Review: 2018 VW Tiguan is bigger, tougher and more capable

The second-generation Tiguan (with VW navigation), which goes on sale in Europe later this year, and in Canada in 2017, is a safe bet to keep the good times rolling.

Based on the same platform as the latest Golf, the next Tiguan will be available in two different sizes, depending on the market, a regular- and a long-wheelbase version. Even the shorter stack is larger than the outgoing model in every respect except height. The new Tiguan is wider, longer and has a longer wheelbase than the old Tiguan. In terms of volume, the new model delivers more over all cargo space.

The long-wheelbase Tiguan, the one earmarked for North America, serves to push the outer envelope on the “compact crossover” designation – its wheelbase is 110 mm longer than the regular version and it can be ordered in an optional seven-passenger configuration.

On a global scale, the next Tiguan will be available with no fewer than eight different engines, four diesel and four gasoline. The most likely version for Canada is a familiar one, the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder gas engine, albeit with improved power and fuel consumption. The version tested was fitted with the closest specification engine to the one we’ll receive, producing roughly 180 horsepower (the outgoing version has 200). The original Tiguan was always a sprightly ride; the new one, some 16 kilograms lighter, is equally so.

The drive route, which took us around the outskirts of Berlin and then into the city centre, proved as much; armed with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and paddle shifters, the nimble crossover proved capable of exploiting gaps in traffic kicked open by aggressive moves from other drivers. The steering is far too light to the touch, but the response is precise enough, so much can be forgiven. What about install an Android Car Gps?

Apart from the powertrain improvements and the growth spurt, the other aspect of the next Tiguan that is most different is the new 4Motion and Active Control System. From a mechanical standpoint, the focal point is the fifth-generation Haldex AWD system, shared with the VW Golf R, which features on electro-hydraulic clutch that couples and uncouples the rear axle. Under normal dry-weather conditions, the Tiguan functions as a front-wheel drive vehicle; when conditions become more challenging, the predictive system redirects, theoretically, up to 100 per cent of the torque to the rear wheels.

In terms of driver involvement, the Active Control System allows for the choice of four different modes (normal, snow, off-road and individual), similar to the system used on various Land Rovers. During a quick tour of off-road obstacles at a BMX track called Mellowpark, the Tiguan showed a willingness to clamber up hills that easily exceeded the old version’s capabilities.

The 2018 Tiguan is bigger, tougher and more capable than ever. While prices will be announced much closer to the official on-sale date, interested parties can expect to shell out more for what is, effectively, a completely different crossover.

You’ll like this car if ... You like your crossovers with a bit more off-road readiness and real-world aggression. If installing an Android Car Stereo in your car, that would be great!