Volkswagen Tiguan

The Perfect Executive SUV

If we’d have a rupee for every time someone confused the Tiguan with the Taigun, we’d have enough money to buy both! While Volkswagen could’ve named the only two SUVs it has on sale in India a little differently, the two SUVs are vastly different. And if you are looking for the Taigun — the compact SUV that rivals the likes of the Hyundai Creta and Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara — you’re on the wrong page!

Now that we have your attention on the Tiguan, here are some key facts. It is based on the same platform as the Skoda Superb and Kodiaq, and is powered by the same 2.0-litre engine. However, while India gets the Kodiaq in the 7-seater guise, the Tiguan is available as a 5-seater, and is also shorter than the Kodiaq. There also briefly existed a longer 7-seater version of the Tiguan in India called the Tiguan Allspace, but Volkswagen soon discontinued it owing to low demand, and re-launched the 5-seater version with the engine uprated to meet BS6 emission norms. So where does the Tiguan fit into the Indian market? And more importantly, should you have it on your shortlist?

Pros and Cons 

Volkswagen Tiguan Exterior Design 

With the odd Ameo aside, Volkswagen manufacture elegant and handsome cars, and the Tiguan is no different. With the facelift, the exterior now exudes an even more premium aesthetic, with classy LED lights, and sharp creases giving it a muscular look. The Tiguan bears almost no curves on the outside — except for the wheel arches — elevating its SUV appeal. And it doesn’t compromise on elegance, making it a treat for enthusiasts and executives. It’s a good contrast to what the Skoda Kodiaq offers, making the two versatile enough to target different buyers. There's an abundance of chrome too, making it appear exclusive, but what really catches the eye on the outside are the proportions of the Tiguan. The Tiguan doesn’t look bulky, nor does it look small. It’s not low-slung, neither is it absurdly tall. For someone who is content with not having a 7-seater, the Tiguan looks… well, perfect.

Volkswagen Tiguan Interiors

Similar to all VWs, the Tiguan gets high-quality interiors with not much to fault. The new steering wheel looks premium, and the 10-inch customisable digital instrument cluster adds to the beauty of the cabin. There’s ambient lighting as well, with a choice of 30 colours, and that, coupled with well-crafted seats and a panoramic sunroof, makes the cabin feel premium and upmarket. Adding to this are an abundance of soft-touch materials, which justify the car’s cost. However, while the exterior looks ageless, the dashboard design on the Tiguan will sooner or later start to show its age. The facelift has brought it up to today’s standards, but it still doesn’t look as attractive as the interiors on the Virtus and Taigun. The AC controls are now also touch sensitive, but while they look cool they are not as intuitive to use and will require you to take your eyes off the road to operate. These small niggles aside, the Tiguan’s interiors come across as well-built and elegant, and they also get a significant dose of space, with the back row also getting plenty of legroom and headroom. The boot is a massive 615 litres making the Tiguan a very practical touring car for four people, and it can be accessed hands-free by just waving your leg under the rear overhang of the SUV.

Volkswagen Tiguan Comfort

For someone who’s seeking a comfortable SUV south of ₹40 lakhs, things can’t get much better than the Volkswagen Tiguan. The seats are very supportive and well-bolstered and will hold you in place even on twisty roads, making it an ideal car for a long road trip. The front seats also have a heating function, but seat ventilation is missing, which sticks out like a sore thumb at this price point. 

While the Tiguan’s suspension has a hint of firmness, it does a great job of soaking up bumps and potholes, leaving the cabin undisturbed. The 55-profile tyres on 18-inch wheels complement the sturdy suspension, allowing it to absorb undulations with confidence. This setup not only ensures passenger comfort but also contributes to the vehicle's dynamic handling, making the Tiguan a pleasure to drive both in urban settings and on open roads. The rear seats also get the option to recline as well as slide the bench fore and aft to liberate some more boot space, but while the adjustments add versatility, the seat contouring is designed to host two passengers, and a third passenger in the middle will be a squeeze. Not helping matters for the middle passenger are the high transmission tunnel and large centre console, which eat into the legroom. However, for four passengers on board, the comfort levels on the Tiguan are unparalleled. 

