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VW Tiguan

Published 1:52 pm Friday, August 1, 2008

It’s a little late to be coming to the SUV party — in fact, it may be approaching last call.

Yet Volkswagen and the innovative folks hailing from Wolfsburg, Germany, have boldly introduced their 14th new model series, the 2009 VW Tiguan – a smallish sport utility that instantly becomes little brother to the bigger, older Touareg. My tester was the SE 4Motion version.

What is indeed groundbreaking is that Tiguan is the first SUV to be offered worldwide exclusively with turbocharged, direct-injection engines. This high-performance turbocharging significantly reduces fuel consumption and emissions, yet immensely increases dynamics and driving fun.

Tiguan hopes to bridge the gap between urban commuting and endless landscapes, between business and leisure time. It has an EPA rating of 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.

With driving characteristics that are just as agile as they are comfortable, and offering high-utility value along with the latest technologies, Tiguan shows there’s life left in the party.

Seating four adults in comfort, Tiguan’s rear cargo area is generous enough to accommodate groceries and assorted sundries. But for heavy lifting, the folding rear seats will drop, allowing for two full-size golf bags and Sun Mountain three-wheel buggy carts to be transported — as experienced personally in a recent outing to Gold Mountain in Gorst.

What really makes Tiguan lovable is the countless number of little things that turn it into a loyal, trusted companion almost overnight. The gadgets and gizmos that will push your buttons will vary by owner, but these were at the top of my list:

A panoramic power-sliding sunroof that lets in four times the sunlight of an average sunroof and encompasses the entire front and rear passenger area. A sunshade covers the entire area for party poopers.

A touch-screen radio navigation system that includes an internal 30GB hard disk to manage navigation, telephone, rear-view camera, radio, and CD and MP3 players.

An auxiliary input jack that allows you to plug in your iPod and listen to it through the Tiguan’s stereo — which is a Dynaudio with 10 high-end speakers delivering 600 ear-ringing watts of power.

At first I thought they were a bit gimmicky, but after experiencing them I’m a believer: steerable headlights. The front headlights turn up to 15 degrees in the direction you’re headed while cruising at freeway speeds. At slow speeds, an additional bulb in the direction you’re turning is activated with the flick of the blinker.

No need to pull levers or push pedals to set your e-brake. Simply press the e-brake button and it’ll set itself. When you’re ready to get going, just press the button again and the e-brake releases itself.

Heated front seats, outside mirrors and washer nozzles, and intermittent wipers and three power outlets aren’t exactly cutting edge, but they aren’t always standard equipment, either.

Tiguan’s 31-degree maximum gradient means you can climb greater inclines, and forge up steep dunes without burying your headlights in the sand like an ostrich.

Tiguan is also capable enough to traverse a 27-degree lateral angle without risk of roll-over. Nice to know, whether you’re off-road, or just a little off the beaten path.

This one I can see as being a life-saver – or a curse. As an integral part of VW’s Crash Response System, the fuel pump is designed to automatically shut off whenever an airbag deploys, helping to keep the fuel in the tank where it should be.

But what if it was just a minor fender-bender?

Tiguan is generating a lot of initial buzz, which is a good start for a party crasher. After that, its many desirable traits should make it a favorite for years to come.