Volkswagen, despite facing the biggest setbacks in the history of the cars' fuel economies, is still going on strong with a range of new models coming their way and this latest example, the second-generation Tiguan, shows that this car company, no matter how many problems it face, is always rising up to the challenge, no matter what.
 |
| 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan |
So, what's so new about this all-new Tiguan? Judging from its newly enhanced look in departure from the previous model, the new Tiguan now utilizes the MQB platform as seen in most models from the Volkswagen Group family tree, meaning it promises to behave better than the previous one and let's just hope it will seek revenge against the Mazda CX-5 after the whole Top Gear crossover caravan carnage thing years ago. Because this is an entirely new model, for the first time, we can expect a long wheelbase model soon. But in the meantime, what's it all about the new Tiguan?
 |
| 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan interior |
 |
| 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan interior |
At first look, the new Tiguan looks like an oversized Volkswagen Golf with some heightened ground clearance to make it look adventurous, but in reality, it's just another basic car fit for garage sales and groceries alike. Yep, it's like one of those rides your auntie or your granny's friend would drive on faraway trip to buy antiques. Despite being a crossover built for the long shopping trips for some hunk of junks, the new Tiguan, thanks to its new platform, is now slightly lowered, more rigid, slightly lighter than the old Tiguan, and more behavable elsewhere. In truth, the new Tiguan behaves just like the new normal Golf in the city streets but don't get too surprised about this because despite all the improvements, you'll never get away from the fact that one of your relatives will have one in the future.
Of course, even with more room than the old model, this is basically a five-seater model and whichever you are seating on, be it on the front or in the back, there's nothing to go wrong with it, well, save it to the front because you have some time to toy around with the gadgets in store such as the sat-nav that allows mirroring with your smartphone, a speedo that looks broadly similar to Audi's Virtual Cockpit, and, well that pretty much about it. Even if you're sitting in the passenger side, that's okay but let's hope that the new Tiguan is a barkada car because if made into a family mover, you will be crushed by the dreaded child seat situations. It's a five-seater, it's only reserved for barkada trips only.
At the back, thanks to the new platform, the new Tiguan can carry up to 615 litres with five persons on-board or 1,655 litres of boot space when the rear bench is folded. That's enough to carry almost most of the stuff you bought from a certain estate sale, by about 74 percent coverage.
 |
| 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan |
Volkswagen believes that the new Tiguan has to be technologically advanced not just for convenience but also for the safety at all corners. That's why it's been loaded with the finest safety technologies available for the new model, especially the clever active bonnet, which raises the bonnet if a pedestrian or bicyclist comes into contact with it in a crash. They stole that idea from the Swedes but, oh well.
Yes, the new Tiguan comes with a 1.4L petrol engine and two-litre engine in two versions; a petrol and a diesel, but let's not mention more about the 2.0L TDI BlueMotion Technology stuff because of the ongoing crisis that Volkswagen felt, even though this engine promises more than the diesel-powered Mazda CX-5 (enough for some revenge match on the countryside, perhaps). Oh no...guess the only powerful version offered in the Tiguan is...nope, not the 180PS 2.0 TSi petrol, it's the 2.0 TDI BlueMotion Technology with 190PS of power and 400Nm of torque. With the 7-speed DSG gearbox armed, it gets through 0-100kph in 7.9 seconds and onwards to 212kph. A diesel-powered Mazda CX-5 can't do that, you know. And with the available 4MOTION four-wheel drive system, the Tiguan is a good all-weather trekker that loves to go anywhere, be it rain or shine.
Should you buy it? The new Tiguan starts at 25,975 Euros, which is about 1,600 Euros more than its biggest competitor, the Mazda CX-5. Sure, it's expensive to own than the CX-5, but with the new Tiguan trying to correct its mistakes from its failed predecessor, this car can guarantee it will hit back against Mazda on the spot to the park...or should this new Tiguan flunk, it will be the second time the loser will sleep in the remains of the caravan. Perhaps how the new Tiguan stacks up against the Mazda CX-5 is anyone's theory.
Available colors: Pure White, Uranograu, Atlantik Blue Metallic, Caribbean Blue Metallic, Dark Moss Green Metallic, Habanero Orange Metallic, Indiumgrau Metallic, Nutshell Brown Metallic, Ruby Red Metallic, Titanium Beige Metallic, and Tungsten Silver Metallic.
Photo: Volkswagen AG
