Volkswagen has brought its Tiguan crossover sharply up to date with fresh styling in the fashionable “horizontal” mode, updated interiors and two new engines among the five on offer, all with forced induction and direct fuel-injection.
The full-width grille with two double chrome louvres is distinctively and recognisably “new era Volkswagen”, as are the flattened headlight clusters, each with daytime running lights formed by a band of 14 LED's.
The profile is chunkier, with wheel-arches neatly outlined in black plastic trim and a waistline that rises towards the rear, where Touareg-style two-part tail lights and straight horizontal lines emphasise width and stance.
Apart from the “corporate” front end, it's perhaps a little old-school, which is not necessarily a bad thing in a vehicle that's intended to project a practical, “can do” persona.
That front end, as before, is available in two body versions with different angles of approach: the city-slicker Trend & Fun and Sport & Style variants have an 18-degree approach angle, while the more outdoorsy Track & Field version has an approach angle of 28 degrees.
The “urban” front end has a deep under-bumper valance with a broad grille in the middle and two smaller side intakes that incorporate the front fog lights, while the Track & Field version has narrower intakes above a broad, grey bash plate with black air-flow guides at the sides.
It's parts-bin engineering at its best, using a minimum of extra components to create a maximum of perceived differentiation.
The revised interior features higher, more upright seating positions, front and rear, with the rear bench seat a little higher than the front seats for improved rear-passenger visibility.
The rear seat can also be moved fore-and-aft through 160mm and its 60:40 split seat-back reclined through 23 degrees - or folded, to expand cargo capacity from a minimum of 470 to a cavernous, flat-floored 1510 litres.
The base Trend & Fun variants are trimmed in a new fabric called “Pakata” (don't ask, Cyril), with dark metallic trim, while the Track & Field and Sport & Style are upholstered in leather with bright silver metallic trim.
The front seats in the “Trend & Fun” and “Track & Field” models have height and lumbar support adjustments, while the sports front seats in the “Sport & Style” provide deeper side bolsters and taller seat backs for better lumbar support.
Standard kit now includes stability control, six airbags, cruise control, multi-adjustable head restraints, electric parking brake with hill hold, power windows and door mirrors, rain sensor, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, automatically dimming rear-view mirror, an eight-speaker RCD 310 audio system, height-adjustable front seats with lumbar supports and 16” alloy rims.
The Track & Field off-road pack adds an engine bash plate, compass display, hill descent assist, gear pre-selection and special anti-lock braking that operates on a different pulse frequency on loose surfaces.
“Sport & Style” customers get silver-anodised roof rails, side sills with satin chrome trim strips, chrome trim on the side windows, tinted windows from the B pillar back, climate control, 17” alloys, driver fatigue detection (first used in the new Passat) and, of course, sport front seats.
MOTORVATION:
Two of the five engines - three petrol and two diesel - are new to the Tiguan line-up.
Front-wheel drive models start with the 90kW, 1.4-litre TSI, now with BlueMotion stop/start, battery regeneration and a six-speed manual 'box. Maximum power is at 5000rpm, with 200Nm on tap from 1500rpm.
VW quotes 0-100 in 10.9sec and 184km/h flat out at a cost of 6.5 litres per 100km and 152g/km of CO2.
The 1.4 super/turbocharged four is also available with a new mapping that belts out a claimed 118kW (replacing the previous 110kW version) at 5800 revs and 240Nm from 1750-4000rpm. BlueMotion and six manual ratios are standard, as is 197km/h (192km/h for 4Motion).
Fuel consumption is estimated at 6.7 litres per 100km (8.4 if all four are driven) and CO2 damage at 156g/km (178 for all-wheel drive).
The top petrol engine is the 155kW, two-litre TSI - also up 8kW from the previous model - with 280Nm from 1700-5000rpm. It comes with a seven-speed double-clutch transmission and all-wheel drive as standard, and can dispose of 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds, tops out at 207km/h.
Combined fuel consumption works out at 8.5 litres per 100km and CO2 rating at 207g/km.
The two diesel offerings are, as is common these days, variations of the same two-litre TDI, rated at 81 and 103kW respectively.
The 81kW version comes with 280Nm from 1750-2750rpm, BlueMotion, six-speed manual 'box and front-wheel drive. It will take you from 0-100km/h in 11.9 seconds and on to 174km/h, and cost you 5.3 litres per 100km and 139g/km.
The 103kW flavour brings with it 320Nm from 1750-2500rpm, giving it a braked trailer towing capacity of up to 2500kg, a seven-speed DSG and all-wheel drive. Top speed is quoted at 182, sprintability at 10.7 seconds from 0-100km/h, consumption at 7.5 litres per 100km and emissions at 172g/km.
Under normal circumstances the 4Motion system delivers 90 percent of the engine's torque to the front axle and 10 percent to the rear; the rear axle is hooked up when needed by an electrohydraulic clutch in the rear differential.
What's new for this year is that it doesn't need to wait until the front wheels slip before applying power to the rear wheels - the clutch is operated by an electric pump so hydraulic pressure at 30 bar is always available.
The control unit regulates the torque distribution based on dynamic axle loads and, in extreme cases, nearly 100 percent of the torque can be directed to the rear axle.
PRICES
1.4 TSI 90kW Trend & Fun BlueMotion - R272 600
1.4 TSI 118kW Trend & Fun BlueMotion - R299 500
1.4 TSI 118kW 4MOTION Trend & Fun - R318 200
2.0 TDI 81kW Trend & Fun BlueMotion - R289 100
2.0 TDI 103kW 4MOTION Track & Field DSG - R383 400
2.0 TDI 103kW 4MOTION Sport & Style DSG - R390 400
2.0 TSI 155kW 4MOTION Sport & Style DSG - R413 800
Each Tiguan comes with a three-year or 120 000km warranty and a five-year or 60 000km service plan. Service intervals are 15 000km.