Volkswagen Tiguan 2014 Review
Smaller and older maybe, but the Tiguan still has a lot to offerVolkswagen Tiguan
PURPOSE
Something of a quiet achiever against the better sellers in this company, the Tiguan no less proved a strong contender, and scored well across our test criteria.
Where the Tiguan lost ground was on areas such as cargo capacity and passenger accommodation. It placed second only to the Mazda CX-5 and ranked equal second with the Hyundai IX35 and RAV4 in its aggregate score.
In-cabin ergonomics, vision and low NVH levels saw the Tiguan score amongst the best here. Overall packaging was of a high standard, however, the cargo space was limited at just 395 litres, the lowest of any on test.
Thankfully, the Tiguan redeemed itself with some thoughtful inclusions the others failed to offer. These include multiple ventilation outlets, even in the second row, and seatback trays for backseat passengers. One slight hiccup in ergonomic planning meant it was near impossible for an adult to use the trays without kneecapping themselves, but kids will love it.
FIT AND FINISH
A clear second place in this test category, the Tiguan was just a few points shy of stealing victory from the Mazda CX-5.
Volkswagen is synonymous with a quality fit and finish, and the Tiguan flew this flag proudly on our test.
The expected level of quality is evident throughout the entire cabin. High gloss plastics, chrome details, plush carpets and attention to detail mean the Volkswagen sat close to the CX-5, and significantly ahead of the ix35 and the RAV4.
It needs to be said that the shortfall in the Tiguan’s score was negligible; a result of a less-perfect cargo bay, not quite so perfect upholstery and slightly inferior plastics.
Build quality (paint, panel gaps and materials) was of a high standard and design flair solid, even after a number of years on the market.
Crawling through city traffic brought the ‘Tiggy’ back to earth. The combination of turbo lag, a slack dual-clutch transmission and a slow idle stop-start system (ISS) became grinding; in the parrying of Melbourne peak hour, there simply wasn’t enough response.
Once underway, the smooth power delivery and snappy shifts got the Tiguan gliding along. Using its coasting function, the Tiguan was the most frugal on the country loop, but came second overall behind the RAV4 averaging 9.8L/100km on test.
Dynamically, it showed its mettle on gravel, proving the most capable through top-shelf steering, ride quality and body control.
Although the Tiguan was the most refined of all, it didn’t pull with particular vigour and was the slowest accelerating vehicle on test (see break-out box). The Tiguan did, however, offer marginally better braking ability than the Mazda CX-5.
VALUE FOR MONEY
Volkswagen has sharpened its base pricing recently. As tested, the Tiguan Pacific diesel came to $38,490 (plus orc), making it the cheapest here.
The Tiguan does however lack in standard equipment. Although it gets idle stop/start, navigation is optional and the engine’s relatively low power means it loses out in the bang-for-bucks stakes. Metallic paint, a $700 extra, hints at the expense of optioning a Volkswagen to meet the levels of its competitors.
Aftersales has been a key improvement for VW, given recent heavy scrutiny. The Tiguan’s capped price servicing plan is the most comprehensive at 72 months/90,000 kilometres, the first service costing $370. Warranty is three years, unlimited kilometres and there’s also three years of complimentary roadside assistance included. Service intervals match the Hyundai’s at 12 months/15,000 kilometres.
Redbook indicates a MY2010 Tiguan 103TDI (new RRP $39,190) with 60,000-100,000km is worth $22,250 privately, a retained value of 57 per cent.
The various buttons and controls are easy to sight from the driver’s view point and commonly-used interfaces, rightfully, take preference. We did find the touchscreen soft buttons to be a little smaller than those of the ix35, but they were still easy to use on the go, and the navigation system is one of the best on test.
The Tiguan was the only vehicle on test to offer self-parking, but was also offered with a handy reversing camera. The HVAC system worked well, though the smaller, lesser used hard buttons were a little fiddly. Our jurors also noted that the idle stop-start (ISS) was slower to fire than that of the Mazda CX-5’s.
Price: $28,490 - $42,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 103kW/320Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 164g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP
| What we liked: | Not so much: |
| >> User-friendly technology | >> Smaller cargo area |
| >> Ride/handling balance | >> DSG and turbo-lag |
| >> Frugal diesel engine | >> Slower ISS system |
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