When Volkswagen introduced the Tiguan to the world back in 2008, its partial first year sales here in Canada and the US were

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hardly anything to write home about. I was a bit surprised after joining the German automaker on the long-lead press launch in Budapest, Hungary the year before, during which the little crossover utility wowed all present with strong performance both on and off the road, superb fuel economy from the impressive little supercharged and turbocharged 1.4 TSI “Twincharger” four-cylinder I drove, VW’s usual above average cabin quality and wonderful comfort.

It looked like a hit in making, but 5,075 sales here, plus an even more meager (per capita) 13,903 deliveries in the US hardly made for a stellar first full year, especially in a market that was already selling 36,980 Ford Escapes in Canada and 173,044 in the US, 25,784 Toyota RAV4s here and 149,088 in the US, 18,554 Honda CR-Vs north of the 49th and 191,214 south of the border, 11,759 Chevy Equinox models here and 86,148 in the US, 11,056 Nissan Rogues in Canada and 77,222 in the US, 8,638

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and 77,781 Subaru Forester sales respectively, 7,998 and 31,432 Jeep Patriot sales, and 7,278 plus 15,411 for the Hyundai Tucson, the Tiguan only outselling the Kia Sportage, but only in Canada and by just 15 units, plus Mazda’s pricy CX-7 and long-in-tooth Tribute. The following 2010 calendar year saw almost all of these competitors’ sales rise by the thousands and the then new GMC Terrain experience its first full year of sales with an immediate 10,148 unit total, but the Tiguan’s numbers only grew by 536 deliveries to 5,611, while 2011 saw almost every major and minor player’s compact CUV model count rise yet again, but on the contrary Tiguan sales sank down to just 5,379 deliveries. In calendar year 2012 we witnessed Honda CR-V deliveries shoot up by 8,263 units in Canada alone, while the Tiguan still languished at 5,657 sales despite a more stylish redesigned

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version arriving on the scene. It appears the market finally caught on to the revised Tiguan in 2013 as significant growth occurred with the year’s sales closing at 7,385 units, thus allowing it to pass right on by a number of its low lying rivals, while last year Volkswagen Canada sold a record 10,096 Tiguans.

Nearly doubling the Tiguan’s Canadian sales since inception appears impressive at first glance, but we need to factor in that the entire compact crossover segment has grown at a similar rate since 2009. Ford of Canada sold 52,198 Escapes last year, Honda delivered 37,684 CR-Vs, Toyota followed closely with 36,639 RAV4s, Nissan wasn’t far behind with 28,827 Rogues, Mazda did well with 19,920 CX-5s, Chevrolet upped its ante with 19,559 Equinox CUVs, and even niche market Subaru

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sold 12,302 Foresters. Volkswagen might have maintained its lead against Kia, but the German brand clearly hasn’t figured out the North American compact crossover segment yet.

Possibly it’s the Tiguan’s size. At 4,433 mm (174.5 inches) long with a 2,604-mm (102.5-inch) wheelbase, 1,809 mm (71.2 inches) wide and 1,703 mm (67.0 inches) high, it’s a few inches shorter from end to end and a tiny bit narrower from side to side, albeit taller in height than the segment’s most popular Escape, CR-V and RAV4 competitors, but the biggest difference comes down to cargo capacity, the Tiguan’s 674 litres (23.8 cubic feet) of luggage space behind its second row and 1,588 litres (56.1 cubic feet) when those second-row seatbacks are

