VW Tiguan in the test: the second generation of the SUV is that good

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Suddenly even the VW Tiguan is polarizing

VW Tiguan in the test: the second generation of the SUV is that good-tiguan

More than 2.8 million units of the first generation of the VW Tiguan have been sold since 2007. The new edition should build on this success

Source: Jakob Hoff

With the second generation of the Tiguan, VW has created a good car. With this product, the troubled manufacturer wants to go back to business as usual. This encounter shows that this does not work.

A.As a car tester, you usually have an inkling of how the environment will react to a new model before you leave the underground car park with it. In the case of a Volkswagen, the reactions are usually rather subdued. Nobody gets upset, nobody is happy.

Unless it’s an old VW bus (the "Aaahs" and "Ooohs" are sure to be there) or a 360 hp and infernally loud Golf R (here the spectrum ranges from "Woohoo" to "Boo") ), the brand rarely attracts attention, and it is certainly not addressed to you. That’s why I didn’t expect the new VW Tiguan to trigger a fundamental discussion about guilt and atonement.

One would think that hardly anyone would turn to a car that has been sold more than 2.8 million times worldwide since 2007, even if the family-friendly SUV has now become a bit bigger and wider, has more distinctive lines and larger headlights and thus looks more like the Touareg.

Surprise – the VW Tiguan attracts attention

The first reports attested that the second generation of the Tiguan did not have a particularly high recognition value. What a miscalculation! I’ve known that since my stopover at the Frankenwald rest stop on the A9, where I actually just want to have a coffee.

An older man with a beard has been looking over at me for a while, then he comes closer. “The new Tiguan,” he says, nodding his head in the direction of the test car. It’s less of a question, more of a statement. “Diesel?” He wants to know. "Nope, petrol." "Which engine?" "2.0 liter TSI with 180 PS, seven-speed DSG and all-wheel drive."

VW Tiguan in the test: the second generation of the SUV is that good-second

No diesel! This Tiguan has a 2.0-liter TSI with 180 hp under the hood. There is also a seven-speed DSG and all-wheel drive

Source: Jakob Hoff

As if “Diesel” had been the keyword for his appearance, a smoking man in his mid-fifties joins us and overhears us. “I thought it was one of the cheat dies too. What is he using? ”He asks, taking a long drag from his cigarette. "In the city with a lot of stop-and-go traffic eight liters, on the autobahn from Berlin to the Bavarian border it was still 6.6 liters according to the display in the on-board computer," I reply.

"I don’t understand the hysteria surrounding the emissions scandal"

Up to this point it has been a completely normal conversation with a car driver, and I expect that the obligatory question about the price will come next; I would answer 34,450 euros. But the mood suddenly changes. “The display in the on-board computer!” Shouts the smoker with a mocking, slightly aggressive snort.

“Do you believe the display on the on-board computer? They’re all cheaters! Nothing, but nothing at all, you can believe them! When it comes to consumption, you can still do the math, you can’t understand anything about the exhaust gas values! ”Without waiting for my answer, he continues:“ A VW I would definitely not buy myself at the moment. This is a criminal organization! "

VW Tiguan in the test: the second generation of the SUV is that good-good

The new Tiguan is six centimeters longer than its predecessor; he now measures 4.49 meters

Source: Jakob Hoff

While I’m still wondering whether I should react to the outbreak or rather save my energy for the rest of the way, the man with the beard already has an answer ready: “That’s nonsense! I don’t understand the whole hysteria surrounding the emissions scandal. The market has been so competitive for decades that car manufacturers have to resort to such methods. "

He talks himself into a rage. “How else are you supposed to please the customers and the environmental authorities? Sure, that’s fraud, but I can understand why the group wants to stay competitive. I’m sure everyone will do it that way. ”Strong tobacco for a coffee break.

My cup has long been empty, but I like the orange car that I’ve just driven 300 kilometers in. Also in order to alleviate the tense situation a little, I report on the precise steering and the good all-round visibility, which I have come to appreciate especially in the Berlin city traffic.

