Volkswagen Tiguan Tested March 2008

Rating Quick Summary Recommended. Subtle, but stylish, the Tiguan offers quality and refinement in a competitive package... and it's not bad off-road either.

Full Road Test

The Tiguan is essentially a baby version of VW's Touareg SUV. Its name doesn't mean anything; it's simply a combination of the words "tiger" and "iguana", the German for iguana being "Leguan". Thankfully, the rest of the car is less silly (what is it with VW and names: first Sharan, now Tiguan?) It's not exactly pretty, but does have a handsome masculinity, much of its styling coming from its big brother, while its chassis is derived from the Golf. All Tiguan models are fitted with VW's 4MOTION four-wheel drive system, and if you're more likely to spend time off-road, the 'Escape' model has been developed with that in mind. Here VW has increased the car's angle of approach to allow better ground clearance. It is available only with the 2.0-litre TDI engine - either manual or auto - and gets hill descent control on top of the S-level trim. On the road the Tiguan (whether Escape of standard model) is impeccably refined. It doesn't feel heavy and, thanks to pleasantly weighted and precise steering, coupled with the all-wheel drive system, makes for a nimble and enjoyable drive. There's not as much body roll as you might expect either. The Tiguan currently comes with two power outputs, the 1.4 TSI petrol with 150bhp and the 2.0 TDI with 140bhp, but two more powerful versions of the same engines are expected to follow shortly boasting around 170bhp.

It's a practical car, with plenty of head and elbow room, so tall adults will find it comfortable in the rear. The boot isn't a bad size either - 395 litres - and with the seats down capacity is increased to an impressive 1510 litres. There are also five load-lashing points and a 12 volt socket in there. The dash has been taken straight from a Golf Plus, with a few touches of silver and soft-touch materials in places which give it a fresh, more upmarket feel. An optional multimedia system incorporates sat nav, audio and rear parking camera, which helps the driver to see anything behind the car which is lower than the rear window, such as small children and traffic cones. Also available for an extra £450 is the astonishing Park Assist, which scans the side of the road for available spaces. Once it has recognised a space it will tell you how far to drive on before it can steer into the space for you. The driver the simply controls the speed, as the car takes over the steering, to produce a perfect parking manoeuvre. The touch-screen system isn't difficult to navigate your way round and everything feels like it's where it should be on the dash too.

Entry level prices are comparable to the Ford Kuga and Toyota RAV-4, all of which cluster around the £20,000 mark. The similarly-sized Freelander would be a lot more expensive when adjusted for specification differences - VW reckons the Tiguan is around £5,000 cheaper when similarly equipped. This competitive pricing makes the Tiguan even more appealing. It's not a Freelander - there is still a certain prestige attached to owning a Land Rover - but for less money we don't think you get any less of a car.

Breakdown Styling The Tiguan is essentially a smaller version of its big brother, the Touareg. It's not a pretty car, but muscular front wings and familiar VW front grille gives the Tiguan an aggressive, purposeful look. Handling It's nimble and feels light thanks to precise steering and its well-balanced chassis. It doesn't suffer much body roll either and is enjoyable and agile around country roads. Comfort The interior is comfortable and spacious, whilst solid build quality also means there's little wind noise in the cabin. However, although it rides well, on larger alloys the ride could prove a little bumpy on typically potholed British roads. Quality + reliability Volkswagens have excellent build quality and the Tiguan is no different. The interior has been finished to a very high standard, and it should run for many years with very few reliability issues. Performance Most surprising is the 1.4 TSI engines, which, with sophisticated supercharging and turbo charging, can pull the Tiguan along at an improbable rate (0-62mph takes 9.3 seconds). However, the 2.0-litre TDI provides a smoother power delivery and has excellent low-down torque, getting to 62mph in 10.5 seconds. For this type of vehicle, the diesel choice still makes more sense. More performance should come with new 170bhp and possible 200bhp versions available from late 2008. Roominess There's more than enough room for five, and a pretty decent boot to go with it. Taller adults will appreciate the excellent head and leg room, and there are plenty of on-board storage and cubby holes for bits and pieces. Running costs Fuel consumption is not spectacular; the 2.0 TDI will manage an average 39.2mpg, whilst the 1.4 TSI has a combined figure of 33.6mpg. CO2 figures of 189 and 199g/km respectively put the Tiguan in VED band F, meaning a whopping road tax bill of £210 per year. However, it's a VW so residual values should be excellent. Value for money There' a decent equipment list on the entry level S-trim which includes technology such as automatic hazard light activation, air con, CD MP3 player, electronic parking brake and multifunction computer. Compared to others in this segment, the Tiguan is priced competitively. Stereo / Sat nav The standard stereo and CD player is competent, while the optional RNS 510 touch-screen navigation/radio system is excellent. Sound quality is superb and the system has simple controls and is easy to navigate but it does cost extra.

Need to know Replacement Date: 2015 We like: 1) Nimble and enjoyable to drive 2) Spacious interior 3) Good value for money We don't like: 1) Ride is a little harsh 2) We're not wild about the whole soft-roader image 3) Silly name Best and worst: Most fun: 2.0-litre TDI Most sensible: 2.0-litre TDI Worst: 1.4-litre TSI