Volkswagen Tiguan Performance and Handling

Under the hood of the Tiguan is VW group’s familiar 2.0-litre TSI engine, which fits the SUV’s character perfectly. On every front, the Tiguan feels calm, sophisticated, and upmarket, and the engine exudes a similar feeling. While there’s plenty of performance on tap, the engine doesn’t like to be revved hard, and delivers a strong mid-range grunt which is what most owners will need. The engine is also very well refined, and all of the torque is available from as low as 1,500 RPM, making it very tractable. The engine is mated to VW’s lightning-fast 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox, and VW has also equipped the SUV with all-wheel drive, which helps in low traction situations like driving in wet or snow, or even mild off-roading. Thanks to the low- and mid-range grunt, fast shifts, and an AWD system, with the launch control armed (Yes! It gets launch control too!) the Tiguan can do a nought to 100 km/h sprint in just 8.5 seconds!

While the numbers say otherwise, the Tiguan isn’t trying to be a sporty SUV, and that comes across in the way it drives. Just the way its engine has the grunt for when you ask for it, throw the Tiguan in a corner and it will make you smile. There’s a significant expanse of grip on offer — thanks to the AWD system — and that paired with the precise steering will make sure the car is always pointed in the direction you want it to go. However, it is a much more rewarding experience if you dial it down a few notches and drive the Tiguan in a laid-back manner, whilst enjoying the view or listening to your favourite music.

Volkswagen Tiguan Key Specifications

Volkswagen Tiguan Safety Features

The Volkswagen Tiguan gets most of the safety bells and whistles that you’d expect from a car of this segment. Features like six airbags, ABS, ESC, hill descent control, and ISOFIX child seat mounts are standard, but there are some clever features too like an electronic differential lock, which helps in slippery conditions. The pre-facelift model of the Tiguan was tested by the Global NCAP and it scored 5-stars for both adult as well as child crash protection. The facelifted version should match the older car’s score, if not better it. Some level 1 ADAS features like park assist are also on offer, which makes the Tiguan more user-friendly. However, features like level 2 ADAS are missing, which rivals like the Hyundai Tucson offer. 

Volkswagen Tiguan Technology and Infotainment

With its latest update, the Tiguan finally gets some much-needed features which brings it up to speed with the rest of the cars in the segment. A 10-inch customisable digital instrument cluster elevates things in the cabin — especially for the driver — delivering a nice dose of modernity. The Tiguan also gets connected car tech, allowing you to control various features remotely. Interestingly though, given that the Tiguan is older than the Taigun and Virtus, it doesn’t get some features that the other two do. For example, while there’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the same isn’t wireless, and it runs on an 8-inch screen instead of the 10.1 inch units on the Virtus/Taigun. The 8-inch screen does, however, get clever gesture control feature which makes it easy to operate, but the same can’t be said about the AC controls, which have now moved to a touch-sensitive panel. 

Is the Volkswagen Tiguan for you?

The Volkswagen Tiguan has perfectly carved out its target audience, and it is very easy for you to gauge if you are one of them or not. Are you looking for a comfortable, practical, and spacious 5-seater with European styling on a budget of less than ₹40 lakhs? If yes, then the Volkswagen Tiguan will be perfect fit for you. Yes, it does miss out on some features that a vehicle of its price tag should offer, but there’s not much else to fault about the Tiguan. It gets a very enjoyable 2.0-litre engine that has plenty of low- and mid-range grunt, and a poised suspension that can deal with broken roads and twisties with equal grace. And the design — both inside and out — makes it hard to remove the Tiguan from your shortlist.

However, while the Tiguan is a great all-round machine, its sibling — the Skoda Kodiaq — offers most of the same along with two additional seats and a larger cabin, for a small premium. The Tiguan’s appeal over its sibling then mainly revolves around its perfect proportions and relatively compact dimensions which will make it easier to live with in urban environments, and if you never wish to use the option of the two additional seats, the Tiguan would be the pick of the segment for you.