Aug 7, 2015

tiguanMore often than not, Volkswagen drivers love being Volkswagen drivers. Everybody knows and loves the Jetta, the Passat, the Golf and the Beetle. But, what happens when your lifestyle calls for an SUV? Well, Volkswagen’s compact crossover comes with a few pleasant surprises, and we’ve found 5 things you didn’t know about the Tiguan.

  1. Where did they get the name “Tiguan?” The Tiguan is Volkswagen’s compact crossover SUV, so as you may guess, the name Tiguan is a cross between two other words. As Volkswagen is the people’s car, they left the naming up to the people as well. There was actually a naming contest for the then concept vehicle that garnered over 350,000 responses. The winning name was a cross between the German words tiger and leguan, or tiger and iguana. This may seem like a strange combination of animals, but remember, it is a crossover vehicle. They were aiming to mix power with adaptability, power with playfulness, and safety with daring.
  2. More fun than utilitarian. Most people expect an SUV, especially a compact crossover, to be versatile. What they don’t necessarily expect is a sports car engine. The Tiguan comes with a 2.0L TSI turbo-charged engine giving the driver 200 horsepower to play. It also features 4Motion all-wheel drive. This helps navigate all types of road conditions with ease, making the Tiguan adaptable to your lifestyle.
  3. Personal space. When you hear the descriptor “compact crossover” you may think you will be sacrificing roominess. Quite the contrary, Volkswagen spent a lot of time making sure that not only does the Tiguan fit in your life, but your life fits in the Tiguan. It comes with 40/20/40 folding rear seats. This allows you to fold down one, or both rear seats to create more storage. If you wanted to fold down just the middle, you can do that too.
  4. Safety was a top priority. Some people may think a smaller SUV can’t be as safe as the big ones. But remember, this is Volkswagen we’re talking about here. The Tiguan comes with a safety cage, adaptable air bags, the intelligent crash response system, seven stability-enhancing systems, tire pressure mounting system, and brake disc drying.
  5. It parks itself. Well, mostly. You have to change the gears, but watch this:

Of course, the Tiguan has many other great features. If you want to learn more about them, click here.