LAWNDALE, California—Is it possible to fall in love with practical? Yes, and it’s really easy to do with the Volkswagen Golf SportWagen. It’s a standard- issue, low-profile machine with four doors, a rear hatch, and ample cargo room, and it looks just like, well, the small station wagon it is. There’s room for five and some gear, and while the design is somewhat dated—a new Golf generation is launching in Europe soon—its best angle may be from way up high. The panoramic sunroof is epically huge, stretching nearly the entire roof. Opening it up is the closest you can get to a convertible Golf in the States, and the glass panel is flanked by long roof rails that add even more practicality. Our test car wore Deep Black Pearl paint over a contrasting Beige leatherette interior. The car is simply comfortable, functional, and good to drive. The 2019 model may also be the last SportWagen sold in the U.S., as the next-generation Golf may only come here in GTI and R hatchback forms.
But for now, the SportWagen is available in America, and in three trims: S, S 4Motion, and SE. 31,000. If you want more equipment, the Golf Alltrack—a lifted, be-cladded version of this car—is available in SEL guise, although it can get pricey for its size. While the S 4Motion is powered by the same 1.8-liter turbocharged four- cylinder found in the Alltrack, the other SportWagens—including the one we drove—use the 1.4-liter turbo four from the latest Jetta. Also, this is nice: The SportWagen’s 13.2-gallon fuel tank can be filled with regular unleaded with no penalty to performance, which can shave a few cents off the cost of fill-ups. In terms of storage, there is 30 cubic feet of stowage space behind the rear seats—about 13 more than the standard Golf—which grows to 67 cubes with seats folded. That’s more than enough room for most hardware hauls or a vacation, especially if you make use of the aforementioned roof rails. The back seat can accommodate two adults comfortably—add a third in the form of a kid or a dog if you like—and folks back get a set of HVAC vents, although not much else. A USB port or two would be more than welcome back there; despite having been refreshed for 2018, its onboard technology is the weakest point, with a sometimes slow-to-respond infotainment system and limited connectivity options for devices. But what’s there is nicely finished, well laid out, and intuitive. Standard safety tech for the SE trim includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian monitoring, active blind-spot monitoring with rear-traffic alert, and more.
Its maximum torque of 280 Newton metres is constantly available from 1,700 to 5,300 rpm. The 210 PS engine takes the vehicle to a top speed of 215 km/h; this Tiguan accelerates to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds. Despite its high power output, the TSI is also fuel-efficient: in the 180-PS TSI, for example, combined fuel consumption is 8.5 l/100 km (equivalent to 199 g/km CO2) with a manual 6-speed gearbox. Volkswagen will also offer the large Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TSI with an optional 7-speed DSG. Its combined fuel consumption is 8.6 l/100 km (199 g/km CO2); after just 7.3 seconds (!), the DSG version is moving at 100 km/h. Its top speed is 213 km/h. This TSI will be available in combination with the "Track & Style" and "Sport & Style" equipment lines. All three TDI engines operate with common rail injection, turbocharger, intercooler, four cylinders and an engine displacement of 1,968 cm3. The entry-level engine of the Tiguan diesel line-up is the 81 kW / 110 PS (at 2,750 to 4,200 rpm).
This engine is ideal for customers who put a high priority on maximum fuel economy. This engine - always combined with BlueMotion Technologies (Stop/Start system and battery regeneration) and front-wheel drive - has a combined fuel economy of 5.3 l/100 km (equivalent to 139 g/km CO2). This contrasts with a hefty maximum torque of 280 Newton metres (between 1,750 and 3,000 rpm). So, the "small" TDI is really an excellent fit for the Tiguan. If necessary, the Tiguan 2.0 TDI with 110 PS and 6-speed gearbox can accelerate to precisely 175 km/h. It finishes the sprint to 100 km/h in 11.9 seconds. This TDI may be combined with the "Trend & Fun" and "Sport & Style" equipment lines. The 103 kW / 140 PS (at 4,200 rpm) VW Tiguan 2.0 TDI with 4MOTION all-wheel drive was already associated with low fuel consumption. Now, at 6.0 l/100 km (equivalent to 157 g/km CO2) it betters the previous model with its 6.3 l/100 km.
