The Volkswagen Tiguan - R you ready for the updates?

We got behind the wheel of the facelifted second generation Volkswagen Tiguan couple of days ago and threw it around an off-road course to see how the car behaved? Verdict? Well, good.

But that's to be expected, anyway. The Tiguan, apart from the goodies like its updated design and a more digitalised cabin, comes with the all-wheel drive 4Motion system with Electronic Differential Lock and Traction Control that help to elevate the car's driving dynamics.

Here's what you need to know to better understand the Volkswagen Tiguan.

1. R you up for the R?

The Tiguan comes with two equipment package options in Singapore - Elegance and R-Line. The weapon of choice, obviously, is the latter that you see here on this page. It comes with sportier exterior equipment like front and rear bumpers and rear roof spoiler, amongst others, and bigger, nicer wheels.

On the inside, you get a 9.2-inch Discover Pro infotainment system (as compared to the 8.0-inch on the Elegance variant), R-Line leather wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters and electric seats with memory function.

2. DCC, anybody?

Adding on to the aforementioned features is the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) system that comes with the R-Line variant, and the R-Line only. This system, while it sounds insignificant, helps plenty on a daily basis. What it does is it lets you adjust the shock absorbers via adaptive dampers according to your preference when driving.

This adjustments can be made in various driving modes, be it Normal, Comfort or Sport - which simply means the Tiguan's ride quality can be customised precisely to your liking whenever.

3. A more powerful heartbeat

Speaking of driving, the updated Volkswagen Tiguan has now been fitted with a new 2.0-litre engine. As a result, this model now pumps out 187bhp and 320Nm of twisting force to all four wheels via the standard seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

This allows the car to complete the century sprint in 7.4 seconds. While the previous model also had a 2.0-litre engine that pumped out more horses (217bhp to be exact), the reduction in output sees this Tiguan falling into a neutral banding of B in the Vehicular Emissions Scheme (VES).

4. B for bravo!!!

With great power comes a great century sprint... and a neutral banding. The Volkswagen Tiguan, despite its 2.0-litre displacement capacity, has managed to attain a Band B on the VES. The good news is that you do not get any unnecessary surcharge, but the bad news is you do not get any rebates either.

The VES, which came into effect on 1 January 2018, is aimed at encouraging buyers to choose car models with lower emissions across five pollutants. This helps reduce carbon emissions and improve ambient air quality, which means the Tiguan isn't just great fun, it's great for the environment too.

5. It's got a lot of things going for it... and has a proper gear lever

What's also great, for traditional drivers, is that the Tiguan comes with a traditional gear lever - a tad different from the recently launched Volkswagen Golf where you'll find a stumpy selector that helps minimise cluster.

More importantly, regardless of what variant you choose, the Tiguan comes with LED head and taillights, 'Leaving Home' and 'Coming Home' functions (the lights remain turned on for a while even after you power down the car), Electronic Differential Lock and a fully digital and customisable 10.25-inch instrument cluster, just to name a few.