[troika]

I had been trying to find a rubber mat to cover the rear tunnel carpet for the last few weeks as the Tiguan floor mats that I purchased from VW were only a four piece set. The fact that the tunnel carpet was exposed and was a dust magnet was really irking me. Finally managed to buy the Kodiaq tunnel mat and it fit like a charm. Relieved 😅

[urban legend]

Originally Posted by troika

I had been trying to find a rubber mat to cover the rear tunnel carpet for the last few weeks as the Tiguan floor mats that I purchased from VW were only a four piece set. The fact that the tunnel carpet was exposed and was a dust magnet was really irking me. Finally managed to buy the Kodiaq tunnel mat and it fit like a charm. Relieved 😅

Did you buy it from the skoda showroom ? Please give the details

[The Rainmaker]

Tiguan is a very capable vehicle and the quality inside out is very robust. I've driven it many times and the drive is confidence inspiring and actually the OP is right.It feels and drives like a Sedan and you don't feel the heft while it still offers the practicality of an SUV.

In this price range, I think this is way better than it's Ladder on frame Japanese rivals as this provides the comfort which they simply can't. As for comparison with Tata/Mahindra/Hyundai/Kia, there isn't any. Those brands only copy German and Japanese in the name of 'reverse engineering' and still fail badly since they can't match up to the quality of these vehicles whether it's the plastics, materials used inside, or the drive-train and components on the outside. It's a good price point for an SUV primarily being used in the city while also having decent off road capability.

VW is not as aggressive with their marketing as Hyundai, Tata, Mahindra, Suzuki etc. And this IS the vehicle that ticks all the right boxes in this price range. Being in the market looking for an SUV in this price range, I was blown away by the quality this offers. But then I'm a sucker for quality, I really don't care about those cheap fancy features that other brands use to hide their flaws and increase their sales. If quality and robust build quality is what you're after, this is the best choice there is among German and Japanese automakers right now.

[urban legend]

My car has landed. I am expecting the delivery this Saturday.

[troika]

Originally Posted by urban legend

Did you buy it from the skoda showroom ? Please give the details

I did ask Skoda if they could sell the tunnel cover, but they refused as they were only ready to part with the tunnel cover as part of the complete accessory package. Since this cover is listed as an official accessory, it has a separate part number. I bought it online. If you just google the part number, it’ll throw up various options. I bought it from desertcart for 5200₹ including shipping from UK. The part number is 565061580

[vishy76]

I decided to drop in at the local VW showroom and check out the Tiguan TFSI. Have been hearing a lot of things about the car, but as I have found out of late, the proof lies in the pudding. Here are my observations after a short test drive:

• Looks a lot better in person than it does in the images. Obviously doesn't have the street cred of its Czech cousin, but I would say it manages to look a lot better (front especially) as compared to the pre-facelift Tiguan TDI

• A large part of this can be attributed to the new IQ LED projector headlamps. Keeping aside all the marketing mumbo-jumbo VW has used for them, I found they looked a lot better than the older headlamps on the Tiguan TDI which had a simple LED diode setup

• The only thing I despised was the red reflector strip running at the bottom of the bumper. Seems like an afterthought. The rear looks great otherwise with the reworked tail lamps

• On the inside, the cabin largely remains unchanged just like the exteriors. The older flat bottom steering has now been replaced with the one seen in the newer crop of VWs (Taigun etc) as opposed to the one in the Polo/Vento. What I did expect was touch based steering mounted controls. This gets physical buttons.

• Although interior quality is largely on par with what one would expect from a car at this price point, the quality of leather used disappointed me. Felt liked it belonged to a 17-20L car.

• Digital cluster looks nice! Volkswagen has mastered the art of making versatile digital clusters and this one is no different. Had a plethora of info on offer with a crisp resolution. Its good to see they have gone the whole hog and given it the full virtual cluster, not a truncated screen like on the Taigun

• Climate control panel will split opinions. Not only do I think its an ergonomic flaw (placed too low and has touch based buttons), but I also think that the physical dials for the Dual zone climatronic looked far better

• Gets a newer gear lever in line with global offerings. The selector markings are on the knob, not on the console below. Though the knob does look classy, you can't see what mode you are in if you have your hand on it! Beats the purpose of having those markings

• HU is very capable as expected, with a huge screen, capacitive buttons on either sides for most functions. It still retains a physical knob for the volume and power on/off though

• What isn't up to segment standards is the sound quality. Most competitors, both direct and indirect have moved on to 10 or 12 speaker audio systems. The Tiguan still has to make do with a generic 8-speaker system. A Fender audio system would have been apt for this car (international offering gets it)

• Does miss out on ventilated seats, though the air con did a surprisingly good job of cooling the cabin off with ambient temps outside soaring to 38 degrees celsius

Engine, ride quality & driving dynamics

• Gets the globally revered 2.0 TFSI mated to a 7-speed DQ381 GB. The pre facelift TDI had a DQ500 GB. The 381 has the ability to accomodate both AWD and FWD setups. As a result, this GB is now standard across all VW/Skodas producing more than 250nm torque here in India. The lesser ones make do with the DQ200

• Fire the engine up, and its dead silent at idle. Refinement is top notch. Never does the engine get boomy or unrefined at any point in the rev range

• Low speed behaviour of the tranny is typical of what you would expect from a DSG. The motor has enough torque to keep the Tiguan moving about almost effortlessly at low speeds, but the DSG does tend to act a bit sluggish in the initial two gears

• Gear shifts are also perceptible at lower revvs. Again, typical DSG trait. The shifts get a lot smoother if they occur at higher revvs

• Open road performance is enjoyable. The TFSI is eager to revv and one can make very quick progress. The DSG also plays along perfectly, offering seamless upshifts and quick downshifts as and when needed. As with all turbo petrols, the mid range is the real highlight. Even beyond 5000rpm, there's only a thrum let out by the engine which is quite a likeable sound

• The steering is very light at low speeds, making driving in traffic effortless. At higher speeds though, it was a touch lighter than I would have preffered (definitely lighter than my Jetta). I think this is a trait when it comes to MQB cars. Observed this with the Taigun as well. The steering is pinpoint accurate, though there's no feedback. Typical VAG behaviour.

