Car Reviews
Volkswagen’s 2020 Tiguan: The Squareback – Part Two
Volkswagen’s 2020 Tiguan:
The Squareback – Part Two
It’s been almost two years since reviewing Volkswagen’s compact SUV, the Tiguan. Picking it up at Sea-Tac Airport (between Seattle and Tacoma – but you knew that) with three adults and a 5-year old, the Tiguan comfortably took everything we threw at it for a week’s worth of vacation, while nimbly handling both the ferry ride to the Orcas Islands and intown parking once we got there. In short, it seemed to hit the sweet spot (often hard to locate in an SUV) between accommodation and accessibility. And in the Tiguan’s mid-level SE trim, that sweet spot sat at an affordable – around $30K – price.
This, of course, isn’t Volkswagen’s first foray into accessible accommodation. As a young company built atop the Beetle, Volkswagen’s management was disinclined to diversify until the Beetle’s success was established. Throughout the ‘50s the only additions to the VW showroom were the commercial-oriented Type 2 and, in the middle of that decade, the Italian-penned Karmann Ghia. In the ‘60s, however, things got going, and the needs of growing families led VW to the introduction of the Type 3, one version of which was sold in the States as the Squareback. At the time, it seemed to embody everything a family needed for space, and what many enthusiasts wanted to drive.
Still rear-engined, and sitting on what was essentially the Beetle platform, the Squareback offered two doors, space for four, the expected trunk in the front along with space for luggage in the rear. That space was atop the engine, made possible by the VW’s square back. In the late ‘60s it may have seemed a small step, especially when compared to Ford’s Country Squire wagon, but for the growing number of families loyal to VW the Squareback was transformative.
You probably won’t align today’s Tiguan with ‘transformative’, but there’s a lot to like here. In a compact category dominated by Honda’s CR-V and Toyota’s RAV4, the Tiguan’s architecture is more traditionally upright than either one, and decidedly more compact than the latest Toyota. I’m a big fan of simple lines, and while you won’t describe the Tiguan as boring, neither will you see it as contrived. Slab sides sit beneath a relatively generous greenhouse, while reasonably short front and rear overhangs convey the impression of off-road ability. That’s even if the Tiguan’s just under eight inches of ground clearance do not.
Inside, our SEL Premium R-Line delivered just about all that you’d want from a $40K window sticker. Leather seating surfaces mix with an informative instrument panel and decent plastics to convey an upscale, near-luxury impression, even though near-luxury is left to Audi in the Volkswagen group. There’s also generous room here, with head, leg and shoulders all afforded a respectable amount of social distancing. And if you prefer the perception of a wide-open space, our test vehicle’s panoramic sunroof provides it, with upward visibility extending rearward, almost to the Tiguan’s cargo compartment.
The Tiguan’s unibody structure (with most Beetle underpinnings taken by SoCal’s buggy builders) is supported by an all-independent suspension, and brought to a halt by disc brakes on all four corners. The ride is supple, although to a small extent compromised by the SEL Premium R-Line’s 20-inch rubber. Steering effort feels about right, and given the Tiguan’s excellent sight lines you can comfortably park the Tiguan without any 21st-century technical assist.
It’s only under the hood where a $40K Tiguan falls short of expectations. VW builds its 2.0 liter turbocharged four in any number of tunes, and this one – with 184 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque – is overwhelmed by the Tiguan’s 3,800 pounds of curb weight. Once rolling you’ll enjoy the even delivery of its horsepower and torque, but from 0-20 you’ll wonder if the thing is ever gonna’ get rolling. It’s a bit agricultural, all of which is easier to grasp at a Tiguan SE’s $30K than it is at the SEL R-Line’s $40K. The Tiguan begs for hybrid assist, or horsepower closer to the GTI’s 230 than the current 184. Or – dare I say it? – a turbodiesel.
If shopping for a VW Tiguan I’d hang out at the $30K window, as the SE with optional 3rd-row seating can be built for just under $31K.
Or, given a budget of $40K I’d grab the Golf R before taking delivery of the Tiguan R-Line. And its personalized plate? SQURBAK.