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folded flat, nowhere near as capacious as the Escape’s 971-litre (34.3 cubic-foot) and 1,928-litre (68.1 cubic-foot) respective challenge, the CR-V’s even grander 1,054-litre (37.2 cubic-foot) and 2,007-litre (70.8 cubic-foot) volume, or the RAV4’s 1,090-litre (38.4 cubic-foot) and 2,080-litre (73.3 cubic-foot) advantage. People buy crossovers to appease active lifestyles, and the more gear you can stuff in back the more useful it is. Even VW buyers know that the slightly longer Golf Sportwagon is the way to go if you want more cargo volume in a compact Volkswagen, the model capable of 861 litres (30.4 cubic feet) behind its second row and 1,883 litres (66.5 cubic feet) when its rear seatbacks are lowered, but it doesn’t offer the ride height CUV buyers like or the shorter model’s ease of parking. Just the same, the Tiguan’s luggage compartment is finished beautifully with heavy-duty carpets on the floor, sidewalls and seatbacks as well as high-end chromed tie-down hooks, plus 60/40 split seatbacks that incorporate a large centre pass-through that makes it almost as flexible as a full 40/20/40 configuration.

What I just said about parking, however, is even more of

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a Tiguan plus. It’s an easy vehicle to maneuver around town, while the ride is exemplary. Likewise, highway driving is effortless. Truly, the Tiguan likes to go much faster than our highway system allows, and holding back its inherent enthusiasm proves very difficult. Due to its 2.0-litre turbocharged and direct-injected TSI four-cylinder with 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque, the latter available from just 1,700 rpm, plus the six-speed Tiptronic automatic’s tall final gears, the Tiguan whisks along like the breeze at speeds that would be totally fine on the autobahn, but will quickly have you in trouble with the law here. Like with so many VWs, the little CUV’s ability on the road is its selling card, the Tiguan superbly stable at high speed and a pleasure to fling through the corners. This isn’t how most North Americans drive their compact crossovers, however, so most of this go-fast goodness gets wasted, with

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the majority never experiencing just how good the Tiguan is at snaking through a circuitous backcountry road or clambering up the side of a winding mountain two-laner.

What’s more, they may complain about the powerful engine’s request for pricy premium fuel as well as its five-cycle EnerGuide rating that’s claimed to be 13.0 L/100km in the city and 9.0 on the highway for the base front-wheel drive six-speed manual equipped version (base Trendline trim being the only way to get the manual), 11.5 L/100km city and 9.3 highway in front-wheel drive six-speed automatic guise, or 11.7 city, 9.4 highway with the same transmission and as-tested 4Motion all-wheel drive (the Escape, CR-V and RAV4 experience much better fuel economy and unfortunately Europe’s 2.0-litre TDI turbo-diesel with 174 horsepower

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and 280 lb-ft of torque is not available with our North American-spec Tiguan).

They will, however, enjoy the Tiguan’s excellent interior. It’s a cut above the majority of compact CUV comers, featuring a two-piece soft-touch dash top, soft-touch door uppers, slightly padded leatherette door inserts that reach right down into the lower pockets, and even nicer leather-like armrests with thicker padding and attractive stitching. Other than the perforated leatherette seats in my appropriately named Comfortline tester, the rest of its surfaces not covered in aluminum-look metallic trim or glossy grey plastic are made from a high-quality harder matte plastic that looks good and appears like it will stand the test of time.

Those

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who appreciate premium hardware will like the Tiguan’s optional three-spoke sport steering wheel. It’s a feast for the eyes, wrapped in high-quality stitched leather, ideally shaped with thumb spats at the nine and three positions for proper hand placement, includes nice aluminum embellishment and extremely well made multifunction switchgear on each spoke. These allow adjustment of various functions, from the audio system to cruise control, plus the Tiguan’s multi-information system between its highly legible, nicely laid out primary gauge package. It’s a white on black LCD screen, not a colour TFT as some others in the class offer, but the info is there, while those who want the full-colour, high-res experience can let their eyes wander over to the centre stack.

This

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is where a large infotainment touchscreen gets flanked by eight nicely damped, tightly fitted buttons and two rotating knobs for the audio system, not to mention four circular HVAC vents, those controlled via a large grouping of dials and buttons that make up the automatic heating and ventilation interface just below, highlighted by three-way front seat heaters that range in temperature from tepid to sizzling. My tester included the optional Fender audio system too, which is very good if you prefer rock or dance due to nice resonant bass tones.

