Round two

Better suited to our needs

Three years ago, my wife, Alyssa, and I looked at the Volkswagen Tiguan. We thought it would make a great family vehicle, and we both have a soft spot for Volkswagens. We test drove it. Loved it. Until we opened the back hatch. No room for a double stroller. (I was more concerned about a golf bag.) We regretfully had to scratch it off our list.

Enter the 2018 Tiguan. A redesigned, and slightly refined model, which takes after its big brother, the Atlas. The Tiguan itself has stretched nearly 10.6 inches. And with that, comes more cargo room. 37.6 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats to be exact. That’s almost 14 cubic feet more than its predecessor, or as Volkswagen will tell you, 58 per cent more cargo room. More than enough room for a double stroller. And more importantly, a couple golf bags when you and your mate decide to hit the links.

One of the most notable changes, is the addition of an optional third row. This allows room for two more adults in the far, far, back. Unfortunately it does eat up some of the added cargo room.

Power from the updated 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine is now down—yes, down—from 200 horsepower to just 184 on all trims. But torque has been bumped up to 221 lb-ft., from 207 lb-ft. I took the Tiguan for a short run on the 401, from Highway 62 to Wallbridge Loyalist road. The turbo kicked in on the on ramp, with no lag, and the eight speed gearbox pushed the Tiguan to 100km/h without hesitation. The power might be down, but there is more than enough oomph to get the Tiguan up to speed, quickly.

There are three drive modes to choose from. Eco, Normal and Sport. Sport mode allows the accelerator to react a touch faster, and also stiffens up the suspension. Eco mode is just that. Everything slows down in a bid to conserve fuel. The ride is comfortable and controlled because the Tiguan absorbs all types of broken pavement quite well. A plus for our County roads. Pair that with VW’s excellent 4Motion all-wheel drive system and you will be ready for whatever terrain, or snowfall, is thrown at you.

Inside is where the new Tiguan really shines. The seats are comfortable and supportive, controls are straightforward and easy to use, and it comes with a deep catalogue of available features. All trims come with a rear-view camera and post-collision braking as standard. Post-collision means the the Tiguan will stop itself from careening into traffic after it’s hit or damaged. On top of that goodness you get the option to add autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, an overhead view camera, adaptive cruise control, a panoramic sunroof and Volkswagen’s virtual cockpit display. And let’s not forget the Fender Audio system, which is sure to put a smile on your face.

All in all, the new Tiguan has stuck to its European roots, with a fun to drive, yet simple design. The added cargo room is a major bonus, and will allow us to put this vehicle back on our list. I better not tell my wife I got to test drive it though—she might be a tad jealous.

To test drive the new Tiguan, visit Belleville Volkswagen.