2009 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TSI 4MOTION Review

The new wave

Article by Luc Gagné (Auto123.com),

Monday, November 17, 2008

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The 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan is part of a new wave of European compact SUVs. For those seeking foreign prestige, the mid-$30K price range and 200 horsepower will sound pretty enticing and reasonable.

The Volkswagen Tiguan is roughly the size of a BMW X3.Yet, its price range is much lower.

Right now, products that fit this description come from Asia and North America. The RAV4 V6, Forester and Vue XR are prime examples. Alas, they're not "Made in Europe"...

An alternative to the X3!
The cachet associated to the VW logo elevates the Tiguan to the ranks of the BMW X3. Yet, the latter is over $10,000 pricier. The same holds true for the upcoming Audi Q5, Volvo XC60 and Mercedes-Benz GLK (soon available in Canadian dealerships).

And while we're still waiting for the arrival of the smaller and, hopefully, more affordable BMW X1 and MINI Crossover, the comparison between the Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TSI 4MOTION and the X3 3.0i proves interesting. After all, the former might produce 15 horsepower less, but it strikes back with superior torque at much lower engine speeds.

Besides, the slightly smaller Tiguan is just as roomy as the X3. In fact, you'll find more cargo space in the back, not to mention a greater towing capacity! Based on these facts, the Tiguan looks like an excellent deal compared to its Bavarian rival.

A 4WD Jetta?
The underpinnings of the Tiguan are a bit less prestigious. The vehicle is built on a variant of the Jetta's platform. However, unlike the sedan, it's not manufactured in Mexico. Rather, production takes place in the Wolfsburg assembly plant in Germany! I guess that's one of the aspects of globalization...

Anyway, this family tie also explains why the Tiguan relies on the same 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine as the Jetta TSI (a.k.a GLI). My tester, a Comfortline model, was mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with Tiptronic manual mode. Meanwhile, the base Trendline model is the only one to offer a 6-speed manual.