2021 Volkswagen Tiguan Road Test Review – Premium German Grace
Volkswagen launched the Tiguan here in India in 2017. It has been their flagship SUV model since then. Later Volkswagen launched the Tiguan AllSpace and now the German car maker gets the latest version the New Tiguan into the country. We had earlier got you an exclusive brief preview of the latest SUV with our first impression walk around review and now its time to get behind the wheels for our road test review for you.
Food for Thought
Volkswagen introduced the Tiguan to the world at the LA Auto show in 2006 which became the 2nd crossover SUV model for the German brand after the Touareg. The first generation Tiguan was built on the PQ46 platform. The later generations use the Volkswagen family MQB platform. Interestingly the name Tiguan means Tiger and Leguan which was won at a naming contest by German car magazine Auto Bild. The Tiguan is the bestselling car model from the entire VW group. For our market this will be the first Tiguan that will be built here in India via the CKD route at the Volkswagen Aurangabad facility, the earlier ones were CBU units.
Exteriors
In terms of exteriors the New Taigun comes with the typical VW SUV styling. Upfront you get the three slat chrome grille along with glossy black, a large new age VW logo, new design front bumper with a very prominent faux skid plate finished in silver and glossy black ‘C’ shaped inserts adding to the style element. The restyled front bumper comes with a wide air-dam and a chrome strip that runs across the width of the Tiguan’s face making it look smart and bigger. All New flushed Headlights come with sharp design twin boomerang LED DRL’s in them. One of the biggest change on the New Tiguan are the IQ Intelligent headlamps that have drive modes in them altering the throw and pattern of light as per the drive need. As per Volkswagen these intelligent lights provide enhanced illumination across varying weather and terrain conditions. This light system is made up of 24 individual LEDs that come powered by an advanced front lighting system that assures better visibility at all times.
The bonnet comes with muscular character lines that define it in typical SUV fashion. The side profile on the New Tiguan comes with typical Volkswagen styling with flat sharp character lines doing their duty very nicely. The wheel arches get fiber inserts along with the lower section of the doors completing the brute SUV look. You also get a chrome strip infused between the fender and door area and thick chrome band across the fiber inserts on the doors. The Tiguan drives on 18 inched Hankook tyres mounted on silver multi-spoke Frankfurt design alloys. The roof comes with an all glass electric sun roof along with roof rails. The glass area on the sides get premium looking chrome bordering that looks extra neat especially on the darker body colored Tiguan.
The rear profile retains the trademark Tiguan styled tail lamps but now come with a more sharper and striking all LED glow in them. Like the head lamps the tail lights also come with the IQ feature. The all electric boot lid houses a large rear windshield and the large spoiler. The rear bumper also is redesigned and gets metal inserts and stop reflectors in it. The tail light cluster has a ‘Clic-Clack’ safety function for the LEDs when hard or panic braking which warns drivers behind.
Interiors
The Tiguan has always been known for its spacious cabin area and its rich German comfort that it offers. In its latest avatar the Tiguan gets an all black interior theme with rich looking leather upholstery. The dashboard is made of premium feeling soft rubbery material with faux carbon fiber insert strip  running on the crash pad area giving that sporty yet premium look.
The biggest highlight on the New Tiguan is the all customizable LCD Instrument cluster which is a 10 inch screen that reads out all the tell tale readings in clear and crisp fashion. The 2nd highlight is the 7 inches touch screen AVN system with gesture control that comes loaded with all the compatibility features on it which include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, radio, etc. On the cabin feature list you get a 30 color ambient lighting, 3-zone climate control, 2 USB C ports in the front and one at the back. The Tiguan comes with electric adjust for the driver seat with excellent comfort and just the right padding. The overall visibility from the drivers seat is very good too. The steering is a flat bottom leather wrapped three spoke unit with tiny paddle shifters and MFD control buttons neatly laid out on it. You get manual adjust for height and reach on the steering while the feel is rich and premium thanks to the leather wrapping.
