Volkswagen has an interesting petrol powered Tiguan option, which uses the latest engine technology to generate power and performance from a 1.4 litre engine. This Tiguan compact SUV is a real competitor for the diesels in the sector and that’s why Michael Moroney took it for a test drive to assess it value and opportunity. Read what he has to report.

WHEN we think about compact SUV’s we consider diesel to be the only practical and efficient fuel source.

And that’s because diesel power is considered more efficient and as a fuel it was cheaper than petrol up until recently, that is.

Now Volkswagen has changed all that. The German company has introduced a new version of the Tiguan compact SUV with a tidy and efficient petrol engine.

And now with petrol more competitive than diesel at the pumps, this new Tiguan options provides the reason to rethink the diesel v petrol options.

I’ve had the Tiguan diesel on the road some time ago and was impressed. The petrol Tiguan has equally attractive styling; this gives it instant appeal to everyone who sees it. The silver coloured test car stood out and caused remarks wherever I drove.

For the petrol powered Tiguan, Volkswagen uses the Sport & Style specification. This gives a lower front bumper with fog light mouldings and a strong front end look. It will have a slightly lower front end to the Track & Field version meaning that it will not cope as well with heavy off-road driving. Keep to the grass and limit the adventure is the message.

The 1.4 litre petrol engine in the Tiguan Sport & Style deserves special mention. This is a really compact engine that uses turbo power to achieve good output, torque and acceleration. You’ll be surprised at the performance of the engine, which delivers 150bhp. That’s more than many of the competitor petrol powered SUV’s such as the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, both of which use 2.0 litre petrol engines in the same sector of the market.

The 1.4 litre Tiguan as slightly more toque than these competitors at 240Nm. Combine these power and torque figures and its no surprise that the Tiguan can outpace the others by one second in a 0 to 100km/hr race to give a figure of 9.3 seconds. That gives it a livelier pace than all of the diesel powered competitors including the Tiguan diesel option.

The petrol power and the pace do impact on the economy figures. The 1.4 litre TSI Tiguan delivers a fuel economy figure of 8.4 litres/100km (33.6mpg). That’s about 18% less efficient than the 2.0 litre diesel powered version and the Tiguan is not the most efficient of the diesel powered compact SUV’s.

If you are considering petrol power only then the 1.4 litre Tiguan is a good match for the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 options in terms of economy. You will struggle to improve on the combined economy rated figure. With the petrol v diesel price difference at about 4% depending on where you buy it, the poorer economy figure for the petrol option Tiguan needs to be considered.

And then there’s the matter of the CO2 rating. This 1.4 litre TSI engine is efficient but not clean enough to be a match for the bigger 2.0 litre diesel model. The CO2 rating is 199g/km, which is 10 units higher than the diesel model.

That margin is enough to push the Tiguan petrol in Band F for VRT and Road Tax purposes, giving the Tiguan petrol a €1,000 annual road tax charge compared with €600 for the diesel model. Over a five year ownership period that’s an extra €2,000 in running costs!

So think Tiguan petrol power carefully even if the entry price at €38,070, before delivery charges, is more competitive. I’m beginning to sound like a diesel head, but the facts speak louder than sentiment. Diesel is still making more sense, with lower buy-in prices, especially for higher mileage drivers.

That’s not to take away from the Tiguan TSI, which delivers smooth and effortless power. The Tiguan concept is a visually attractive one, the features are good, styling impressive and at least it’s somewhat competitive.

Volkswagen fit the 4Motion 4x4 system to the petrol Tiguan which is well able in acceleration terms for the extra load. The automatic system ensures that when the wheels are under pressure, slipping that is, drive goes to the ones that have a solid surface grip. It’s a well tried four wheel drive system and Ford use a similar system in the new Kuga as do many other compact SUV manufacturers.

The Tiguan safety deal includes six airbags (twin front, side and curtain), ABS, Electronic Stabilisation Programme (ESP) and brake assist as standard. Three-point seatbelts on all seats are joined by belt force limiters to reduce the impact on the chest for both front seat passengers and the occupants of the outside rear seats. The front seat passengers gain electronic belt tensioners while in the rear ISOFIX child seat preparation is fitted.

This 1.4 litre Tiguan has reasonable towing power at 2 tonnes with a braked trailer. That’s as good as some of the bigger 2.2 litre diesel competitors.

The Tiguan has a good seating position, making it easy and comfortable to drive. Like all Tiguan models the rear seats are slightly higher than the front ones to give better passenger visibility. The Tiguan, like many cars in the Volkswagen range, uses an electronic handbrake and a Hill Holder system to give you safer take off on hills without slipping.

The 1.4 litre Tiguan deal looks attractive with an entry price of €38,070 before delivery charges, but you’ll pay more at the pumps due to poorer than diesel economy. And you’ll pay more in road tax, due to the higher CO2 rating. I love the Tiguan, but I’m not a fan of the petrol option, only on running costs because its performance on the road is impressive.

Technical Details

Top speed 192km/hr

0 – 100km/hr 9.3 seconds

Economy 8.4l/100km

CO2 emissions 199g/km

Price €38,070 before delivery charges

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