Tiguan tweaks are met with rave reviews.

It appears that Volkswagen’s compact crossover SUV is starting to come into its own. In previous years, if “name a model of Volkswagen” were a category on Family Feud, the top four answers on the board would likely be the Beetle, the Jetta, the Golf, and the Passat; in that order. However, following some changes to this year’s model, the reviews for the 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan could mean adding a fifth answer on the board.

When the folks at Volkswagen got to work on the 2016 Tiguan, a few of the words they wanted to stay at the forefront were fun, versatility, roomy, and safe. According to recent reviews of the vehicle, they hit the nail on the head on each of these counts. Let’s take a look at a few:

In their “First Drive” column, Investor’s Monthly had this to say, “The Tiguan is heavily focused on all-wheel drive, though it offers six-speed manual versions of its 1.4l petrol four-cylinder (92kW) and base 1.6 TDI (85kW) as front-wheel drives.” They continued, “The strongest two engines are turbocharged, with direct fuel injection and variable valve timing and the all-wheel drive models all use seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions.”

They continued by talking about the roominess and versatility of the Tiguan. “The car gives you the choice of rear seat or luggage as a priority. In its standard form it has a useful 615l (up 145l), and can grow as the rear seats slide forward up to 170mm. They also slide (and fold) independently, with a 60:40 split that allows a baby seat to stay in place while the larger side folds flat.”

When talking about the info-tainment system, they said, “If you’ve seen a Passat’s interior, you’ll be familiar with most of what goes on in the Tiguan, and that’s a good thing. The instrument panel has no analogue parts at all and is instead the stunning, fully digital TFT Active Info Display with seven different display options. On top of that, quite literally, is a head-up display. The glass unit rises from the instrument cluster and though the display area can be adjusted to suit the driver’s eye line, it never feels integrated and can be an annoyance in the peripheral vision rather than an intuitive aid.” Overall, they said the Tiguan was “bordering on near perfection.”

Car and Bike gave the Tiguan a 5 Star rating, noting its safety above all else, “The latest generation of Volkswagen’s 7-seater premium SUV achieved 96 per cent of the maximum rating in the testing of occupant safety for adults and 84 per cent for child safety.” They also praised the measures Volkswagen has taken to ensure everyone in the vehicle has air bag protection:

US News had a few good things to say as well. “The 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan is just the ticket if you want a compact SUV with an upscale interior and performance that’s sportier than what you’d expect from a compact family SUV.”

“Tiguan is an excellent choice for driving enthusiasts who find themselves in need of more space than a VW Golf or Jetta offers. Front-wheel drive is standard on the Tiguan, and all-wheel drive is available. With its nimble handling, the Tiguan can feel more like a sporty sedan than an SUV.”

Edmunds.com starts off by calling the Tiguan an “odd duck” but then warms up a bit by saying it, “provides a lot of positive attributes. The seating position is high, seemingly higher, in fact, than many rivals, providing that tall, commanding view of the road ahead. Its smaller size, which is a detriment when trying to stuff in the contents of an overly exuberant Costco run, is a benefit when trying to maneuver in the parking lot during said Costco run. There’s also a responsiveness and indisputable Germanic refinement to the Tiguan that makes it more pleasurable to drive than the typical small SUV. Hit the gas and the standard 200-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivers energetic acceleration that’s among the quickest in the segment.” The info-tainment system also get a nod from Edmunds when they note that Volkswagen has made up serious ground on competitors in recent years with technology upgrades.

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