Volkswagen’s baby off-roader

4:46pm Wednesday 16th April 2008

ONE of the best and most comfortable family cars I've driven in a while, the VW Tiguan has four versions - S, SE, Sport and Escape.

I drove the SE diesel, where ride and handling was safe and solid, steering is light and there's plenty of grip. Similar to a scaled-down Touareg, the Tiguan has become known as a cute 'baby off-roader', despite the fact that not many owners are likely to go off-road at all.

Probably more importantly, the Tiguan can tow 2 tons, more than any other car in its class. It also scores all five stars in the Euro NCAP for adult occupant protection, four for child occupant protection and two (out of four) for pedestrian protection.

There are Isofix child seat mounting points and rear side airbags, and optional belt pre-tensioners for the outermost rear seats. A useful feature are the folding tables on the back of front seats. Legroom at the rear is good for a vehicle this size and there is up to 1,510 litres of load space with the rear seats folded flat. The rear seats split, slide and recline.

All models come with an electronic parking brake, electric windows, climate control, CD player and electrically adjustable heated door mirrors.

Factfile

Car: Volkswagen Tiguan SE 2.0-litre TDI

On the road: £23,050

Engine type: 1995cc, four cylinders

Power: 140PS@4200rpm

Top speed: 115mph

0-62mph: 10.5 seconds

CO2 emissions: 199g/km

Insurance group: 9