Like me, you probably know one or buddies that will always arrive late to a party. It might be because they want to be noticed when they walk through the door, or maybe it's just because they're born that way, being late to any get-together or appointment. But, late or not, you're always glad to see them because you know a party just isn't a party without them.

From every angle, the Tiguan is a nice-looking SUV.

The Tiguan is Volkswagen's latecomer, and it's about time the German automaker crashes the compact SUV segment. But the Tiguan isn't a half-baked deal just to say: "We've got one, too". It may have taken a long time to develop, but it just might have been worth the wait.

Cute as a button
From every angle, the Tiguan is a nice-looking SUV. The front seems to have no bumper, as the lower air dam sweeps upwards to rest under the headlights, while the grille cascades downwards to create a waterfall shape. The only thing that bothers us a bit, and you have to get close to notice it, it that the hood overlaps the top of the front fascia and looks misaligned.

At the rear, the taillights run into the rear hatch, which benefits from a large window. Overall, the Tiguan looks like the love child of the Touareg and the Rabbit, but despite it being a brand-new vehicle on the road, it doesn't seem to attract much attention. Well, maybe that's not a bad thing.

Award-winning engine included
Under the hood of the Tiguan, you'll find Volkswagen's familiar turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder. Despite the company claiming that the engine has been revised for the Tiguan, it keeps the same output numbers: 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque peaking from 1,700 rpm all the way to 5,000 rpm.

The Mighty Mouse engine is mated to the Tiptronic 6-speed automatic with manual mode. We've tested this transmission in various VW and Audi models, and the electronic throttle hesitates for a half-second before reacting during accelerations from a standstill, but it wasn't as noticeable in the Tiguan.

Under the hood of the Tiguan, you'll find Volkswagen's familiar turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine.