Volkswagen Tiguan Diesel

Let me begin my review from where my journey with this great brand started. I was on a Europe holiday and landed in Frankfurt airport having made a booking for a 325i. Upon reaching the counter, the only premium car they had was a brand new Tiguan 2.0 tdi diesel. With a long face and broken spirit I took the keys and expected a boring wannabe 4 wheel drive that was going to spoil my autobahn experience. It was waiting parked head first in a basement car park and to my delight it was a stick shift. I had 1200kms to go as my next destination was France. We loaded the car and had a full load of 5 seating in it. As usual the car looked very well built and tough though a wee bit too plasticy on the inside for a premium motor. The navigation system was fairly easy and efficient.

It was 9 days of tiring driving for me but never once did I doubt the car. It gave me confidence that it can keep going even at the other end of the speedo for hours and on some days even through the rugged green lanes of the UK. All the while I thought it was a wanna be 4 wheel drive cum family car crossover. It is what it is, a taste of both worlds culminated into one car that is like a loyal friend. You don’t want to wreck it but you do want to enjoy it. If only Volkswagen had spent more time improving the plasticy bits and probably a better seating option. The other complaint I have is with the seats. They seem alright at first but after a few hours they feel too hard and stiff and that could be an issue.

Overall the car pulled like a tank on the roads with great road presence and handling and even as an off roader it is pretty good. It pulled through muddy and rocky grounds steadily with a lot of stability and grip. In those 9 days it showed me that Volkswagen is no more a normal car but rather one that is perhaps aimed at the niche market and has all the credibility to go head on with them. It has come a long way from the ever reliable and funky 1937 beetle with a puny air-cooled engine. It is now a full on premium automobile sculpting and evolving the current cars for a better future. It drives better than a Merc but if only it felt as good. Definitely a car to be considered for fun loving family centered individuals and the diesel engine is actually quite nice!

After a bit of straight road speeding life got boring and we decided to take to the country side outback road. We played Collin Macrae for a bit with my brother as the vehicle commander warning me of upcoming turns with data from the GPS. A lot of fun but what amused me was how the car kept it tight through all the corners and every time you stepped harder in mid corner it will go down and keep the tightest line possible.

I stuck it into gear and expected to wait till tomorrow for it to go to a 100 but I was proven wrong instantly. The all-wheel drive sprung from the hard corner into the autobahn like a poised tiger chasing its prey and for a fairly high car I was surprised at its handling capabilities. Before the odometer could turn 50 I was pulling at 215km/h on the autobahn heading hot towards France. On paper Volkswagen has rated 188km/h as the top speed but with all due respect I have video evidence to prove them wrong! It ran about 900km before a refuel and that was a pretty good figure given how I was driving it.

After a bit of straight road speeding life got boring and we decided to take to the country side outback road. We played Collin Macrae for a bit with my brother as the vehicle commander warning me of upcoming turns with data from the GPS. A lot of fun but what amused me was how the car kept it tight through all the corners and every time you stepped harder in mid corner it will go down and keep the tightest line possible.

In 9 days I had travelled from Frankfurt- France – London – Belgium – Amsterdam – Prague – Vienna – Zurich and finally gave it a break at Frankfurt after having completed 7000kms (Next up I had a Skoda Superb for 4000kms and 7 days). 9 days of unending demented torture to a brand new car that deserves to be treated better. It had climbed the Swiss mountain roads and tackled the British Green lanes. The car did not just give me experience it became my friend.

Formed in 1937 with the common man in mind and built solely for the purpose of being affordable to almost anyone and everyone, the Volkswagen brand has today evolved into something of a completely different class. Mention Volkswagen to any car enthusiast and an image of German quality and superior class comes to my mind. Volkswagen, the people’s car! Question, is it really?

Drove this car for a short while around Northern side of Singapore. Before I get into the car, I found out that there are more curves to shade of some boring look from it's predecessor. A plus point for their efforts.

When you get into the car, you will find that it's low driving height is still present and it is great for everyday driving. Clattering sound from the diesel engine is so soft that you will not notice that it's a diesel car. Performance and FC is excellent for a daily driver.