Jalopnik: volkswagen tiguan

VW Tiguan Performance Concept To Debut At SEMA

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST

Now here's something interesting coming from the Wolfsburg crew: The VW Tiguan Performance Concept set to debut at SEMA. The details are thin so far, but the tiniest SUV from the people's brand gets a three-stage turbo pushing output up to 312 HP and 319 lb-ft of torque to go along with the upgraded Dakar-style body work. Since it's coming out at SEMA it's also getting a silly and irrelevant Rockford Fostgate sound system which makes us shake our heads. Still, we want to run it against the new 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor in a desert-racing death match. Click here for a high-res view and check out the "release" below the jump.

Tiguan Performance Concept
Stylish, powerful and rockin' are three words that describe the Tiguan Performance. An upgraded exterior body kit, a three-stage turbo kit ringing out 312 hp and 319 lbs. ft of torque and a custom designed and built sound system from Rockford Fosgate leave this Tiguan looking great, driving great and sounding great.

[World Car Fans]

Ten Best Cars For A Fall Weekend Trip

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Fall's crisp winds, wet roads and bright foliage are here. But just because it's no longer summer doesn't mean you can't enjoy a weekend driving trip. Just as the leaves change so do the driving conditions, meaning it's time to trade in that soft-top convertible for something a little better suited to the autumn climate. Below is our list of ten vehicles and ten trips for a perfect fall weekend.

10.) Mazda MX-5 Miata Retractable Hardtop

There's no better way to view the fall foliage than through an open top, but the threat of a cold day means most people keep their convertibles in the garage. The Mazda MX-5 now comes with a hard-top convertible version offering all the fun of a cheap, quick car — only now with a hardtop to protect you and your occupants from the elements.
MSRP: $24,465
Best Fun Feature: Zippy acceleration
Best Fall Feature: Retractable hard top
Best Fall Trip: Drive to a B&B at the end of a road filled with winding curves and have just as much fun driving back.

9.) Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

As much fun as a Jeep is for a weekend on the beach, traveling in the fall means packing more gear. In that case, the much larger Jeep Wrangler Unlimited is a great autumn choice. Plus, the add-on hardtop option will make life all the warmer.
MSRP: $21,985
Best Fun Feature: Folding windshield and removable doors
Best Fall Feature: Trail-rated 4x4 capability and an optional hardtop.
Best Fall Trip: Take a rugged path for a weekend of camping and hiking.

8.) Maserati GranTurismo S

The Maserati GranTurismo S is a fast, gorgeous and luxurious grand tourer in the classic style. Despite its sports car look, the GranTurismo has ample room for a weekend's worth of gear.
MSRP: $138,600
Best Fun Feature: 433-horsepower Italian V8
Best Fall Feature: Smooth, predictable ride with lots of room
Best Fall Trip: Try a long drive through the wine country and have room to take home a few bottles.

7.) Volkswagen Tiguan

The new Volkswagen Tiguan CUV offers the practicality of a larger vehicle with the fun driving characteristics of a smaller car.
MSRP: $23,200
Best Fun Feature: Turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder engine
Best Fall Feature: Fold-flat rear seats
Best Fall Trip: If your living space is looking a bit empty the Tiguan is an ideal companion for a weekend bouncing from antique shop to garage sale in search of that perfect armoire.

6.) Mini Cooper Clubman

The Mini Cooper has always been a fun, efficient way to get away for the weekend. Throw in an extra set of doors and a bit more room and you have the fall-ready Mini Clubman wagon.
MSRP: $20,850
Best Fun Feature: Fun to drive but also efficient (37 mpg highway)
Best Fall Feature: The rear doors are hinged, allowing for easy loading of large objects and luggage
Best Fall Trip: Autumn is a time of harvest and what better way to enjoy that then hitting the road and visiting local farms to load the back of the Clubman up with a bounty of pumpkins and squash!

5.) Ford Ranger FX4

Before winter's frost brings snow and ice, cold fronts move through bringing chilly rains that leave muddy trails, perfect for a weekend of mudding in the off-road version of Ford's compact Ford Ranger. The FX4 is light, simple and extremely competant over challening road conditions.
MSRP: $22,850
Best Fun Feature: Heavy duty schocks
Best Fall Feature: Off-road ability
Best Fall Trip: Tread lightly and carry a big truck through the backwoods with a friend, just make sure to bring some good boots.

