Big things in store for Volkswagen Tiguan

Benjamin Yong on December 5, 2016

2017 Volkswagen Tiguan side
The 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan is the last model year to be built on the original platform. Photos by Benjamin Yong.

Following a successful 10-year-run, it’s time to say farewell to the first-generation Volkswagen Tiguan. A bigger replacement is coming in 2018, but until then the current version of the compact SUV that has sold over 2 million globally is the most well equipped its ever been.

The vehicle’s name is a combination of two German words: TIger (tiger) and LeGUAN(iguana), picked by readers of a magazine VW partnered with in a contest for the then-new model. When launched, it was the company’s initial stab at the young crossover segment, a space every major manufacturer currently occupies.

2017 volkswagen tiguan front

Last significantly updated back in 2012, the Tiguan received the familiar Touareg-like face we now know featuring twin chrome horizontal blades running across the grille. The front bumper gained a honeycomb cut out joined to a contrasting off-road-ready skid plate below. Redesigned foglights, two-piece taillights and 19-inch wheels completed the exterior transformation.

A special mid-grade Wolfsburg Edition is also available for 2017 packaging unique “Novara” alloy wheels, black roof rails and specific badging.

2017 Volkswagen Tiguan infotainment

Technology has drastically changed since the CUV’s early days, one of the biggest leaps being the area of smartphones. The recent addition of App-Connect to the infotainment system allows users to link up their mobile devices through an Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connection, accessing navigation, entertainment and messaging directly from the in-dash touchscreen display.

2017 Volkswagen Tiguan TSI engine

Only one engine has ever graced the Canadian-spec Tiguan — the tried and true 2.0-litre turbocharged TSI mill generating 200 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. These numbers are adequate enough to hustle the 1,544-kilogram crossover along at a reasonable pace when the throttle is applied. And the fact that its underpinnings are shared with the Golf shines through anytime the road bends.

2017 Volkswagen Tiguan rear

Gen two is expected to reach our shores next year, and will be the first utility vehicle built on the Volkswagen modular MQB platform.

Posted by Benjamin Yong

Benjamin Yong is a freelance journalist and communications professional living in Richmond, B.C. He is often found writing about cars and the auto industry, amongst other things, or driving around in his work-in-progress 1990 Mazda MX-5. Twitter: @b_yong Instagram: @popuplights

All Posts