A VW through and through!
The cabin of the Tiguan emulates the plain design of other Volkswagen products. The all-black layout looks distressing, although the controls are readily accessible and easy to use. Ergonomics are simply flawless.

With regard to comfort and support, the bucket seats are just a notch below the Volvo XC90's -- the best in the business, in my opinion. They are heated and pleasantly firm, making long drives much more enjoyable. The 60/40 split-folding rear bench seat slides fore and aft while offering a high seating position. Adults will find plenty of comfort back there, which is not the case for a lot of SUVs -- compact or otherwise.

Folding the rear seatbacks allows you to substantially increase the available cargo room.

The driving position is good thanks to numerous seat adjustments and a standard tilt/telescopic steering wheel. However, visibility leaves a little to be desired, especially when compared to the Forester. The outside mirrors are narrow and the rear window is very small. The high beltline and massive rear head restraints don't help either. Consequently, expect complicated parking maneuvers.

Plenty of luggage room
Lifting the rear hatch creates a large opening. The floor is just a few centimeters higher than the edge of the cargo area, which makes loading items quite easy.

Folding the rear seatbacks allows you to substantially increase the available cargo room. However, those in my tester opposed so much resistance that I had to use both hands. That's not really helpful.

Waiting for the TDI...
Volkswagen offers four different trim levels: one with front-wheel drive and the others with the company's 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. As I write these lines, prices range from $27,575 to $38,375 (excluding options and taxes), thus positioning the Tiguan in a sweet spot of the compact SUV segment, the popularity of which keeps rising due to volatile fuel prices.

Having said that, a properly-priced turbodiesel variant would turn out to be a much more interesting proposition if you ask me.


Photo Credit : Luc Gagné