4.) Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

When it comes to bang-for-buck it is hard to top the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR, which offers the space of a sedan and the road-hugging ability of an AWD sports cars.
MSRP: $32,990
Best Fun Feature: Twin Clutch SST Automated Manual Transmission
Best Fall Feature: Super All-Wheel Control
Best Fall Trip: Nothing says a fun weekend like hitting the track or, if it is rainy, the rally stage.

3.) BMW X6

Instead of dusting off the boring old SUV for fall, consider the BMW X6 "Sports Activity Coupe" for a long weekend in the country. It's as fast as many sports cars and capable on or, as our road test editor claims, off road.
MSRP: $53,275
Best Fun Feature: An athletic design that hides the hatch
Best Fall Feature: Dynamic Performance Control, which keeps the Bimmer planted to any road
Best Fall Trip: With Thanksgiving around the corner you've got enough room for kids and enough zoom to make you forget your Uncle Jake's prison stories.

2.) Subaru Outback 2.5XT Limited

The Subaru Legacy Outback Wagon offers poise, comfort, drivability and most importantly: space.
MSRP: $31,595
Best Fun Feature: 440-watt, 9-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo
Best Fall Feature: Continuous All-Wheel Drive
Best Fall Trip: Football season is here and the roomy Outback will not only get you to the game, it has the room for tailgating gear. Bratwurst anyone?

1.) Porsche 911 Targa 4

A Porsche 911 is fun year-round, but the Porsche 911 Targa 4 is the perfect sports car for Fall. When the weather is nice the glass roof and hatch allow all inside a chance to see the sights. When the weather turns rough the Targa 4 comes equipped with all-wheel drive.
MSRP: $89,500
Best Fun Feature: Glass roof
Best Fall Feature: All-wheel-drive
Best Fall Trip: Pick a sunny weekend and drive to the coast where you can marvel at the beauty through the glass.

2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, Reviewed

Andrew Stoy — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:40:00 EDT

While we haven't had the pleasure of piloting a 2009 VW Tiguan quite yet, our good friends at Popular Mechanics have thrown the mini-ute around a bit and pronounced it more Golf than Touareg — a good thing. Powered only by the 2.0-liter turbo mill making 200 HP and 207 lb-ft of twist, the Tiguan ends up being one of the most powerful soft-roaders in the neighborhood. It may not be our bag, but it's true. Plus, if you're a buyer electing to be honest about your vehicular needs and choose a FWD Tiguan, you can get a proper manual transaxle; drivers requiring 4Motion are saddled with only a slushbox.

[Popular Mechanics]

Volkswagen Tiguan To Be Marketed As The Compact SUV 'GTI' Instead Of The 'Expensive' Compact SUV

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:40:00 EDT

The Volkswagen Tiguan is headed this way to compete in the highly competitive Compact SUV segment, which includes the likes of the Honda CR-V, RAV4 and Ford Escape. The sharp-looking SUV has a lot going for it, including the beloved turbocharged 2.0-Liter fourbanger found in a wide range of Audi and VW products. Unfortunately for VW, a weak dollar and features designed to meet the high expectations of the European market mean that the Tiguan is going to start at $23,850 and top out for $29,515 for the AWD version. That's about $1,700 more than the fully-equipped AWD Honda CR-V, the class leader. But VW has a plan for selling the thing: tie it to the popular VW GTI.

This isn't completely ludicrous as the GTI shares the same platform and drivetrain as the Tiguan, though exterior styling is dramatically different. We see this is as a positive for Tiguan drivers that want to feel better about buying an SUV, though we wonder if GTI owners might not appreciate the sentiment. Time will tell if this move allows VW to move the targeted 20-25K vehicles.

[AutoNews via Motive Forums]

Volkswagen Tiguan R Line Revealed

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 13:45:00 EST

Volkswagen will add the A5-platformed Tiguan ute to the list of veedubs that get the R Line treatment at this year's Essen Motor Show. Other than this press image we don't have much in the way of details, but from other R Line vehicles we can assume that the revised body kit, wheels and interior bits can be added onto your Tiguan with whatever powerplant you (and by you we mean some European dude) choose.

We'll know more when the Essen Motor Show kicks off at the end of this week, but in the meantime feel free to enjoy the uber-white VW. [VW via WorldCarFans]