Volkswagen Tiguan 103TDI 2012 Review

Volkswagen Tiguan 103TDI: Mid-sized SUV Test

Its effective all-wheel drive system worked in tandem with the finely-tuned stability and traction control systems to maintain constant grip in slippery conditions. But limited suspension travel and a 195mm ride height meant more care was required when navigating deeper potholes and wheel-swallowing ruts on our off-road loop. This is in contracts to the ability of the bush-ready Nissan X-TRAIL.

On paper, the Tiguan’s (103kW/320Nm) 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine looks underdone, but the slick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch transmission does an excellent job of keeping the engine in its sweet spot.

The engine proved refined and quiet, even at higher revs, where its eager responsiveness, allied to the car's cosseting driving position, communicative steering, and responsive braking, all added to a distinctly sporty feel.

During our emergency stop test the 1630kg SUV pulled up smartly and with minimal antilock brake interaction.

For that money you get a refined, efficient powertrain, excellent on-road dynamics and close to class-leading features and comfort.

The Tiguan’s standard equipment list has most bases covered, including Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming, an eight-speaker audio system, cruise control, touchscreen centre console display and auto up/down on all windows. Four 12V power outlets (including one in the centre console compartment alongside a handy USB port) add to the vehicle’s practicality and user-friendliness.

Our test vehicle came fitted with some pricey options though, including metallic paint ($700), Adaptive Chassis Control ($1650), Comfort Package ($1000), satellite navigation ($3000) and fog lamps ($400), bumping it up into $45K-plus territory.

Inside, subtle chrome and alloy highlights help provide some relief to what is a fairly dark and sombre cabin. Despite this, most judges found the interior less inviting than the more sporty and youthful-looking Kia Sportage.

Fit and finish was hard to fault, however, with acres of soft-touch materials, high-quality cloth seats and an enticingly smooth leather steering wheel. There were no rattles or electrical gremlins, either, even after pounding over some very bumpy dirt roads. This was in contrast to the Skoda Yeti which developed a dash rattle and the Holden Captiva’s malfunctioning electric window.

The VW’s standard high-beam illumination was found wanting when driving tight bush tracks at night, something the $2100 Bi-Xenon headlight option may have fixed.

Well-cushioned, sculpted front seats and good all-round visibility were other highlights, although the VW’s side mirrors were on the small side. Clear, crisp instrumentation with minimal buttons and switches set out on an uncluttered, well laid-out dash made Tiguan an ergonomic front-runner.

Rear seating was less accommodating, though, with decent leg, foot and headroom offset by restricted shoulder room. The lack of width effectively makes the Tiguan a four-seater.

Boot space was among the tightest here, at 395 litres, but there’s scope to free up extra luggage space with 60:40 split-fold rear seats that slide forward (or fold flat), while rear seat backs also adjust for rake angle.

Performance proved up to the task for the most part, although an 80km/h overtaking manoeuvre on a gentle incline did tax the free-revving diesel’s reserves.

With an official fuel figure of 6.2L/100km, the VW Tiguan was one of the most frugal tested, although real-world figures (taken from the trip computer) averaged around 10.4L/100km.

Like every other vehicle tested, with the exception of the Kia Sportage, the Tiguan came equipped with a speed-limited space saver tyre.

The touchscreen media display dominating the centre stack was one of the easiest and most intuitive to operate; our main ergonomic gripe being the awkward location of the cruise control switches on a stalk behind the multi-function steering wheel.

While hard to criticise when on the move, the quick-shifting dual-clutch transmission was often jerky when setting off from standstill, particularly when combined with the idle stop-start system and hill-start assist modes; although both can be switched off.

Sports modes for both the transmission and optional Adaptive Chassis Control suspension added to the Tiguan’s ‘hot hatch’ feel, although we’d save our money on the latter as the difference between ‘sports’, ‘normal’ and ‘comfort’ modes seemed negligible.

Full marks to the electronic nannies, however, with Tiguan’s stability control system expertly calibrated to allow a healthy degree of slip before smoothly intervening to bring the vehicle back under control.

Price: $38,490 ($45,240 as tested)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel