Volkswagen Tiguan 155 TSI R-Line 2015 Review

Volkswagen's Tiguan could have been the SUV designed for motoring writers. It is an engaging drive, especially in top-spec 155 TSI form.

That doesn't necessarily make it the ideal choice for drivers who consider themselves true SUV users. There's the oft-cited lack of boot space for one reason, plus the relative lack of off-road ability.

The R-Line option pack for the Tiguan 155 TSI doesn't address either of those issues, but it does enhance the small SUV's visual appeal and – to a lesser extent – it's driveability. As an extra-cost option, R-Line represents good value, but it does add to the purchase price of a car that's already in the higher reaches of the market for small SUVs.

At least there's this: the Tiguan R-Line looks like it's worth the money, and all the standard Tiguan's virtues are retained in the R-Line model.

Out on the road the turbocharged 2.0-litre four impresses as always. It's responsive enough and boasts a character filled to the brim with Teutonic sportiness, delivering a bit of a burble at lower revs and a cleaner four-cylinder scream at higher revs.

At open-road speeds the engine is inaudible, but there's a bit of tyre noise on country bitumen. NVH is pretty well suppressed in the Tiguan, however, and the tyre noise is considerably lower than for one luxury sedan costing more than twice as much.

Driven gently on arterial roads (with lighter traffic and fewer red light) the Tiguan will return less than 10.0L/100km, according to the trip computer. But more traffic and profligate use of the accelerator will blow that out to 12.6L/100km.

Coupled to a DSG transmission the engine exhibits an admirable willingness to rev about 500rpm beyond the redline before shifting up a cog. In other words, if you watch the tacho and tug the right shift paddle at the redline there'll be no conflict between driver and drivetrain. And while the Tiguan will kick down, it does so when expected and desired, rather than springing a surprise on the driver. In fact the shift paddles provide the right (lower) gear whenever needed – and pretty much immediately.

There's a perception that SUVs are more likely to fall over than conventional passenger cars. The Tiguan is not one of those. I've praised the 155 TSI in the past for its cornering ability. With the 18-inch alloy wheels and Bridgestone tyres fitted as part of the R-Line package, the Tiguan encourages the driver to punt it into corners with some abandon. It's helped also by the adjustable dampers (in three modes: Normal, Sport and Comfort).

The steering is a little less responsive than I remembered, but it's still well ahead of most SUVs of comparable size and price. There's good feedback through the wheel and the grip is bordering on remarkable. Powering out of a corner the Tiguan's front tyres begin to moan, but it's really just warning well in advance of the safety margin narrowing. There's still plenty of grip left – and it will put to shame some conventional hatchbacks.

The Tiguan comes with an electronic parking brake and separately operable auto-hold facility. Not a fan of auto-hold, based on an automated system sampled recently in the Polo light hatch, I succumbed to it rather than heel-and-toe or left-foot braking on any sort of incline. It wasn't as prone to slow release and snatch as the system in one of the Polo models tested, but it still requires a little patience and finesse for a smooth launch.

Tiguan's compact size is a double-edged sword, as already mentioned. The lack of rear overhang means the Tiguan lacks boot space – something for which it has been oft criticised in the past. That's despite the space-saver spare under the boot floor. But the upside is it's easy to park, helped too by acoustic guidance, a reversing camera and large exterior mirrors.

I was surprised, however, to note that the driver's side mirror was limited in its outboard adjustment. This is something I've encountered in other European cars designed for LHD markets, but it's a first for a Volkswagen – and I don't recall it in other Tiguans I've tested in the past. It may have been peculiar to this car on test.

For those who need more packaging space, the rear seats fold flat easily. Just pull a cord near where the squab meets the base and the seat can be pulled forward. The squab actually locks into place flat against the base by the user throwing a bit of weight on it. Two minor concerns – the seat folding requires a bit of muscle (and mass), and there are no finger pulls in the luggage compartment to flip the seats down. These are increasingly common and would be useful to have in the Tiguan.

That illustrates that although the Tiguan has been a very good car, time is beginning to catch up with it. It's not so surprising then that in the flagship model there's no idle stop-start facility, which would have saved fuel during the week in our possession. Another example of the Tiguan's age is the conventional lock barrel for starting the engine. Admittedly, the Tiguan's key lock is one of the few that you can actually use easily from the driver's seat. Inserting a key by feel is far easier than in the case of many other cars.

Overall, the Tiguan remains a refined and comfortable machine. What it lacks in boot space it more than offsets by plenty of room for rear-seat passengers. The driving position is commanding and the front seats are both comfortable and supportive. Instruments are uncomplicated and easy to see without having to adopt some contorted shape. Bluetooth pairing was simple and the music streaming was infallible, unlike another SUV tested recently.

Tiguan remains my favourite 'road-going' SUV in this market segment. With the 155 TSI engine, the DSG transmission and the R-Line pack, it's all the better still.

Also consider:
>> Hyundai ix35 Series II (from $26,990 plus ORCs)
>> Mazda CX-5 (from $27,880 plus ORCs)
>> Nissan X-TRAIL (from $27,990 plus ORCs)