Table of contents:
- With the development of crossovers, Volkswagen somewhat delayed - when the first generation Tiguan debuted, Japanese and even Korean brands ruled the ball in this class for a long time. However, this did not stop him from quickly becoming one of the most successful models in the class. The current second-generation Tiguan is also selling well. And in Russia, he did become a "national hit" from the Volkswagen company
- Interior
- Practicality
- Technics
- Reliability
- Riding
- Equipment
- Competitors
- conclusions
With the development of crossovers, Volkswagen somewhat delayed - when the first generation Tiguan debuted, Japanese and even Korean brands ruled the ball in this class for a long time. However, this did not stop him from quickly becoming one of the most successful models in the class. The current second-generation Tiguan is also selling well. And in Russia, he did become a "national hit" from the Volkswagen company
Agree, this title is well deserved by a car that sells better than any of the Niva, and even more so the UAZ. Moreover, the growing popularity of Tiguan every year ensured him a place on the market pedestal: more than 37 thousand cars were sold in 2019. Among crossovers, only Hyundai Cret and Renault Duster are ahead.
What explains this demand? Successful positioning with a wide choice of trim levels, Russian assembly, providing good prices … But is the Volkswagen Tiguan itself good enough to put all rivals on the blades? Let's look at the example of a crossover with a 180-horsepower 2.0 TSI turbo engine, 7-speed DSG and all-wheel drive. Such a car in Russia costs from 2,189,000 rubles.
Interior
Everyone who came across the second generation Tiguan can be divided into two groups. The first think that Volkswagen is, first of all, comfortable. The second is that it's boring. To whom of them to join, everyone decides for himself, and it seems to us that everyone is right. What cannot be taken away from the German crossover for sure is the quality: only the owners of expensive premium cars can grumble about the finishing materials, the accuracy of fitting the panels and joints. And that's not all.
Practicality
The Tiguan isn't compact, but it didn't become the biggest guy in the class either. But the German engineers disposed of the dimensions as efficiently as possible, providing both a reserve of space for rear passengers and a place for cargo. And most importantly, what attracts Volkswagen buyers is convenient little things, which are no less here than in Skoda.
Technics
The second generation Tiguan is the crossover embodiment of Volkswagen's modular MQB platform. Therefore, not only buttons, knobs and steering wheel - the whole units here are the same as in other models of the concern. Or almost the same. On the other hand, this unification reduces the crossover's prime cost and simplifies its maintenance.
Reliability
About modern Volkswagen models in general and about the Tiguan in particular, there is an opinion that reliability is not its strongest feature. Is it so? We have studied the statistics of complaints from owners and their calls to services.
The first Tiguan had many problems, the most serious of which were associated with turbo motors and robotic boxes. However, with the change of generations, Volkswagen solved most of the punctures, and some of them radically. So, the most popular 1.4 TSI engine of the EA111 series was actually replaced by a completely new, generation EA211. Among other things, it uses a belt instead of a fast-stretching timing chain. Oil consumption has also returned to normal - only one of nine to ten owners has to top it up between MOTs. However, the engines did not become ideal. Malfunctions in the cooling system still occur, and complaints about the long warm-up of the cabin remain. On two-liter engines of the EA888 series, the chain remained, but there were fewer problems with it.
I am glad that DSG repairs have come to naught at the "second" Tiguan - at least on those runs that most cars have reached. But the glitches of the electronics have not yet been eliminated - more often than others, parking sensors, window regulator and mirror buttons, and tire pressure monitoring are naughty. The most unpleasant failure occurs with the 1.4 TSI throttle control unit, due to which the engine will not start.
