Q_01_web-singlepage_Jun15

The 2016
VW
Tiguan
By Aamer Merchant
For those who don’t know, the name ‘Tiguan’ comes
from combining tiger and iguana into one. An
appropriate name for a strong energetic midsize
SUV that is made to adapt to any road and weather
conditions. With plenty of options and a peppy 2.0
litre 200 horsepower engine to happily get you from
A to B—and maybe convince you to go further to an
unplanned C.
I met with Tim San Andres from Humberview
Volkswagen at 1650 The Queensway, to get an intro to
the Tiguan and then test drive. Tim, who is obviously a
Tiguan fan, gave us a run down of the features and the
difference between the 4 models which are: Trendline,
Special Edition, Comfortline and Highline.
I jumped into the cockpit of a Tiguan Comfortline.
Heated leatherette seats, some nice tunes on a Fender
premium audio system and a full tank of gas. Let the
ride begin! I threw it in drive, hit the gas and without
any hesitation this machine was going. A highly
responsive steering wheel made the SUV feel more like
a sporty car. It was sharp around the corners and a tight
turning radius made U turns a breeze. I tried out the
Tiptronic feature of this transmission and decided to
stay there. There was no lag between the shifts and no
jerking when shifting between acceleration.
The SUV was fun to drive and I can easily see an owner
winning a few speeding tickets till they get used to the
smooth yet extremely responsive acceleration the 200 hp
engine delivers. The cluster panel was clear and easily
understood with all controls comfortably in the drivers
reach. No blind spots in this vehicle and something
about the finesse of a German interior that makes your
ride comfortable and rich at the same time.
The Trendline is the base model. It is a two wheel drive
and the only model that is available with a manual
transmission which starts at $24,990.00 and the
automatic starts at $26,390.00. All the other models are
automatic and have 4motion, which is 4-wheel drive.
It comes with numerous standard features including
Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, front fog lights
and rear-view camera.
Humberview VW’s most popular model is the Special
Edition. It starts from $29,998.00 and it has most of the
features of the Convenience package standard on it. The
biggest difference is the 4Motion, 17” wheels, dual zone
climatronic air-conditioning system and push button
start. With this one, you can add on a panoramic power
sunroof for $1,400.00 and a navigation package for
$995.00 that consists of a larger touch screen, navigation
system and SiriusXM satellite radio.
Once you go up to the Comfortline, the panoramic
sunroof, SiriusXM radio and other features are
standard on this SUV and additional features such as
leatherette interior, and 18” wheels are also included.
This truck starts at $33,998.00. You can get an
additional Technology package for $1,295.00 and that
will give you the 6.33” touch screen with navigation
system and a 9 speaker Fender premium audio system
that includes a subwoofer.
The Comfortline is the first line that you can add the
Bi-Xenon headlights.
Finally there is the Highline, which has the Comfortline
features plus it’s own add-ons such as 12-way power
driver seat, 18” alloy tires and Discover Media package,
starting at $38,490.
The Tiguan has a 5 star crash safety ratings all the
way around, anti-lock brakes and 4Motion that helps
prevent skids. VW also uses hot form steel which is a
thicker gauge steel than your average car and they use
laser seam welding vs. spot welding. Tim compared it
to a zipper vs. buttons. Also the ‘B’ pillars: which is the
middle pillar that comes into play for a side impact, they
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