, which, of course, severely restricts cross-country ability (and parking on curbs). But let’s be honest, you are unlikely to buy such a complete set and climb to knead the dirt, so I won’t even count it as a minus. But there are no special problems with primers for a trip to the countryside, even after rain. If you do everything wisely.
Under any driving conditions, the situation outside the window will be heard in the cabin. Yes, there is no super-noise isolation, there is no feeling of complete isolation from the outside world. But I would not call it a big disadvantage, you stay in touch with the outside world and control the situation. But you won’t have to raise your voice, even at speed. The suspension is very elastic, and I won’t call it very comfortable, the information necessary for assessing the road gets into the salon. But here it is worth noting that the suspension matches the sportiness of the car.
If you turn on the sport mode, then the sound of the turbo four will also get into the cabin. And even if this is not the most delicious sound … but let’s already rejoice at this, otherwise soon there will only be a hum of an electric motor. I would not say that the car is radically transformed when changing modes, yes, “Sport” will keep the revs higher, and the gearbox in S mode will bring revs up to the red zone. But again, even in the quietest mode, this is a very, very playful car.
Review
Tiguan keeps its brand
Today, 14 years after its appearance on the world market, a lot has changed. Crossovers have flooded the lineup of all automakers and have dramatically changed the face of urban traffic. The Tiguan remains a very solid and practical car in 2021. Yes, the charged version of 220 horsepower is not so much about sports, more about vigorous driving. He can be calm and docile, or he can twitch and accelerate well. For a nearly two-ton family car, of course. And most importantly, all this gives very pleasant emotions.
If we evaluate this particular option, in the R-Line package, then it lacks the banal practicality in the matter of parking due to the very different heights of curbs in our cities, there is a great chance of catching. Although its power will definitely appeal to the domestic driver, we like it faster. And it is in this configuration that the VW Tiguan stands out in the stream and as a whole becomes noticeable. Its simpler versions are a little lost behind more eye-catching, visually, competitors from the east.
But with all this, the Tiguan is a very comfortable car. This also applies to equipment, and thoughtfulness in detail and simply in pleasant options in the form of a panoramic roof, climate control and a roomy trunk. And even how soundly assembled it is.
It’s also nice that our market offers a good selection of both motors and gearbox options for a car. In general, there is plenty to choose from, how to save money in the question, and vice versa, put all the checkmarks in the configurator. But only the R-Line will give you very pleasant dynamics and the opportunity to overtake the Koreans and Chinese, they simply do not have small sports crossovers.
Pros:
- comfortable salon with everything you need;
- equipping with driver assistance systems;
- vigorous motor in the top-end configuration;
- customization of settings and dashboard;
- the practicality of the model as a whole.
Minuses:
- too much touch control;
- in eco-mode, I would like to have less fuel consumption on the highway.
May not like:
- insulation and suspension;
- low body kit front and rear;
- consumption and brisk driving.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