The entire centre stack is laid out in an unorthodox fashion for sure, but everything works well and there’s no knocking its build quality. My Comfortline trimmed tester’s rather sparse lower console included a stability control off button followed

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by a row of dummies, a useful handy storage cubby just below, plus a 12-volt socket and nice metallic engine start/stop button, while the six-speed automatic’s satin-silver surround, leather boot, and leather and aluminum shift knob look like they could have been pulled directly from an Audi or some other premium CUV.

So as not to confuse you further with what comes standard on base Trendline trim, as part of the Special Edition version, with the mid-grade Comfortline, or top-tier Highline trim, here’s an overview that not only fills you in on the details but goes to show that the Tiguan’s relatively slow sales have nothing to do with its excellent value proposition. Starting at just $24,990 plus $1,760 for freight and pre-delivery prep (a very reasonable sum compared to many others), the base Trendline hits the road with a number of features normally not seen on entry-level crossovers

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such as standard LED turn signals integrated into the body-colour side mirrors, halogen fog lights, 16-inch Portland alloy wheels wrapped in 215/65R16 all-season tires, an electronic parking brake, power windows with automatic up/down all-round, variable intermittent wipers, cruise control with an active display, a multifunction trip computer, air conditioning, ambient interior lighting, eight-speaker AM/FM/CD/AUX audio, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity with voice activation, a fold-flat front passenger seat that’s handy for hauling longer items, those 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks with a centre armrest and pass-through I mentioned earlier, Intelligent Crash Response System (ICRS), an Electronic

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Differential Lock (EDL) and other more common safety features such as ABS-equipped four-wheel disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, hydraulic brake assistant, engine braking assist, traction control and electronic stability control. What’s more its four-year or 80,000 km basic warranty is a year and 20,000 km better than most rivals, while the usual five-year, 100,000 km powertrain warranty also comes standard.

You can option the base Trendline model out with heatable front seats, a leather-wrapped shift knob, and an upgraded touchscreen display radio with a six-disc CD changer, SD card input, satellite radio and VW’s somewhat out of touch Media Device Interface (MDI) with iPod connectivity (not standard USB connectivity). Yes,

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you’ll need to upgrade to an optional USB dongle available at your dealer in order to plug in your Android device. A six-speed Tiptronic automatic is also available, as is that transmission with 4Motion all-wheel drive.

All of these options come standard with the Tiguan’s new $29,998 Special Edition (it’s not available with FWD), as does a rearview camera, proximity-sensing access with pushbutton ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, the three-spoke leather-wrapped multifunction steering wheel I mentioned before, heatable windshield washer nozzles, and larger 17-inch Fortaleza alloys on 235/55R17

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all-seasons. Items included in the Special Edition that aren’t grandfathered to Comfortline, which is next up in the pecking order, are rain-sensing wipers with automatic wiper speed control and an auto-dimming rearview mirror, while automatic headlights with a “coming home” feature that lights up the driveway after you leave the vehicle are optional with the Comfortline.

If you go the Special Edition route you have the option of upgrading the display audio system to a larger 6.5-inch full-colour high-resolution touchscreen that replaces the six-disc CD player with a single-disc CD/DVD unit, but adds on navigation and a 30-gig hard drive. Additionally, a gorgeous panoramic sunroof with powered tilt and slide functions plus a powered sunshade can be had. 

This

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came standard in my $32,450 Comfortline tester, as did the leather-wrapped shift knob, eight-way adjustable front Comfort seats with lumbar support, authentic looking perforated leatherette upholstery, silver metallic door trim, tire pressure monitoring, and 17-inch Philadelphia rims.