Coming to the centre console the Tiguan houses here the DSG automatic shifter that finished in glossy black with a touch of metal and leather on it. You get the drive mode selector dial, auto hold, parktronic and electro mechanical hand brake button laid out here. The typical Volkswagen adjustable arm rest along with storage space under it is also carried forward, we just love the comfort and support our elbows get on them.
At rear the seats come with three adjustable head rests along with back rest angle adjust and slide feature to name a few. You also get a large foldable arm rest here. Rear passengers get AC vents with temperature setting along with UCB C charge ports and a 12V power socket. Seating comfort is excellent with loads of leg, knee and head room on offer. The passenger seated in the middle has to do with the transmission hump that intrudes into the cabin but due to the large space seating is very comfortable. Â The passenger front seat also folds down fully flat where you can stretch you feet lounge class if you are being chauffeured around and seating at the rear.
Everything feels very premium in here with excellent quality and feel. Loads of space being a key hallmark on the cabin of the New Tiguan. The SUV also boasts a boot capacity of 615 litres which can be further extended by automatically folding down the rear seats if needed. You also get the Volkswagen Connect app for live tracking, geo-fencing and to monitor driver behavior too on the package.
Engine – Transmission – Drive
Powering the New Tiguan is the 2.0L TSI engine which is paired with a seven-speed DSG dual clutch automatic transmission with 4MOTION (AWD) technology. This engine puts out 190 Ps and offers 320 Nm of max torque. As per Volkswagen the Tiguan has an ARAI-certified fuel economy figure that stands at 12.65 kmpl. Well this is the same TSI petrol engine that also powers the Skoda, Volkswagen Audi lineup of cars currently. There is no diesel engine option as of now on all Volkswagen, Skoda and Audi cars.
On the move this engine is extremely refined and peppy, with the SUV surging ahead at a small input of the throttle. The steering is well weighted with good amount of feedback which gets heavier with the speed building up. Volkswagen cars are known for their drive pleasure and the premium feel and the Tiguan does carry all these family traits in style. The drive quality is excellent with the SUV gliding over bad roads, speed breakers and pot holes brilliantly without a hiss. The SUV, actually, comes into its element around the 2,000 RPM mark and put into Sport mode – there are four drive modes, the Tiguan puts on a speed mask of sorts that helps it pull forward like an imaginary sweeping road line. And for a slight dose of extra engagement, there are paddle shifters too along with tip-tronic shifting if you may need.
As far as shifting is concerned the 7-speed DSG does its job seamlessly with lighting quick shifts which cant be even felt. Different drive modes alter the gear shifts and throttle response changing the way the Tiguan behaves. The Tiguan feels planted at high speeds in sheer German style and driving it around busy traffic roads is also child’s play due to its light steering at low speeds. All in all the New Tiguan offers easily the best in class ride quality and overall drive pleasure.
Safety
The SUV gets Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL), EDTC – Engine Drag Torque Control, Hill Start Assist, Hill descent Control, Auto Hold, 3 head-rest at rear, 3-point seat belts, ISOFIX x2 and driver alert system. Also on the list is an advanced reverse camera which provides the driver with four different angles when parking and not forgetting the unique Clic-Clac feature during panic braking.
Volkswagen Tiguan Competition
The Make in India Volkswagen Tiguan competes against the likes of the Hyundai Tucson and the Citroen C5 AirCross in its segment. Skoda will also re-launch the Kodiaq that shares a lot of its underpinnings with the Tiguan soon in this segment.
Verdict
The Tiguan was never for the masses, this is an SUV that is preferred by someone who knows exactly what he desires. It is a perfect option to go for if you need a smart, safe, trendy looking SUV with German looks and build quality that will bring a smile to your face every time you get behind the wheels. The Tiguan is available in only the fully loaded Elegance trim priced at Rs. 31.99 Lakh ex showroom. Would we recommend it to you? Yes Yes Yes we surely would.
Words – Ritesh Madhok
Photography, Video & Edits – Govind Gadekar
