Volkswagen Tiguan review, test drive

Volkswagen Tiguan review, test drive

What is it?

It is Volkswagen’s first all-new product line to be launched in India in many years, as well as its second SUV in our country after the slow-selling Touareg. In recent times, we’ve seen several variants and updates of the Polo and Vento, two generations of the Jetta, two of the excellent Passat (the last of which was discontinued at its prime), a fleeting glimpse at the Phaeton, and of course, there’s the Beetle, which just came back to our shores last year. But the SUV segment, ever so popular in India, has never been properly tapped by VW. The good news is that there are a number of SUVs from the brand on their way to us, and it all starts with this, the new Tiguan.

Due in early 2017, it’s the first SUV from the VW Group to be based on the new MQB platform, and to put it into perspective, the Tiguan will likely be priced in the region of Rs 30 lakh, which puts it right in the crosshairs of the Hyundai Santa Fe and the upcoming Nissan X-Trail. And though the car you see here is a five-seater designed for Europe, VW is also developing a longer, seven-seat version for developing markets, and that could be the one that finds its way to Indian showrooms.

At first glance, it seems rather simple – square and upright, with nothing but straight lines making up its bodywork. True as that might be, the design takes a little while to get under your skin, and there are a lot of details that start to stand out. The headlights, for example, are all-LED and very intricately designed, as are the chrome strips that make up the grille. The bonnet has two sets of sharp lines that define it, and a strong shoulder line runs down the sides to meet the tail-lamps. At the back, it’s a familiar sight if you’ve seen modern VWs like the Jetta and new Passat, but even here, the tail-lamps have now been given a boomerang-like shape. Overall, it does have presence, but it’s perhaps not as memorable to look at as some of the other SUVs out there.`