Volkswagen Tiguan test drive since 2008 SUV

"Tigeriyazhravor"

What happens if you cross a predatory mammal with a lizard? Genetics from such seditions can fall into incurable depression. But German designers, especially without theorizing, created such a genetic exrasis. From the very appearance on the world market in 2002, the Touareg SUV was clear that this would not end: after all, Volkswagen engineers have been working on all-wheel drive systems since the 60s. And the experience of its use in a passenger car, they can remember Golf Country, which was produced from 1990 to 1992 and became a bestseller.
In a word, in 2006, a concept car of a new compact crossover was shown at the Los Angelos Auto Show (such cars are attributed to the type of A-SUV compact cars for outdoor activities), which received the name Tiguan. But, if, with the word Tuareg, the image of the harsh Algerian Bedouin occurs, then in the word Tiguan something inhuman, although also genetic. It turns out that the name appeared from the banal addition of the words Tiger (Tiger) and IGUANA (iguana). Moreover, 350 thousand readers of the German automobile magazine autobld participated in this complex mental process. In Russian, by the way, you can come up with a funny tiger, for example, or Iguar (the process took 10 seconds).
In 2007, the finished car was shown at the Frankfurt car dealership. But I just got to Russia. Why? This question is simply answered: the Russian premiere Tiguan took place with a half -year late, but the new compact SUV is now gathering in Russia at the Volkswagen factory in Grabtsevo, under Kaluga.
Soon after birth
It would seem, more recently, on November 28 last year, the correspondent of AI visited the solemn launch of the production of Volkswagen and Skoda cars. True, it was difficult to call this production: in the middle of a clean field brought by snow, a pile of several hundred containers towered, next to which was not a high and not too large building. Naturally, the company's management, since it came to Russia, decided not to wait for the construction of the enterprise of the full cycle and organized a screwdriver assembly of machine tools delivered from Europe. And funds from sold machines were directed to expand production.
Eight months have passed since then, for which 28 thousand cars 220-240 per day left the factory gate: the plant operates in three shifts and seven days a week. Three Volkswagen Passat and Jetta and Skoda Octavia models were produced until long time. A few days ago, the fourth of the same Tiguan, which can rightfully be congratulated on their birthday, added to them. Russian. But in order to convey these congratulations, it was necessary to get from Moscow to Kaluga all on the same Tiguan.
Close acquaintance
Crossovers met us in a parking lot at a small restaurant on Nakhimovsky Prospekt. The sensation is dual: it is painfully small to seem to Tiguan from afar, but you come closer, no, like a normal size for a compact crossover! Then he was not particularly too lazy, climbed into the reference books: Tiguan length is only 10 centimeters less than that of Honda CR-V. Nevertheless, the crossover looks compact, because its base from Golf V.
As for the external appearance, it is nevertheless that they say how you call the ship, so it will float. Unnatural crossing, may the supreme designer-geneticist be forgiven in appearance: something from Passat, something from Golf, and something inspires associations with the products of the Korean auto industry.
And the salon resembles Golf Plus. The first Tiguan, who are now leaving the conveyor in Kaluga, not the richest configuration: a fabric salon, there is no multi -line, a relatively simple audio system. And the adjustments of the seats are mechanical. But it is easy to find a convenient position: the seat has a lumbar backup and it can be adjusted in height, it seems, until you take your head into the ceiling. Yes, and the steering wheel moves both by departure and in height by five centimeters. The rear seats are also adjustable sofa can be shifted back and forth, both entirely and in parts, in relation to 1/3 to 2/3. So the trunk of 470 liters can still be increased. And if the seats are folding the volume to 1,500 liters. In general, the interior is transformed so that you can transport long-termers up to 260 cm. It has a bunch of containers and boxes for trifles, the rear seats have hinged tables, there is even a climate control remote control for passengers.
But the path was not for about 200 kilometers time
Like a sling stone
The motor wound up and sounded unexpectedly loudly. Diesel? No, it seems to be a gasoline engine. Judging by the specification, a TSI with a volume of 1.4 liters. What, little? In vain you think so: the power of a small engine is as much as 150 hp, there is a turbine, so the start is rather frisky.
The first gear is just to move. The arrow of the tachometer quickly flies into the red zone. And then the second, the third passed a hundred, the fourth can be switched to the fifth, but you already need to slow down the traffic light.
Is it a matter of the city! Especially on the Kyiv highway almost empty at this time (but only towards the region)! I repent: I became interested in did not notice how the speedometer arrow came close to the mark of 190 km/h. So the Moscow region and part of Kaluga flew very quickly until the turn to Maloyaroslavets. The Kiev highway here makes a huge arc decided to cut through this ancient (606 years!) Gorodok. They even managed to visit the local Nikolsky Chernostrovsky monastery. Behind him, the field of the decisive battle of the Patriotic War of 1812, when the Napoleonic army was stopped and departed to the Smolensk road. On the walls of the monastery for 196 years, marks from bullets and fragments have been visible
From the place of military glory, in the most beautiful places of the Kaluga region to Grabtsev. There are no traffic police posts, and the speed is cruising, i.e. not lower than 160. Bad, of course, we violate, but we need to check the car!
Cracability test
The tour of the plant was short -lived, half an hour maximum. And then the test at a special training ground. Rowman, slippery plot of no problem. Now the 45-degree rise. Interesting exercise. One button turns on all -wheel drive, and you still need to press the Autohold button. But the further causes difficulties in a psychophysical nature: in the middle of the ascent, the clutch should be squeezed to the stop, release the gas and brake pedal! We’ll fall off now! Nothing of the kind: having rushed off by a meter, the car freezes its automation slowed down. Now just add gas and Tiguan at the top. Then it is easier: you need to move off and, having rolled down, again remove the leg from the pedals. The expected swift descent does not work: the crossover first slows down the engine, and then the brakes themselves come into business. So we carefully slide down by 20 km/h.
With the exercise on the diagonal hanging out problems, too, did not arise: Tiguan froze, hanging one rear and opposite front wheel. And then a little gas and, checking the wheels, the 4Motion all -wheel drive with a fourth -generation Haldex coupling is doing their job, the car gets out of the pits.
In a sense, we were tested for strength, more precisely, our prejudices.
And now the drive!
A rare opportunity on the test to check the car expensive at many hundreds of kilometers. It was possible to do this: from Kaluga it was necessary to go first to the village of Nikolo-Lenivts to where the Arch-Condition on the Ugra River has been working for several years. It is more than a hundred kilometers along the roads, which sometimes even laundering can hardly be called. The crushed asphalt is replaced by crushed stone, crushed stone with a primer. But I don’t want to reduce the speed: 120-140! Tiguan flies rather softly on bumps, its pendants were specially finalized.
A brief stop for familiarizing yourself with the exhibition is beautiful!, Assault on the local Eiffel Tower of wood trunks, bathing in Ugra and further, towards Medyni, where the night is planned. But not for me. I am behind the wheel again, and to Moscow.
Due to the accident on the A-101 highway, I had to return from almost half the way (almost 100 km have already been passed!). Another 100 back, and 180 to Moscow. Total about four hundred. Tiguan made this distance in three and a half hours. And in total, the author of these lines spent about seven hours and was almost not tired.
A year later, other Tiguan Russian assembly with a 2.0-liter gasoline engine and a 2.0-liter turbodiesel, with a Russified navigation system and a glass roof, will enter the Russian market.
But this is a completely different story
Moscow Kaluga Moscow
Dmitry Semenov
 

Source: Magazine Automobile Izvestia [September 2008]