Browse over 9,000 car reviews

Volkswagen Tiguan 118TSI 2012 review

EXPERT RATING
7.5

WHEN every vehicle on the road is a sports utility one of the reasons we bought them in the first place will have gone: you will no longer be able to see over the car in front. We'll all be high and mighty.

That could prompt an arms race to even greater heights but all the signs are things are going the other way. SUVs are reversing out of their origins to become less and less like real off-roaders and more and more like, well, cars.

They have got lower so they handle better and are less ruggedly practical in design. And they are ditching all-wheel drive in droves. It turns out most of us never really wanted to go off-road. We just wanted our neighbours to think we did.

VALUE

Volkswagen was one of the last to join the stampede to compact SUVs with the Tiguan, launched three years ago. It has been luring about one in every 20 compact SUV buyers with all-wheel drive and a starting price of $34,000.

For its mid-life facelift, it adds a front-drive version with greatly improved efficiency and the range kicks off $5500 lower. Compared with other European SUVs, such as the BMW X1 or the closely related Audi Q3, due next year, the Tiguan was already affordable. Now made-in-Germany encroaches on Japanese and Korean territory.

The 118TSI uses the 1.4-litre supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder already offered in the Golf, among others. The $28,490 price buys a six-speed manual transmission; two-pedal drivers will have to wait until the auto arrives next year.

TECHNOLOGY

Restricting power to two wheels has several benefits. It reduces weight -- typically, at least 100kg -- by removing a lot of driveline components. So, better handling and, even more important these days, an immediate reduction in fuel use. And with fewer bits, a two-wheel drive SUV is cheaper but you still get practical space and an elevated ride height. 

Even large SUVs such as the Ford Territory include a don't-go-anywhere version and at the compact level they are rife. A carmaker without one risks being undercut by rivals and can miss a lot of sales. Two-wheel drive SUVs can be half the volume for some models.

The 118TSI, as it's badged, has substantial running cost advantages over other petrol models with 6.9 litres consumed per 100km, against 8.7 for the next best. It's not a whole lot more thirsty than the 2.0-litre diesel.

However, it's much quicker to 100km/h than the diesel, achieving it in a respectable 8.9 seconds. That's only 0.6 slower than the 132kW 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol.

DRIVE

It feels like that on the road, too, with a likably feisty quality to the way it goes down the road. The main reason is lower weight: it sheds about 130kg. It has the same suspension but lacks a driveshaft to the rear wheels. That makes it noticeably lighter on its feet than its siblings and it drives much like a large, tall hatchback.

Which, in effect, it is. The 2.0-litre petrols both feel more like traditional off-roaders by comparison, with less of their mass concentrated in the nose. Both get a bit more power in this upgrade and emit a pleasing snarl under load. The 132TSI pulls with conviction while the 155TSI is the desirable unit of the three.

VERDICT

But if you don't go off-road, and don't pretend to, then the 118TSI is worth a look. And not everybody has one. Yet.

VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN

Price: From $28,490 (118TSI) to $42,990 (155TSI) plus on-roads
Engines: 1.4-litre super and turbocharged four-cylinder petrol; 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol or diesel
Outputs: 118kW at 5800rpm and 240Nm at 1500rpm (118TSI); 132kW at 4300rpm and 280Nm at 1700rpm (132TSI); 155kW at 5300rpm and 280Nm at 1700rpm (155TSI); 103kW at 4200rpm and 320Nm at 1750rpm (103TDI)
Transmissions: Six-speed manual or seven-speed double-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive (118TSI) or all-wheel drive

Pricing guides

$12,979
Based on 82 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months
Lowest Price
$7,900
Highest Price
$16,990

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
118 TSI (4X2) 1.4L, PULP, 6 SP MAN $8,800 – 12,430 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan 2012 118 TSI (4X2) Pricing and Specs
103 TDI 2.0L, Diesel, 7 SP AUTO $12,540 – 16,720 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan 2012 103 TDI Pricing and Specs
132 TSI (4X4) 2.0L, PULP, 7 SP AUTO $11,660 – 15,620 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan 2012 132 TSI (4X4) Pricing and Specs
132 TSI Pacific 2.0L, PULP, 6 SP AUTO $10,560 – 14,410 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan 2012 132 TSI Pacific Pricing and Specs
EXPERT RATING
7.5
Philip King
Contributing Journalist

Share

Pricing Guide

$7,900

Lowest price, based on 73 car listings in the last 6 months

View cars for sale
Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.