The close relationship with passenger cars is most clearly manifested in the driving character of the Tiguan. Despite the large wheels and 200mm ground clearance, it is closer to sedans and hatchbacks than to SUVs in behavior. Four-wheel drive and electronic assistants help the owner of the Tiguan without fear to move onto the dirt roads and get out of the yard covered with snow. But a sortie on a more serious off-road, most likely, will end with exercises with a shovel or a hike behind a tractor: the crossover sometimes burrows into loose soil faster than the driver has time to realize his mistake. Although the rear wheel drive clutch is not prone to overheating, the brakes help to cope with diagonal hanging. On the pavement, the Tiguan is in its element. Cornering is minimal, as is the degree of understeer. When the tire grip limit is selected, the Volkswagen starts sliding outward smoothly with the front axle, but the drift is quickly replaced by the slip of all wheels. It is enough to designate the corrective movement by the steering wheel, and all liberties are suppressed by the vigilant stabilization system. The driver himself can easily catch the Tiguan if he is confident in his skills and has removed the "electronic collar" from the crossover. Not the easiest procedure, by the way. The Tiguan lacks the corresponding button, the ESP modes are switched in the depths of the multimedia system menu. Moreover, stabilization does not turn off for good - in very deep drifts, it still insures the drivers, slowing down the wheels. Trajectory driving is also pleasant. The steering is sharp by the standards of the class, from lock to lock the steering wheel makes a little more than two turns. The steering wheel has a clearly defined zero and good feedback in both small and large cornering angles. Largely due to this, the Tiguan, despite the high sensitivity of the steering, keeps a straight line perfectly at any speed Only very large road irregularities such as holes, tram tracks or speed bumps can bring Tiguan off balance. The crossover reacts to them painfully - passengers receive tangible jolts, and the suspension struts loudly hit the limiters on rebound. The car's suspension is short and too stiff for a crossover. At least in Russian realities. The combination of the turbo engine and the DSG robot is two-faced - its behavior is highly dependent on the selected settings. If you put the Tiguan in Sport mode, the crossover becomes commendably responsive to commands from the gas pedal, and the driver always has a good supply of traction “underfoot”. However, the constant driving in Sport is tiring - the DSG almost never lowers the engine speed below average, filling the cabin with a loud rumble. Excessive accelerator sensitivity in traffic jams and heavy traffic also interferes, and more fuel is consumed this way. Eco mode is the other extreme. How much gasoline is saved in it and whether it is saved at all, we do not undertake to say. But more or less it is only suitable for leisurely driving on empty roads. In a stream where the pace is constantly changing, the general lethargy and thoughtfulness of the powertrain is already getting in the way, causing irritation. The default settings are in the middle, but not in the gold. In it, the turbo engine responds adequately to driver commands within one gear, but the box seeks to go to higher stages as early as possible. When it is necessary to accelerate sharply, there is an inappropriate pause while the transmission shifts back. As a result, the most balanced Tiguan turns out to be if you switch only the engine to sport mode, returning the DSG to Drive. In the case of Volkswagen cars, these are the least useful details of our test - because the equipment of cars in Russia is constantly changing. For example, we had a completely fresh car on testing - but it no longer fits into the current configurator. Moreover, Volkswagen changes not only the name of the complete sets (like some other brands), but also their content - right down to the power units. For example, some time ago, the Tiguan was no longer sold with a diesel engine, but now such crossovers are available again. We are talking about the equipment options that are relevant at the beginning of 2020. The basic configuration of the crossover is called Trendline and costs from 1,539,000 rubles excluding possible discounts. Such a Tiguan can only be with front-wheel drive, 6-speed "mechanics" and a 125-horsepower version of the 1.4 TSI engine.The wheels will be 17-inch (light-alloy), the headlights will be halogen, the interior will be fabric, the instruments will be with real, not painted scales. But in general, the equipment is not empty at all, there is even cruise control, a three-zone climate and heated front seats. And for a surcharge of 42,500 rubles, you can get an autonomous heater with remote control. In the next configuration (there are six of them in total, Tiguan has six), the Winter Edition, the ability to buy cars with DSG, 150-horsepower engine and drive either two or four wheels is added. They cost from 1,699,000 and 1,799,000 rubles, respectively. The equipment is also richer - LED headlights, parking sensors in front and rear, for an additional charge, a rear-view camera, an electric tailgate and keyless access are available. Two-liter engines, both petrol and diesel, are offered from the Offroad version and only with all-wheel drive. The price for them is the same - from 2,189,000 rubles. Also, the Tiguan Offroad is the only option to get all-wheel drive with "mechanics": the engine is only 150-horsepower. And this car will also have a different front bumper, plastic overlays on the body and two-tone seat upholstery. The top-end equipment is called Sportline and costs from 2,559,000 rubles. Such a crossover can be easily distinguished by a sports body kit with arch extensions and plastic overlays in body color. Already in the standard, the wheels will be 19-inch, the cruise control will be adaptive, the driver's seat will be massage. And by adding another 130,000 rubles, you can get the most powerful, 220-horsepower Tiguan. But even in this case, you need to pay separately for navigation, all-round cameras, wireless charging for your phone, and the cost of the finished car will exceed three million rubles.
