German Car Scene

PEOPLE’S REVIEWER PUT TIGUAN TO THE TEST: WEEK THREE

Posted 17th July, 2009 in Volkswagen | Leave a comment

It’s been another busy week for the Tiguan People’s Reviewers. Voting wraps up on the 19 the for the Group 1 reviewers Eric, Dirk and Stefan while the polls are set to open for Group 2 contestants, Di, Patrick and Johnny on July 20th. Everyone who votes get a chance to win some cool prizes, like a trip to Venice or a year’s worth of luxury.

One of the big findings the amateur reviewers have discovered is the Tiguan’s smooth handling and acceleration. It’s taken a few of them by surprise just how well the compact SUV maneuvres through city streets. And the six-speed, 2.0 TDI Tiguan they’ve been reviewing has plenty of break-away power too. Or, as Stefan says of the Tiguan’s acceleration, it’s “like a scalded cat.”

Indeed the 2.0 TSI 200 PS 4MOTION can accelerate from a dead start to 62 mph in just under 8 seconds. (That’s with manual transmission; with automatic transmission, it reaches 62 mph in 8.5 seconds).

The Volkswagen Tiguan this week was also named one of safest models in its class. Independent testers in the United States and in Europe awarded the Tiguan top marks in a variety of road safety tests conducted in recent weeks to measure, among other things, how the Tiguan stands up in the front crash, the side crash and rollover stability. In America, the tests were conducted by the American NCAP (New Car Assessment Program) and separately by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Insurance Institute of Highway Safety. In Europe, the Tiguan was awarded five stars each for the categories occupant protection for the driver and front passenger, and four stars for rollover safety. “The risk of injury was assessed as being very low in all cases,” Volkswagen reported. Throughout the testing, it was found that the Tiguan’s shell construction of the steel body also offers the occupants optimal protection under crash conditions. But the numerous driver assist systems including ABS, ESP with brake assist, TCS, EDL with trailer stabilisation and EBC also contribute to the outstanding safety.

[Source: VW]

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