Australian Premiere Of The Volkswagen Tiguan - Next Car Pty Ltd

Volkswagen is displaying the award winning new Tiguan in an Australian premiere at the 2008 Melbourne Motor Show prior to the local launch of this important new model in May. The Tiguan, which won the Golden Steering Wheel Award in Germany last November, is a completely new development from the ground up and can be recommended to all those drivers who enjoy the individual visual appearance and versatility of an SUV, but also expect a premium level of comfort and agility. The Tiguan chassis sets high standards in the world of SUV’s with its dynamic properties and high level of active safety. In terms of safety, the European consumer protection organisation Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) tested the safety of the Tiguan and the results are first class. The Tiguan earned five stars for passenger protection, four stars for child safety and two stars for pedestrian protection. With this result, the Tiguan continues the good tradition established by the Golf, Passat and Touareg in the past.

Three engines will be on offer in Australia, two petrol with TSI technology (125 kW & 147 kW) and one TDI (103 kW). All are 'charged' without exception, delivering thrust just above the engines idling speed. Today, the new and remarkably quiet common rail TDI already satisfies the Euro-5 standards that do not go into effect in Europe until 2009.

The Tiguan is an all-round talent. This characterisation not only describes its powertrain properties, but also the multivariable and very spacious interior. The rear bench seat is split with a 60:40 ratio, it can be adjusted 16 centimetres in the longitudinal direction and the rear seatback has multiple tilt adjustment settings. This provides either more legroom in the rear or additional space in the cargo area. Also available on the Tiguan is a folding front passenger seat, so that very long objects and awkward objects can be stowed. With regard to the seat position, the passengers travel in exceptional comfort, not only in the front but also in the rear. The reason for this is due to the rear passenger seats being somewhat higher than the front seats and therefore more relaxed.

The numerous high-end technologies of the Tiguan include the first Park Steering Assistant in the world to be implemented on an SUV. The optional Park Assist function enables automatic reversing into a parking space parallel to the road. The driver just controls the accelerator pedal, brake and clutch while the Tiguan steers into a pre-measured space under sensor control. As soon as the driver manually intervenes in the steering process, the Park Assist function is de-activated.

The new Tiguan has a high-end, mature and astute image.
It transfers the Touareg idea of the sovereign cruising and off-road SUV to another class. The more compact Tiguan also masters the ride through both worlds – taking on asphalt as well as natural trails. The design of the Tiguan matches this character precisely.

A typical, trusted, friendly Volkswagen. And yet everything is new, everything is different. The radiator grille was further developed and its design was significantly reduced. The headlights are distinctive; they form an integral unit with the grille and bumper.

The engine bonnet is cut into the contour of the headlamps and lends a very concentrated look to the car’s 'face'. Shaped to be broad and powerful is the bumper beneath the headlamps and on the sides the fog lamps complete the image in their own frames. The actual character of the front end, however, is generated by the interplay of all design characteristics. And in the process the 1.81 metre wide and 1.67 metre tall (without roof railing) Tiguan exhibits a clarity of form and proportion that make the approx. 4.43 metre long SUV stand out distinctively from the crowd in the big city jungle.

In its side profile, clarity and power also dominate the forms. Viewed from the side, except for the small Volkswagen symbol in the wheel rims, there is no logo that “gives away” the Tiguan as a Volkswagen. And yet, there is no doubt that it can be made out as a Volkswagen at first glance. Clarity and power also form the unique wheel arches, a window line that rises from the front to the back, the door and guard surfaces are designed with strong modulation, as well as new, 16-inch “San Francisco” alloy wheels.

Typical of Volkswagen is the design of the rear end. However, here too, it is both typical and yet entirely different. Typical, because the basic layout of the taillights follow the pattern of the Eos and the Passat Wagon and are part of the powerful shoulder section. It is different, because the overall design takes new paths, the steep tailgate extends far into the bumper and is part of a design and the classic, pure SUV elements are combined with contemporary, urban forms.

Attention to detail is evident in the new Tiguan right to the last detail.
This gave it a decidedly ergonomic and very spacious interior. In all five seating positions on board the Tiguan occupants are just as comfortable. The rear bench can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction and has asymmetrically split folding sections.

The seating system in the Tiguan is available in two configurations, depending on the equipment level. The TDI and 125 kW TSI both come fitted with standard seats that already offer good comfort and height adjustment on the driver’s side. Positioned above this is the 147 kW TSI equipment line. Here the seats are sports seats with integrated adjustable lumbar support.

The three-part rear seating system is a bench split in a 60:40 ratio; in addition the centre section of the seatback can be folded down to be used as a centre arm rest, drink holder or cargo pass-through. The individual seat elements can also be adjusted by 16 centimetres in the longitudinal direction. Independent of this adjustment, the rear seatbacks can be adjusted over a reclining range of 23 degrees.

Neat, variable, functional and level – these are key words that accurately describe the cargo area of the Tiguan. With five persons on board it already stows 470 litres. Up to 1,510 litres and 650 kilogrammes payload can be stowed in the Tiguan when the rear seats are folded down. This moves it right next to genuine mid-class station wagons. So-called gap flaps close the gaps that occur when the seat unit is folded away, thereby forming a level cargo floor. Chrome-plated tie-down eyes, shopping bag hooks, a 12-Volt accessory plug and other functional elements make this a truly multivariable cargo area.

