There was a time when just about each compact SUV was defined by its weirdness. The Toyota RAV4 began life as a sneaker-shaped three-door with some steel sunroofs. Early Honda CR-Vs were finest remembered for the picnic desk within the cargo space. The Saturn Vue was odd because, properly, it was a Saturn. A decade ago, the Volkswagen Tiguan was a compact SUV launched partly to handle that the Touareg was too expensive and unpronounceable for mainstream success. Still, the Tiguan had a bizarre identify, was small even for a compact SUV, and only available with a 2.0-liter turbo 4 from the GTI. Adding fascinating options made it very expensive in a short time. VW can not relaxation on any of its successes within the U.S. 2018 Tiguan has been made particularly with Americans in thoughts - no quirks allowed. Thanks to a spherical of gasoline-economy enhancements and worth cuts over time, the aging Tiguan managed a file sales 12 months within the U.S.
This makes the base Tiguan S one of the least-expensive vehicles within the U.S. The Tiguan is likely one of the least-expensive vehicles within the U.S. That mentioned, the dimensions and consolation of those “seats” recalls that point grownup-sized me thought it was a good idea to get in the rear-facing seats of a friend’s Volvo 850 wagon. All 5-foot-10-inches of me technically match with the second-row slid again in its normal position, however most American adults will assume the accommodations are a sick joke. Parents who endlessly find themselves bringing house further kids after soccer apply, nonetheless, might find use for the small third row. You’re additionally left with just 12 cubic toes of space behind that third row, but fold it down and there’s a useful 33 cubic ft behind what’s truly a very spacious and snug second row. Tiguans offer 73.5 cubic toes when all the rear seats are folded.
All versions get a useful 40/20/forty split second-row bench, too, increasing the number of people-versus-cargo combos. There are some much less-than-posh plastics throughout the interior, though most of them feel more serviceable than low cost. It’s up front where the Tiguan makes you overlook about a lot of VW’s previous inside sins. The window and climate buttons are substantial, the seats are properly supportive, and even the infotainment display (SE grade and higher) is sharp and clear. Shared with the Atlas, however, is the Volkswagen Digital Cockpit that comes solely on top SEL Premium fashions. It puts a 12.3-inch TFT show in place of the simple-to-read conventional gauges, but has a nice resolution harking back to the similar Audi Virtual Cockpit. It’s additionally a unique selling point for the Tiguan - no different compact SUV gives this. The lackluster energy supply is a real shame, because elsewhere, the Tiguan is clearly one of the extra participating vehicles in this class.
