SEL 4dr Front-Wheel Drive
2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
2009 VW Tiguan S – Click above for high-res image gallery Over the past decade, virtually every automaker in the world has first introduced an SUV (or two) and more recently a crossover utility vehicle (or two) in an attempt to address every possible market niche. Volkswagen is no exception, although the German brand was a relative latecomer to the party. Its first attempt, the mid-sized but decidedly heavy-weight Touareg was the first entry, and earlier this year VW added a second smaller CUV called the Tiguan. Unlike the Touareg, which was built on an all-new platform shared and co-developed with Porsche, the Tiguan is more closely related to VW's mainstream car models. When the Tiguan was introduced in Europe at last years Frankfurt Motor Show, VW made a big deal of the fact that it was the only CUV in the world powered exclusively by "charged" engines. Technically this is not true, as the Acura RDX currently has only one powertrain available, a 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder. Nonetheless, all five of the engines available in the European Tiguan have either turbocharging or both a turbo and supercharging. While Europeans get a choice of four-cylinder engines running on gas or diesel, buyers here in the U.S. are stuck with only the most powerful gas engine, a 200-hp turbocharged and direct-injected unit. Find out what it's like to live with VW's new compact soft-roader after the jump. %Gallery-35939% Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. The Tiguan is a fairly conventional-looking compact crossover. It doesn't have any glaring design flaws that will make you recoil in horror, nor does it have anything all that compelling that will cause you to continue staring. The sides, however, have enough contouring to catch the light and prevent it from looking slab sided. The Tiguan's face, meanwhile, is a clean interpretation of the current VW family appearance and doesn't suffer for lacking the huge swath of chrome below the grille that the Jetta and Passat have. Perhaps the only real complaint about the Tiguan's appearance is its nose profile. From certain angles the front overhang appears a bit long and ungainly. In comparison to the nearly identically sized Ford Escape, both axles have been shifted rearward under the body. This is likely a result of designing for both lower aerodynamic drag and meeting European pedestrian protection regulations. Since the Escape is not offered in Europe, it doesn't have to meet those requirements and has a more blunt nose. In plan view, the the Tiguan's front corners also have a prominent rear sweep. On the inside, all the major dimensions are again largely the same as the Escape, but the similarity ends there. Where the Escape's interior motif is in keeping with its big brothers on the truck side of the family, the Tiguan is pure contemporary VW. That means even this entry level Tiguan S has materials that look to be of a higher grade than its price suggests and the layout is generally …
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2009 VW Tiguan S – Click above for high-res image gallery Over the past decade, virtually every automaker in the world has first introduced an SUV (or two) and more recently a crossover utility vehicle (or two) in an attempt to address every possible market niche. Volkswagen is no exception, although the German brand was a relative latecomer to the party. Its first attempt, the mid-sized but decidedly heavy-weight Touareg was the first entry, and earlier this year VW added a second smaller CUV called the Tiguan. Unlike the Touareg, which was built on an all-new platform shared and co-developed with Porsche, the Tiguan is more closely related to VW's mainstream car models. When the Tiguan was introduced in Europe at last years Frankfurt Motor Show, VW made a big deal of the fact that it was the only CUV in the world powered exclusively by "charged" engines. Technically this is not true, as the Acura RDX currently has only one powertrain available, a 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder. Nonetheless, all five of the engines available in the European Tiguan have either turbocharging or both a turbo and supercharging. While Europeans get a choice of four-cylinder engines running on gas or diesel, buyers here in the U.S. are stuck with only the most powerful gas engine, a 200-hp turbocharged and direct-injected unit. Find out what it's like to live with VW's new compact soft-roader after the jump. %Gallery-35939% Photos Copyright ©2008 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc. The Tiguan is a fairly conventional-looking compact crossover. It doesn't have any glaring design flaws that will make you recoil in horror, nor does it have anything all that compelling that will cause you to continue staring. The sides, however, have enough contouring to catch the light and prevent it from looking slab sided. The Tiguan's face, meanwhile, is a clean interpretation of the current VW family appearance and doesn't suffer for lacking the huge swath of chrome below the grille that the Jetta and Passat have. Perhaps the only real complaint about the Tiguan's appearance is its nose profile. From certain angles the front overhang appears a bit long and ungainly. In comparison to the nearly identically sized Ford Escape, both axles have been shifted rearward under the body. This is likely a result of designing for both lower aerodynamic drag and meeting European pedestrian protection regulations. Since the Escape is not offered in Europe, it doesn't have to meet those requirements and has a more blunt nose. In plan view, the the Tiguan's front corners also have a prominent rear sweep. On the inside, all the major dimensions are again largely the same as the Escape, but the similarity ends there. Where the Escape's interior motif is in keeping with its big brothers on the truck side of the family, the Tiguan is pure contemporary VW. That means even this entry level Tiguan S has materials that look to be of a higher grade than its price suggests and the layout is generally …
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Retail Price
$30,990
MSRP / Window Sticker Price
| Engine | 2.0L I-4 |
| MPG | 18 City / 24 Hwy |
| Seating | 5 Passengers |
| Transmission | 6-spd w/OD |
| Power | 200 @ 5100 rpm |
| Drivetrain | front-wheel |
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