WORLD OF WHEELS Tiguan a contender for Car of the Year
Vehicle holds its own on any road
THE New Year has started with a bang and World of Wheels has been evaluating cars for the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists Car of the Year contest. First up this week is the Volkswagen 1.4 TSI Tiguan equipped with the R-Line package.
The test car was equipped with a 1.4-litre TSI engine with 110kW delivering up to 250Nm of torque.
This engine has cylinder deactivation technology (ACT), available for the first time in the Volkswagen model range in South Africa.
This technology temporarily shuts off the second and third cylinder which, depending on driving style, reduces fuel consumption.
It is also a four-cylinder in-line direct injection turbo-charged engine, with four valves per cylinder, available with six speed DSG transmission.
We liked the lively engine, particularly in town for zippy performance, and on the open road it could hold itself against cars with much bigger capacity engines.
Handling and general driving techniques were superb. It is also one of the most comfortable and quiet cars we have driven in a long time!
The Tiguan is very capable off-road, with a rugged 4Motion all-wheel drive system that includes premium class technology for use on- and off-road.
With its new 4Motion Active Control, the Tiguan guarantees smooth acceleration and an exciting driving experience in all situations and every type of driving surface.
I had forgotten about the 4Motion all-wheel drive system and only remembered when we went for a drive to Maitland River Mouth.
The road was covered in parts in sea sand about 30cm deep. I hesitated before attempting to drive on the sand, but decided that there were enough 4x4 vehicles parked nearby that could help if I got stuck.
My fears were allayed when I felt the 4Motion Active Control kick in. The Tiguan handled the situation with ease.
The Tiguan can be customised with several optional convenience features such as panoramic sunroof, electrically detachable towbar, LED-mid headlights package, R-Line exterior package with 19-inch Sebring alloy wheels, head-up display, parallel parking assistance with rear-view camera, active info display, 8-inch Discover pro radio with satellite navigation system, 6.5-inch radio/CD composition media, adaptive cruise control with front assist, App-connect, ambient light package, leather seats with electric adjustment, DynAudio Premium sound system, keyless access – keyless locking and engine starting system – electric tailgate and adaptive cruise control.
Safety is of major concern to most manufacturers these days and VW is no exception.
The new Tiguan’s MQB platform has allowed Volkswagen to integrate even more active and passive safety systems and features. Standard features include active engine bonnet, ESP, XDS transverse differential lock and fatigue detection “Rest Assist’’.
The active bonnet – a first for Volkswagen – reduces the risk of injury to pedestrians and cyclists. When contact is made with the bumper, a sensor strip triggers a pyrotechnic actuator that lifts the rear edge of the bonnet by about 50mm within 22 milliseconds.
This increases the distance between the hard engine components and the relatively flexible bonnet. In turn, it reduces the risk of serious head injuries.
COTY chance: The Tiguan must rate as one of the top contenders.
Price:
1.4 TSI 110kW Comfortline DSG R457 680 plus R18 000 for the R-Line option.
The Tiguan comes standard with a five-year/90 000km service plan, three-year/ 120 000km warranty and a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty. The service Interval is 15 000km.