The Tiguan will be the first SUV in the world to arrive on the market exclusively with 'charged' TDI and TSI engines. The advantage: Greater power and torque, better fuel economy and lower emissions. The new Tiguan SUV will debut on the Australian market with a TDI engine.

The TSI engines on offer will be two four-cylinder engines: 125 kW and 147 kW. In the diesel area, there will be the powerful 103 kW 2.0 TDI. The stated development goal here was to offer the quietest diesel engine in its class. The direct-injection turbo-diesel engine will already fulfill the Euro-5 standard that does not go into effect in Europe until 2009.

All Tiguans are delivered with six-speed transmissions as standard equipment. As an option, the Tiguan may be ordered with a six-speed tiptronic automatic, which is standard in the 147 kW model. Both transmissions fulfill special off-road requirements.

The manual transmission can be driven at an engine speed of 1,000 rpm or vehicle speed of just 6.69 km/h, for example; this practically equals the crawler gear of a reduction gearbox. The automatic transmission has gear level pre-select; in off-road use, it prevents shifting to the next higher gear.

4MOTION provides more grip off-road and more safety on-road.
Latest generation of the 4MOTION all-wheel drive debuts in the Tiguan.

In 1998 Volkswagen presented the highly advanced 4MOTION system as the successor to the fulltime “syncro” all-wheel drive. Over nearly a full decade, the all-wheel drive concept has been continuously further developed in various technical configurations.

An important design property of the 4MOTION systems installed in car segments up to the Passat V6 FSI is the very quick reacting Haldex clutch. The latest version of this technology operates on the Tiguan. The defined development goal was an all-wheel drive that satisfies the highest standards for driving dynamics and driving safety on the road, while simultaneously offering optimal traction off the paved trails.

CD-Radio, ESP and electronic parking brake are standard.
Park Assist and Off-Road Switch simplify life in city and outback.

Even the entry versions of the Tiguan have extensive convenience and safety features. When it comes to safety, these include a protective network of six airbags, the ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme), child seat anchorages on the rear bench and electronic parking brake with AutoHold function.

Standard on-board convenience features also include a multi-function leather steering wheel, cruise control and a Radio/CD player with MP3 compatibility, Aux input and eight loud speakers, semi-automatic air conditioning system, four electric windows, electrically adjustable and heated outside mirrors, Multifunctional Display ‘plus’ (trip computer), remote central locking and various storage compartments and bins.

Some of the features of the Tiguan with 147 kw TSI engine are: 17-inch “Boston” alloy wheels with size 235/55R17 tyres, chrome roof rails, tinted windows starting at the B-pillars (up to 65 per cent light absorbing), sport seats with height-adjustable lumbar supports, folding front passenger seat, storage drawers under the front seats, folding table and storage pockets on the rear of the front seats and sports seats in upgraded cloth with Alcantara appliqués, and low tyre pressure indicator.

Options for the Tiguan include an off-road switch, which at the press of a button awakens an entire armada of assistance systems for making drives off-road especially safe. Specifically, in one fell swoop this switch activates the hill descent assistant (optimal control in descents), modified driving pedal characteristic (finer metering of engine torque), EDL adaptation (Electronic Differential Locks are activated at the slightest slip), ABS adaptation (improved braking on loose substrates), hill ascent assistance (support in ascents and clutch protection) and – together with an automatic transmission – gear level pre-select (including optimal engine braking effect).

The Tiguan is being offered with the option of two completely new radio and navigation systems. The RCD 310 and RCD 510 radio (including 6-disc CD changer). The RNS 510 radio-navigation system is controlled in part via a touch screen (6.5 inch). Also part of the RNS 510 hardware is a Power-PC processor running at 400 MHz and a dedicated graphics processor. The navigation and entertainment data are saved on a 30 gigabyte hard drive. Another SD card slot (including for MP3 files) is located below the display on both devices.

A component of the RNS 510 radio-navigation system is the rearview camera. It is located directly above the number plate, and it transmits a real-time distortion-free image to the display of the RNS 510. The route is also shown in the display utilising orientation lines corresponding to the specific steering wheel movement.

Some 300 percent more. More light, more viewing, more sun. With its enormous Panorama Sunroof (PSD) the Tiguan offers 300 per cent greater roof cutout area than a conventional Golf sunroof. Despite all of this, it was possible to achieve the rigidity values of the closed variant, which are especially important for an SUV.

VW Tiguan Feature Highlights

Model	Transmission	Engine	Driven Wheels	Max power, kW	Max torque, Nm
125 TSI +	6 speed man	2.0 litre direct injection, turbo charged petrol engine	4MOTION all wheel drive	125	280
	6 speed Tiptronic auto
103 tdI -	6 speed man	2.0 litre common rail turbo diesel engine with diesel particulate filter	4MOTION all wheel drive	103	320
	6 speed Tiptronic auto
147 TSI +	6 speed Tiptronic auto	2.0 litre direct injection, turbo charged petrol engine	4MOTION all wheel drive	147	280

+ Models available from 3rd quarter 2008.
- Model available from 2nd quarter 2008.