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2016 Volkswagen Tiguan First Reviews Are Here and They Are Good

We have high expectations regarding the new Tiguan because it needs to have every feature the Passat sedan does, plus better off-road equipment. Thankfully, the engineers have done their job.
2016 Volkswagen Tiguan First Reviews Are Here and They Are Good 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
A week ago, we announced that VW Germany had begun selling the 2016 Tiguan with only two engines. Production has started, and a small fleet of SUVs has assembled itself in Northern Europe for reviews. After all, nobody buys a brand new car without watching a video review first. We have a 1-hour long clip from Autogefuhl that seems to be the first and also the longest 2016 Tiguan review that you can currently watch.

The Tiguan is one of the most popular SUVs in Germany and its neighboring markets. Since 2007, 2.64 million units have been sold. Despite being obsolete, the previous generation still managed 600,000 deliveries in 2015 alone. Judging by these numbers, the 2016 model could sell one million per year.

As you may have already heard, the 2016 model rides on the MQB platform, making it 110 lbs (50 kg) lighter on average. The overall length of the car has grown by 2.4 inches (6.1 cm), while the wheelbase has been expanded by 3 inches (7.6 cm).

Is it better off-road than before? Definitely. Thanks to a fifth-gen Haldex coupling, the 4MOTION-equipped Tiguan can change the way it shuffles power according to the driving modes. That means that if the conditions are right, you could do something like you see in the photo above.

As standard, its suspension is 11mm higher than before, while the roof is lower for stability. The off-road model has special bumpers that give it approach angles of 25.6 degrees. Few people actually have a rugged adventure in their SUV, so Volkswagen has also created an R-Line model with lower suspension and cool-looking bumpers.

As we've mentioned, there are only two engines available right now. One is the 2.0 TDI rated at 150 PS, the other being its gasoline brother with 180 PS. We'd go for the more powerful to get an enjoyable driving experience. However, 190 and 240 PS diesels are also on the way.

The Tiguan in this video features the Highline equipment with special seats that have alcantara on the inside and fabric on the outside. The dash gets optional carbon trim that makes the Tiguan appear sportier than the Tiguan and Golf. Not only can you get a digital speedometer that can show maps, but there's also a head-up display to keep your eyes on the road.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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