Options with this trim include automatic on/off HID headlamps with auto high beams and adaptive cornering capability, plus the LED DRLs I mentioned earlier, LED license plate illumination, silver roof rails, proximity-sensing access with pushbutton ignition, aluminum pedals, the navigation upgrade, Fender premium audio system, and 18-inch New York or Pasadena alloys on 235/50R18s, plus 4Motion all-wheel drive.

4Motion is standard on the $38,490 Highline, as are the 18-inch Pasadena wheels, silver roof rails, chrome trim on the lower doors, chrome window surrounds, power

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foldable side mirrors with environment lighting and memory function, front footwell lighting, a 12-way power adjustable driver’s seat with three-position memory, an eight-way manually adjustable front passenger seat, Vienna leather upholstery, and a digital compass.

Highline options include 255/40 R19 all-seasons on 19-inch Mallory wheels, flared wheel arches to fit those larger rims and tires, a sport suspension, and a host of R-Line upgrades such as extended rocker panels, a unique rear bumper design, a larger rear spoiler, special R-Line badged aluminum doorsills, a sportier steering wheel with paddle shifters, an R-Line shift knob and aluminum pedals, plus a black roofliner. A Tiguan like this will set you back $43,240 plus freight, which is well into the premium CUV range.

Specific

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to my much more modestly priced tester, the Comfortline’s front seats were excellent with firm yet forgiving support and decent lateral hold through the corners, while all Tiguan trims get a front seating area that’s spacious enough for most body types. The second row is a bit abbreviated compared to the majority of competitors, but I still found plenty of room for my five-foot-eight frame. I’d be willing to bet larger folks would feel cramped back there, however, a problem Volkswagen will need to address in its next generation Tiguan if it wants sales to increase in this part of the world.

They might also want to consider a serious restyling. Don’t get me wrong, as the Tiguan offers up a clean, uncluttered design that hardly strays from the brand’s new corporate look, but it is a bit bland and not particularly sporty. Volkswagen incorporated its new horizontally ribbed grille in the 2012 update, and it was to good

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effect. A really nice set of jeweled headlights featuring optional signature LEDs complements the look, while a protruding bumper with integrated fog lamps features black strakes cutting through brake vent-like plastic inserts, and below all of that sits a large engine vent with an off-road style protection plate (it sounds tougher than it looks). A set of nondescript five-spoke alloys look attractive enough and are easy to clean, while those LED turn signals integrated into the mirror caps I spoke of before give the little Tig an upscale appearance, but of course these are becoming commonplace now so other than making them standard it’s not like Volkswagen is offering something that most competitors aren’t. The taillights are once again simple and small, which is refreshing in a segment that seems more go big or go home, whereas the rear fog lamps and reflectors are set within a black lower bumper, the same as that which wraps around

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the lower portion of the body. This tries to give it a longer leaner look, but there’s nothing stopping the eyes from seeing a short and slightly pudgy CUV, even including the nice aluminum roof rails spanning the rooftop and the abbreviated spoiler at its end.

When all the sales numbers are tallied up and profits and/or losses measured, Volkswagen will likely redesign the next-generation Tiguan to more adequately suit North American tastes, just as it has done with the Passat and will soon do with the Touareg, or whatever they end up calling the new US-built seven-passenger crossover expected to launch soon. It’s taken a long time, but VW is finally realizing that most of its smaller European designs don’t fly very well on this side of the Atlantic, and as good as the Tiguan is as a driver’s CUV and as much

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as its interior impresses, it’s literally not measuring up to most buyers’ wants and needs. This said for those who want a smaller CUV the Tiguan is sized just right, and therefore sales should continue to grow incrementally.

I, for one, absolutely love it. It’s a compact crossover for those who enjoy driving for the sake of driving, as well as owners who appreciate quality over quantity. Volkswagen has proven there are at least 10,000 of these types of buyers in the Canadian market, and making the more fuel-efficient TDI turbo-diesel available might just add another 10,000 to that number. Here’s hoping…

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