In contrast to many other new cars, in the Tiguan you can look back at an angle without any problems and you don’t always have to be afraid of overlooking a cyclist when you turn right. I praise the seats because they are not too hard, not too soft and give good lateral support.

VW Tiguan in the test: the second generation of the SUV is that good-second

Gimmick: Instead of a normal speedometer, our test car has a TFT monitor directly behind the steering wheel

Source: Jakob Hoff

The extremely logically structured interior is also well received by me, as is the navigation, which has recently been providing the driver with real-time traffic data from TomTom; However, I perceived the virtual cockpit, in which a TFT monitor replaces conventional analog instruments, as a silly and expensive gimmick.

The radar sensor brakes for pedestrians

The conversation would certainly continue at another location, but at a rest stop, the focus is on driving again after every break. The lap dissolves, everyone gets into their car and continues their journey. During the next 300 kilometers in the Tiguan, I get annoyed that I only talked about the cockpit, seats and steering.

VW Tiguan in the test: the second generation of the SUV is that good-second

The passengers in the back seat in particular benefit from the extended wheelbase. If there isn’t too much luggage in the trunk, the rear seats can even be pushed back by 18 centimeters…k push

Source: Jakob Hoff

Instead, I could have mentioned the real innovations on this car, for example the radar sensor under the VW emblem in the radiator grille, which can distinguish pedestrians from obstacles and brake for them. Or the multi-collision brake, which brings the car to a stop after an accident if the driver is no longer able to do so.

Or that the car can even drive a bit autonomously. In a traffic jam, the Tiguan can accelerate, brake and steer independently if required. There is an assistant for almost every problem at an additional cost.

The VW Tiguan is a more than solid car. But the discussion at the rest stop shows how big the marks are that the emissions scandal has left on motorists. In order to regain their trust, Volkswagen will have to come up with more than just adding wider headlights to a successful model and packing it full of assistance systems. Something new has to come.

VW Tiguan in the test: the second generation of the SUV is that good-good

In many current car models, the diagonal rear view is poor. Quite different in the current Tiguan

Source: Jakob Hoff

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7 thoughts on “VW Tiguan in the test: the second generation of the SUV is that good”

  1. I’m really not an SUV fan, as a station wagon driver it annoys me once again not to see anything when pulling out of a parking space because of a rollable sheet metal wall next door.

    The appearance of most of these Pampers tanks is either convoluted and overloaded (mostly from Asia) or somehow ostentatious, like X6 or US small troop transporters.

    But not models like the Audi Q3 and the Tiguan. He in particular always had what defines VW design and what some call boring: calm, longevity, timelessness.
    You can still see that in ten years’ time without it getting old. The best example of this are the Golf 4 and 5, and they don’t look old even today.
    At Mercedes, however, you have the design term "Timelessness" completely disposed of and through "overloaded" replaced.
    In this respect: Everything done right, VW.

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  2. Aha. The navigation is good. The display to which it belongs after the photo, on the other hand, is silly. However, I also find the imitated instruments deterrent. So, the radar detects pedestrians and brakes for them. At what angle, even if they are actually over? A disgusting obstacle, for example a garbage can, which wind forces pushed onto the road, does it collide unrestrainedly? Thank you very much. The additional 6 cm in length should have been avoided. Empty weight compared to the predecessor? The direct injection gasoline engine really dusts / soot less than a diesel with 20% more fuel?

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  4. The stern alone is a nightmare in itself. What a boring car. I have nothing against VW. But these cars are bland to the point.

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  6. The smoking gentleman is obviously badly informed or does not want to be. Vehicles from the VW Group performed particularly well in all independent tests with real road measurements. Even the diesels with the illegal software had better values ​​than diesels from other manufacturers.

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  7. You have a very optimistic view. The objective measurement protocols of the American monitoring institutions speak a different language.

    Reply

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