Best Car Models & All About Cars: Volkswagen 2012 Tiguan

Volkswagen 2012 Tiguan

The lifetime of a Volkswagen designer must be a curious existence. While alternative brands parade a plethora of exotic styles, VW dishes up cars that differ very little from generation to generation, or from model to model. The new 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan, for instance, could be a near facsimile of the larger Touareg and has evolved solely slightly from the 2007 original. Right now, the VW design studio isn't precisely a hotbed of creativity.

Nor, if we're honest, is the engineering division. It's all as cozily familiar because the 10th season of Friends, that is just the way VW's customers prefer it. More than 700,000 Tiguans have been designed and VW reckons this car has enjoyed the most successful run-out in the corporate's history. Volkswagen's customers grasp what they like and like what they recognize, thus why fix what is not broken?

The Outside

The nose of the Tiguan has been brought in keeping with VW's new design language. Pinched from the Touareg, the new grille boasts 2 horizontal chrome louvers and is framed by the headlights. Choose the optional bi-xenon lamps and also the nose is additional distinguished by fourteen LEDs that serve as daytime running lights. At the rear, the taillights contain an L-formed illuminated portion common to any or all new Volkswagens. There are new alloy wheels, too, but that is concerning it. Viewed in isolation, the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan might simply be mistaken for a Touareg, which may not please those who've spent upward of $44K on the larger SUV.

In Europe, VW offers each on- and off-road versions. The latter incorporates a different chin, which offers it an improved approach angle. The off-road car encompasses a 28-degree angle of approach versus 18 degrees for its on-road-focused sister. For the U.S. market, though, Volkswagen will continue to supply solely the "on-road" version.

The Inside

The cabin is classic Volkswagen. It's nicely engineered using high-quality materials, and everything is sensibly organized, however it is a bit boring. This may be a automobile designed for a utilitarian purpose that imparts a quiet sense of satisfaction. A brace of half-dozen-footers will sit in tandem without issue and the rear seat will be reclined by up to 23 degrees, which could be a nice touch. The cargo space may be a sensible size, too, starting from 16.half dozen cubic feet to fifty three.3, and, by folding the passenger seat flat, you'll be able to accommodate masses up to eight feet two inches long.

For a family-oriented SUV, the Tiguan offers a sensible compromise of comfort and control.

The Tiguan has always had a fine name for safety. It earned five-star ratings in both front and side crash tests and received four stars in rollover testing, in step with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Drive

Henry Ford would are pleased with the Tiguan's engine philosophy. You'll have any engine you prefer as long as it's the two.0-liter turbo. The excellent turbodiesels that dominate the European market are unlikely to be offered in the U.S., a minimum of until the all-new Tiguan, which is due around 2015.

The acquainted direct-injection 1,984cc turbo offers a modest power hike over the outgoing model. It currently produces 207 horsepower (up from two hundred) between 5,three hundred and half-dozen,200 rpm. Peak torque of 206 pound-feet is accessible from one,70zero-five,two hundred rpm. VW claims zero to 62 mph in seven.8 seconds for the six-speed manual, or 7.3 seconds for the seven-speed DSG double-clutch automatic. The latter replaces the torque-converter auto found in the initial Tiguan.

In Europe, this model is only available with 4Motion permanent four-wheel drive, but in the U.S. VW is seemingly to stick with offering each two- and 4-wheel-drive choices. The latter normally apportions 90 p.c of the propulsive force to the front axle in the interests of fuel economy, but it will send virtually one hundred percent to the rear. All our check vehicles were equipped with this system.

The independent front suspension combines wishbone-sort control arms with MacPherson struts mounted on an aluminum subframe, while the freelance rear suspension options a four-link setup on a steel subframe. Like so a lot of of this automotive, the handling should best be described as competent. Anyone expecting a jacked-up GTI can be disappointed, however body roll is well contained and as you'd expect with four-wheel drive, there's no shortage of grip. Likewise, the electromechanical steering isn't filled with feedback, but it's well-weighted and reassuringly precise for an SUV.

The ride, a minimum of on our well-surfaced German take a look at roads, was both supple and free of float. For a family-oriented SUV, the Tiguan offers a good compromise of comfort and control.

Final Thoughts

The costs are likely to continue unchanged from the old model, so expect an entry sticker of around $twenty four,000. Those parting with this total can receive a completely capable machine, and anyone wishing to downsize from a bigger SUV will be ready to try to to so without feeling the pinch. There is nothing regarding the 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan that's truly exceptional, but it's conjointly laborious to criticize and goes about its business with minimal fuss.

It's, in alternative words, a classic Volkswagen.

Volkswagen 2012 Tiguan