Самый близкий и самый грозный конкурент Тигуана. Kodiaq построен на той же платформе MQB со всеми её преимуществами, также собирается в России, но при этом Skodещё вместительнее и даже имеет 7-местную версию. А по ценам у друзей-соперников ничья: в каких-то версиях дешевле Tiguan, в каких-то наоборот" style="width: 823px; margin-right: 8px;"> Новый RAV4 дебютировал только осенью 2019-го, но сейчас продаётся ещё лучше, чем Tiguan. В его активе - атмосферные моторы объёмом 2 или 2,5 литра (149 и 199 сил), просторный салон, комфортная подвеска и, конечно, непробиваемая репутация марки. Но цены выше немецких: от 1 756 000 до 2 661 000 рублей" style="width: 823px; margin-right: 8px;"> Недавний бестселлер класса, популярность которого сейчас падает. Хотя Sportage дешевле, чем Tiguan - от 1 409 900 до 2 279 900 рублей, и при этом не уступает немецкому кроссоверу в оснащении. Из минусов - более тесный салон и багажник меньшего объёма. Двигатели - бензиновые, мощностью 150 и 184 л.с." style="width: 823px; margin-right: 8px;"> Автомобиль, готовый поспорить с Тигуаном за звание самого драйверского кроссовера в классе. У СХ-5 действительно отличное шасси, а по настройкам оно даже ультимативнее немецкого. В пассиве японского кроссовера ещё меньшая, чем у Kia, практичность. Цены: от 1 595 000 до 2 603 000 рублей" style="width: 823px; margin-right: 8px;"> The Volkswagen Tiguan is definitely good. Today it is one of the best cars in its class. However, the answer to the question - to buy or not - is ambiguous. Such is the unexpected paradox. Judge for yourself. The Tiguan can be fitted with a bunch of useful and not-so-useful equipment - but other manufacturers are not far behind in equipping their crossovers. And some are asking for less money. Volkswagen drives great, but petrolheads have an equally gambling alternative - for example, the 192-horsepower all-wheel drive MazdCX-5. Which, moreover, looks more interesting and at least psychologically more reliable thanks to the atmospheric engine and the classic "automatic". A driver who needs a crossover first of all for cabotage "home-dacha-home" will not even think about the Tiguan - when there is a RAV4 or a more roomy Kodiaq for about the same money. What, then, makes the Tiguan so popular? Most likely the fact that there are few customers with such extreme requests, and the bulk of buyers agree to compromises. For them, the crossover is synonymous with versatility, the car is equally appropriate for family and personal use. This means that you can sacrifice the dynamics or a few centimeters of the cabin for the sake of a favorable price. Even four-wheel drive for most buyers is not the main thing in a crossover. After all, its typical owner rarely or never drives off the pavement. Volkswagen Tiguan fits perfectly into this canvas - according to statistics, most of these cars are sold with a "small" engine and in initial configurations. In this configuration, the German crossover is truly one of the most profitable on the market. Moreover, even the cheapest Tiguan will have an excellent chassis and a large trunk. Rating 4.5 / 5 Okay badRiding
Equipment
Competitors
SkodKodiaq
ToyotRAV4
KiSportage
MazdCX-5
conclusions
