Volkswagen Tiguan 2017 Review

Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI R-Line
Local launch
Southern Highlands, NSW

Volkswagen Australia predicts 58 per cent of buyers for its new Tiguan 162TSI Highline model will order the SUV with the $4000 R-Line package and the Driver's Assistance Package for a further $2000.

Throw in a $2000 sunroof as well and the Tiguan 162TSI is priced at $56,490, which sounds quite a lot for a non-prestige SUV. But as Volkswagen explains, that's over $5000 less than the entry-level BMW X3, which is outgunned by the comparably equipped flagship Tiguan for performance and matched for warranty.

Of the 162TSI variants available for the local launch, only two were standard cars; the others were all specified with the R-Line pack. That means most of us only drove the Tiguan with exterior and interior cosmetic enhancements, 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive chassis control and Progressive Steering.

Driving the higher-output Tiguan is the same EA888 engine that's under the bonnet of the Golf GTI. Even the power and torque figures are the same, although the 2.0-litre four-cylinder drives through a seven-speed DSG (dual-clutch transmission) in the Tiguan application, not the six-speed unit of the hot hatch. It's the extra ratio in the transmission and the Tiguan's all-wheel drive setup that allows the SUV to level-peg the Golf up to 100km/h, says Volkswagen.

In the Tiguan the engine is extremely refined, and in fact the car tested was very quiet overall, very low levels of tyre noise on coarse-chip bitumen being the only thing heard in the cabin at 100km/h.

The powerplant was willing to rev hard or slog away at lower revs without labouring. It stopped and restarted automatically with almost unbelievable subtlety.

And the engine was reasonably frugal too, given its performance potential. According to the trip computer, the Tiguan posted a figure of 9.8L/100km on a spirited drive between Sydney and Bulli. Open-road driving saw the figure fall well below 9.0L/100km.

While the Tiguan will hold higher gears for the sake of fuel economy, the seven-speed DSG didn't resist kicking down when the driver demanded, even if that meant the engine revving into the upper reaches of the operating range. And sequential shifting using the shift paddles provided fast response to manual input. There was no hint of cantankerous behaviour from the dual-clutch transmission either.

The Tiguan in this specification is not just about straight-line performance and drivetrain competence – although that is a major element in the recipe. It's a vehicle that is enjoyable to drive on a winding section of road and also safe when pressing on in a way that's not usually consonant with family-wagon motoring. The Tiguan was easy to punt, on both bitumen and unsealed surfaces.

While the ride was firm (and even firmer with the Adaptive Chassis Control set to Sport), it still shrugged off harder hits with ease. Sport mode is arguably for drivers who demand Golf GTI characteristics for their Tiguan, but I can't recommend it as the default choice in daily driving.

Turn-in was prompt and the Tiguan handled neatly; there was no significant understeer, and nor was lift-off oversteer easily induced. I did find the steering too light at lower speeds, but after a period to acclimatise, the weight felt fine.

Inside, the R-Line model presents a stylish design throughout the cabin, and Volkswagen's version of Audi's Virtual Cockpit was as pleasing to use and as informative as the sister brand's. All the instruments were easy enough to read, although the 'logarithmic' scale of increments, particularly above 60km/h, made the speedo hard to read correctly at a glance. No doubt owners will quickly grow used to it.

The traffic sign recognition in the Tiguan's sat-nav system was occasionally fooled by advisory speed limit signs, on occasion posting a '45' or '35' rather than the '60', '80' or '100' speed limit zones that actually applied. On one occasion we noted that the system readjusted swiftly after the car was past the road sign in question.

The driving position was not quite ideal, placing me too close to the pedals or at arm's length from the wheel. And although the seats were well shaped, the cushion in the base was firm and I felt slightly uncomfortable after an hour or so on the freeway back to the airport.

Accommodation in the rear is fine for adults. The rear seat slides forward and back, and folds down for extended load capacity. Although the seats fold down flush with the boot floor, they're not quite flat. Finger pulls either side of the boot flips the seats forward, or you can use the cords at the base of the seats if you're at the side doors rather than the tailgate.

At 615 litres, the large boot addresses the previous Tiguan's one glaring flaw. But under the boot floor is a space-saver spare. It's a fair call for the Tiguan 162TSI, particularly in R-Line trim with its standard 20-inch wheels. There's not too much chance a Tiguan equipped to this level will do much in the way of off-roading. Then again, the sports-oriented R-Line model will be limited to very pedestrian driving with the space-saver fitted.

While the Tiguan is undeniably a stronger package than the first-generation model, and performance is at the very least a match for the 155TSI flagship of the earlier Tiguan, this new car isn't the ground-breaking newcomer that endeared the older model.

But if the previous Tiguan was a hard act to follow, the new model has at least done more than a quick scene change and script rewrite.

2017 Volkswagen Tiguan 162TSI R-Line pricing and specifications:
Price: $54,490 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 162kW/350Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 8.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 186g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

Also consider:
>> Ford Escape Titanium (from $44,990 plus ORCs)
>> BMW X3 xDrive 20i (from $62,200 plus ORCs)
>> Volvo XC60 T5 R-Design (from $63,990 plus ORCs)

Related reading:
>> Volkswagen Tiguan 2016 Review
>> Volkswagen Tiguan 2016: Video Review
>> Volkswagen Tiguan v Hyundai Tucson 2016 Comparison