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It’s an appropriate course for VW’s new, downsized sport-utility vehicle. What one senior executive calls “the little brother” to Volkswagen’s big Touareg, the new Tiguan is designed to be a do-it-all vehicle: with the go-anywhere capabilities of an SUV, but the comfort, handling, and fuel efficiency of a sedan. Sound familiar?.jpg)
Now add in some surprisingly luxurious touches at an unexpectedly affordable price and, at least on paper, you’ve got a product that could challenge the likes of well-established crossovers like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. But we’re not interested in press kits. We want to know how the long-awaited Tiguan fares in real-world situations.
To start with, though, we’re in for a bit of make-believe. To provide a sense of the crossover’s capabilities, the automaker has set up a challenging, if completely artificial, off-road course complete with steep hills, sharp descents, and even a teeter-totter..jpg)
For this first run, we start out in what we’ll refer to as the Tiguan 28. In an unusual, though not entirely unique, move, Volkswagen has given its new SUV two faces. This number refers to what off-roaders call the approach angle — in this case 28 degrees, a reasonably impressive figure for those who might want to assault something more aggressive than a snowy street or gravel trail. And as we make our way around the course, there’s no question that the Tiguan offers some real, off-road capabilities.
