Volkswagen Botswana will soon unveil its exciting new compact four-wheel-drive vehicle, dubbed Tiguan, which is an entirely new generation of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) and more like a little brother to Touareg.
Clement Matswagothata, VW Sales Manager, explained that the new Tiguan, designed to offer the best of all worlds, is compacted whilst offering a truly spacious interior, coupled with dynamic driving performance, both on and off the road.
“The new five-seater aims to lock horns with popular compact sport-utilities vehicles like the Acura RDX and Honda CR-V, while providing buyers with an affordable alternative to more prestigious entries such as the BMW X3 and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLK,” he stated.
Matswagothata said the buyer will have the choice of either the 1.4 TSI petrol or 2.0 TDI diesel. The TSI petrol engine boasts both a supercharger and a turbocharger. “This high tech induction system means it punches above its weight, with 148bhp and 177lb ft of torque, the latter from just 1750rpm. It has a fight on its hands with the Tiguan’s 1546kg bulk though, never feeling as quick as the figures suggest.”
What will be more interesting to buyers is the fact that these two high powered engines are low in fuel consumption and have lower emissions.
“The new Tiguan is an all-rounder which is agile and comfortable to drive, extremely practical and full of ground-breaking technology. No other car combines so many different virtues,” he said.
Other features found in this vehicle include six airbags, ESP, trailer stabilization integrated with the ESP, Isofix child seat anchorages on the rear bench and electronic parking brake with Auto-Hold function, Climate semi-automatic climate control system, four electric window, electrically adjustable and heated outside mirrors, RF remote control of central locking and various storage compartments and bins.
Though the new Tiguan’s ‘face’ and side profile are immediately recognizable as those of a Volkswagen, they are yet different from all existing models in the range. At the rear, the lights are integrated into the shoulder section similar to those on the Eos and Passat, while the steeply sloping tailgate extends right down to the bumpers, giving the new Tiguan an unmistakably SUV design.
This vehicle, which makes a distinctive styling statement, shares the same basic dashboard, switchgear and trims with the Golf Plus, but VW is using it to launch a new entertainment system developed in cooperation with Siemens that features a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen. This vehicle has a RCD 210 radio with integrated CD player, and a Multifunctional Display Plus. Also featured in Tiguan is the remarkably quiet four-cylinder diesel engine with common-rail injection.
According to Matswagothata, the Tiguan can be recommended to all those car drivers who enjoy the individual visual appearance and versatility of a SUV, but also expect a premium level of comfort, agility and variability.
