 About the Volkswagen TiguanVolkswagen was a late arrival in the world of compact-crossover SUVs. With the Tiguan, however, it more than made up for lost time. The Volkswagen Tiguan, which is a four-door, five-passenger, crossover SUV, is a nice compromise for those who want high-end European design without the exorbitant price tag. Although it only has one available engine – a 2.0-liter, inline-4 – the Tiguan can be configured with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. By pulling the backseat forward as much as possible, one can free up about 23.8 cubic feet of space; by folding it down, 56.1 cubic feet are made available.The VW Tiguan is designed by Auto 5000, which is located within Volkswagen's main headquarters complex in Wolfsburg, Germany. It is also assembled in Wolfsburg, but it is manufactured in... View more Vietnam, Russia and China, too. A six-speed manual transmission is standard on the base model; a six-speed automatic is optional on the base and standard on the SE and the SEL. Its inline-4 engine gets 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. One area in which the Tiguan doesn't quite excel is fuel economy – front- and all-wheel drive automatics get 20 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg combined. The concept behind the Volkswagen Tiguan was announced during the 2006 Los Angeles International Auto Show. A 2008 model debuted in Europe in 2007, while a 2009 model debuted in North America the following year. No major overhauls have been made to the Tiguan during its short history. However, in 2011, the Wolfsburg trim was eliminated and a new grille was rolled out. A nice balance between everyday usability and exceptional luxury is brought to the table with the VW Tiguan, which is how the crossover generally distinguishes itself. The backseat slides forward and backward, which makes it especially versatile. Honest-to-goodness metal trim adds flair. Popular options include a trailer hitch, a ground effects kit and side steps. Most buyers also upgrade to the all-wheel drive transmission. Those who really want to splurge can add an eight-speaker Dynaudio sound system. At first, drivers were not quite sure what to make of the Tiguan. However, the critics generally raved over its design and functionality. In 2009, Edmunds.com gave the VW Tiguan its prestigious Consumers' Top Rated Vehicle award. That same year, it received the AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction award. Those who are concerned about safety will be reassured to know that the Volkswagen Tiguan earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's coveted Top Safety Pick designation in 2011. Compared with many other cars in its class, the Tiguan manages to achieve a coolly sophisticated and stylish look for a surprisingly reasonable price. View less | |||
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