• Ride quality was a bit of a mixed bag. At higher speeds (say above 50 kmhr), the car rode flat with no bumps and potholes filtering through. Unfortunately, as the speeds dropped, the suspension did reveal its ugly side. Low speed ride is stiff and the car does have a tendency to crash through very sharp potholes.

• Handling was as expected of a VAG SUV. Absolutely flat and composed over expansion joints on flyovers and long sweeping corners even at triple digit speeds. Body roll did exist on the limit though, and it was a touch higher than I anticipated

• The brakes have excellent bite and the pedal has great feel. In fact, someone who isn't used to them might find them too grabby and over-servoed. However, I found them perfect. The car stopped without any fuss or drama when I slammed on the anchors from 100.

All in all, I think my opinion of the Tiguan remains the same. Its a great car, but its overpriced by atleast a couple of lakhs and it is missing out on some key equipment that is expected of a car belonging to this class.

However, if someone is looking for a versatile crossover with good build quality inside out, a cracker of a petrol tranny and brilliant driving dynamics, I don't see any other credible alternative in this segment.

[EaurougeatSpa]

Originally Posted by urban legend

My car has landed. I am expecting the delivery this Saturday.

Congratulations and wishing a quick delivery! Still no delivery for my order. Seems like will take time as my dealer hasn’t received any cars this month.
Do share the delivery pics!

[EaurougeatSpa]

Originally Posted by vishy76

if someone is looking for a versatile crossover with good build quality inside out, a cracker of a petrol tranny and brilliant driving dynamics, I don't see any other credible alternative in this segment.

The touch-based steering controls and the Fender audio are part of the R line sold overseas. Wish they got that package instead of the elegance trim. Wouldn’t that have been mouth-watering.

Mod Note - Please quote only the relevant portion, Thanks.

[urban legend]

In a surprisingly pleasant news, my dealer preponed the Delivery of my car. The payment and registration was done in a day.
I got the car yesterday evening. I was lucky to get the keys handed to me by the head of vw India Mr Ashish Gupta and his colleagues and bosses from the headquarters in Germany. It was a memorable event indeed.

[troika]

Originally Posted by urban legend

In a surprisingly pleasant news, my dealer preponed the Delivery of my car. The payment and registration was done in a day.
I got the car yesterday evening.

Congratulations , wish you all the best for the new wheels. Looks great!

[EaurougeatSpa]

Originally Posted by urban legend

In a surprisingly pleasant news, my dealer preponed the Delivery of my car. The payment and registration was done in a day.
I got the car yesterday evening. I was lucky to get the keys handed to me by the head of vw India Mr Ashish Gupta and his colleagues and bosses from the headquarters in Germany. It was a memorable event indeed.

Must have been a great surprise. Congratulations. The car looks great! Wish you many motoring miles with it.
Hope you whispered into their ears to get the R line next!

[AKSarkar1]

Originally Posted by vishy76

All in all, I think my opinion of the Tiguan remains the same. Its a great car, but its overpriced by atleast a couple of lakhs and it is missing out on some key equipment that is expected of a car belonging to this class.

However, if someone is looking for a versatile crossover with good build quality inside out, a cracker of a petrol tranny and brilliant driving dynamics, I don't see any other credible alternative in this segment.

Thanks Vishy for sharing your thoughts, they are even more pertinent as you are a VW owner. Essentially, you have mirrored my thoughts on the car. I have no doubts that this car will last as long as Fortuners even though VW doesn't exactly have that sort of reliability image.

With the Endeavour out, if the Tiguan was priced more aggressively I am sure VW India will get good numbers out of this model. Currently this is the only model that I feel is a worthwhile upgrade from the VW den if you are already owning a Vento/Jetta/Passat and want to stick to an old school built VW.

[EaurougeatSpa]

Originally Posted by AKSarkar1

Thanks Vishy for sharing your thoughts, they are even more pertinent as you are a VW owner. Essentially, you have mirrored my thoughts on the car. I have no doubts that this car will last as long as Fortuners even though VW doesn't exactly have that sort of reliability image.

With the Endeavour out, if the Tiguan was priced more aggressively I am sure VW India will get good numbers out of this model. Currently this is the only model that I feel is a worthwhile upgrade from the VW den if you are already owning a Vento/Jetta/Passat and want to stick to an old school built VW.

Agree with you. There is a marked departure in the build quality of the 2.0 series cars when compared to the old cars made in india and the current CBU and CKD units currently sold.

[Parasm]

Hi,

Congratulations on your new Tiguan!

One small advice for bumpy ride. From my own Allspace experience I would suggest to keep tyre pressures at 33psi for all tyres instead of 36+ suggested by VW. Indian roads and climate don’t need higher air pressures. My ride after keeping it on 33 has been lot more smoother.

Let me know if it works!

Congrats again!

Paras

[Tanay24]

It’s my first time posting on team bhp, took delivery of this beauty on 24/03/2022, it wasn’t actually booked by me and was a last minute decision. Here are some photos before I brush up my writing skills and get a detailed review out.