Volkswagen Tiguan launched at Rs 27.98 lakh

Volkswagen has launched the second-gen Tiguan at Rs 27.98 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi) in India. Unlike the discontinued Touareg, the Tiguan is locally assembled at the Volkswagen Group's Aurangabad plant.

Volkswagen Tiguan Prices (All Ex-Showroom, New Delhi)

Comfortline 2.0-litre TDI diesel: Rs 27.98 lakh
Highline 2.0-litre TDI diesel: Rs 31.38 lakh

The Aurangabad plant also manufactures Skoda and Audi models, except the Rapid. Why did VW chose to assemble it at Skoda's/Audi's Aurangabad plant and not at its Chakan facility? That's because the Tiguan is based on the German conglomerate's MQB (modular transverse matrix) platform, which is shared with the Skoda Octavia, Superb and the Audi A3 in the country.

The upcoming Skoda Kodiaq and Karoq (the Yeti's replacement) feature the same MQB platform as well. The Tiguan becomes the first VW model in India to be underpinned by this platform.

The Tiguan goes up against the Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V and the upcoming Jeep Compass in the country, along with body-on-frame SUVs such as the Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner and the recently launched Isuzu MU-X. Further, the top-spec Highline variant also falls in the territory of Hyundai's flagship SUV, the Santa Fe.

The Tiguan is only available in two trim levels - Comfortline and Highline - and its base Trendline trim is not offered in India. It is a pretty well loaded SUV, with some of its standard features being auto full-LED headlamps with DRLs, three-zone climate control, electronically adjustable driver's seat with memory function, electrically operated tailgate, to name a few. The top-spec Highline boasts of a panoramic sunroof, 235/55 cross-section tyres on 18-inch alloy wheels, and LED tail lamps, among others.

The Volkswagen Group's Composition Media infotainment system is available with both the variants and it comes with an 8-inch touchscreen. It offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support and is paired with an 8-speaker system.

As for the safety features, both the variants are equipped with six airbags, ESC (electronic stability control), ABS, traction control (ASR), EDTC (engine drag torque control), child seat anchors and front and rear parking sensors. It also has an active hood feature for pedestrian safety. Other goodies include rain-sensing wipers, aspherical driver's ORVM, tyre pressure monitoring system, among others. It comes with all-around disc brakes and electronic parking brake.

For now, the Tiguan only comes with an option of a 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine, but its petrol version could be introduced at a later stage. The familiar 2.0-litre diesel mill puts out 143PS of max power and 340Nm of peak torque in the VW SUV, and is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox (VW's DSG transmission) with paddle shifters. VW's 4MOTION all-wheel-drive setup with drive modes and an electronic differential lock is standard with the Tiguan. The ARAI-certified fuel efficiency of the Tiguan is 17.06kmpl.

Recommended Read: Meet India-Bound Skoda Karoq, Yeti's Replacement

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