Facelift Volkswagen Tiguan spoiling for a fight

The Volkswagen Tiguan has, since the debut of the original in 2008, been nothing but a success story for Wolfsburg both locally and globally.

Importance of history

Of the claimed almost one-million units produced thus far, 19 650 first generation models received the thumbs-up from South Africans between 2008 and 2016.

The latter year then saw the reveal of the current second generation which, until last year, had received the signatures of 16,660 buyers despite the presence of the T-Cross and T-Roc.

It therefore answers the question “what makes a nameplate work” rather well given the initial hesitation associated with making the ‘mini-Touareg’, the actual moniker that blends ‘tiger’ with ‘iguana’ from a pronunciation standpoint. And the somewhat silly specification denominators of “Trend&Fun”, “Sport&Style” and “Track&Field”.

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Despite its pricing having climbed considerably since that unveiling in 2008, the Tiguan’s popularity in what is undoubtedly the most important segment to date has not diminished – a trait the facelift model is likely to build upon.

Delayed reveal worth the looks?

Shown just over a year ago, the proverbial spanner in the works dealt a double whammy to the revised Tiggy’s local launch in not only the global semi-conductor meltdown, but also the more stringent Level 4 lockdown restrictions and sealing-off of Gauteng.

As such, its arrival this past weekend preceded the eventual launch that took place digitally during the week, allowing for a longer than usual experience with what is likely to be the most popular variant, the 1.4 TSI R-Line DSG.

On first glance, the visual differences from the pre-facelift Tiguan are easy to spot. Influenced by the Golf 8, the styling tweaks caused for a split in opinion of what was an already stylish product.

Unlikely to resonate with everyone when lined-up against the pre-facelift Tiguan, not helped by the dour (R6,000) optional Oryx White Pearlescent paint finish, the styling changes are subtle. These include new headlights, a restyled front bumper, Touareg inspired grille, a redesigned rear bumper, subtly updated taillights and the new block letter TIGUAN name badge underneath the VW logo.

As mentioned, the R-Line, which made up 70% of the pre-facelift Tiguan’s sales, receives wider door sills, sportier bumpers, faux quad exhaust outlets with chrome surrounds, a bootlid spoiler and standard 19-inch Valencia alloy wheels.

Spec and tech on the up, quality down

Inside, the redesign comes in the form of a new climate control panel with touch-sensitive buttons, the same gear lever as the T-Cross, a new multi-function steering wheel and a 30 colour ambient lighting package.

In addition, the R-Line also comes as standard with the 10.25-inch Active Info Display instrument cluster, Vienna leather seats with R branded front headrests and R detailing on the steering wheel and floor mats and door sills.

While fitted as standard with the eight-inch Composition Media system infotainment system, our tester sported the optional (R18,500) 9.2-inch Discover Media infotainment system with app-connect and integrated satellite navigation.

Other options fitted, which saw the sticker price balloon from R644,500 to R770,000, included:

• panoramic sunroof (R16,000);
• Matrix I.Q. LED headlights (R14,000);
• wireless smartphone charging (R4,000);
• Heads-Up Display (R10,500);
• keyless entry (R11,300);
• swivelling tow bar (R9,300);
• surround view camera with front and park sensors plus a reverse camera (R14,000);
• I.Q Drive comprising adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection (R10,500);
• ten-speaker Harman Kardon sound system (R11,400).

Seated behind the wheel, small chinks appeared rather quickly in the form of clunky plastics on the dashboard and especially on the doors, and somewhat bizarrely, no automatic closing function for the panoramic roof.

A disappointment and oddity considering the price plus the Tiguan’s premium aspirations, the rest of cabin felt otherwise good with soft-touch plastic, while the combination of the easy-to-use infotainment system and instrument cluster certainly helped with the tech feel.

What’s more, the R-Line also sported heated front seats and despite the quirkiness of the roof, headroom, together with legroom, didn’t suffer at all with those in back also having access to a single USB port and air vents as part of the tri-zone climate control.

Practically is also taken care off with the opening of the electric tailgate presenting a 520-litre boot that expands to 1,655-litres with the rear seats down.

Small but still prevailing

As indicated, our tester derived motivation from Volkswagen’s 1.4 TSI petrol engine which produces 110kW/250Nm. The sole option on the entry-level model, the mid-range Life that replaces the Comfortline and the R-Line, the mill is connected to a six-speed DSG with drive going to the front wheels.

All-wheel-drive is however offered on the top-spec 162kW/350Nm 2.0 TSI R-Line, as well as the 130kW/380Nm 2.0 TDI R-Line that arrives in December. The line-up will be completed in early-2022 with the arrival of the eagerly awaited Tiguan R.

While still popular, the baby TSI is more suited to relaxed rather than spirited driving as the pull is more linear than spritely. In spite of shifting smoothly, the DSG still exhibits confusion when tasked with shifting down, although option for the gear shift paddles behind the steering wheel rectifies matters to an extent.

Despite offering a Sport mode, the Tiguan was left in Normal for the majority of its weekend stay where the combination of mixed driving conditions in town and on the highway over 300km netted a best of 6.4 L/100 km.

Unsurprisingly, the ride on those 19-inch alloys felt more firm than comfortable with each lump and imperfection being felt, though this has seemingly proved to be of little concern as evident by the R-Line’s popularity.

Conclusion

While it was initially feared that the introduction of especially the T-Roc would infringe on the Volkswagen Tiguan’s sales, momentum has remained with the latter.

Although not without with foibles, is continues to rate as a class act with the added promise of not only the VW badge, but as a package that does the basics right.

Pricing

All models come as standard with a three year/120,000 km warranty plus a five year/90,000 km service plan.

Tiguan 1.4 TSI DSG – R521,000

Tiguan 1.4 TSI Life DSG – R587,200

Tiguan 1.4 TSI R-Line DSG – R644,500

Tiguan 2.0 TSI R-Line 4Motion DSG – R710,000

For more information, visit vw.co.za