Inside the…VW Tiguan

The name “Tiguan” first entered the motor trade vocabulary back in 2006 when it was announced by VW at that years LA auto show as a “concept”. The “Compact Cross-over Vehicle” (or CUV) as it is classified didn’t enter production in Europe until 2008 and was given its name after a massive public vote through German magazines and websites. The name Tiguan is a cross (or cross-over get it?) between Tiger and the German name for Iguana. Yes as concepts go it’s a strange one but it could have been worse the shortlist comprised the following names; Namib, Rockton, Liger, Samun and Nanuk!

In the UK there are 31 variations to choose from ranging from the 1.4L BlueMotion at (VW OTR) £20,515 up to the 2.0L R Line TSI 4Motion at £28,245 (see full price list below).

If you are buying a new Tiguan you can be comforted by its strong residual performance. In a recent editorial by Trade guide Glass the Tiguan came out top in the Residual Value league, retaining 68% of its value after 3 years. In compiling the league Glass only recorded the highest ranked example from each range and reveal that if they had shown a top 10 list by model the first 9 places would have been taken by different derivatives of the Tiguan.

Glass Guide residual value winners in 2010

As you can see 7 of the top 10 places are occupied by Off Road and Lifestyle 4x4s which represents a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes. Just 2 years ago their anti-green credentials, coupled with high fuel prices and the threat of a massive hike in Vehicle Excise Duty almost threatened many of these cars with what Glass call “residual value extinction”. The harsh winter last year also reminded car buyers that, every 20 years or so, the UK suffers some extreme weather conditions and this was a significant catalyst for demand.

According to Glass the Tiguan is blessed with all the right ingredients. Apart from having the prestige of the VW badge, it has never been distress marketed as a new car; quite the opposite in fact as there have been prolonged periods of time when availability has been very limited

So what does the trade think?

Quite simply the Tiguan has been the success story in the world of residual values this year; with the model appealing to a broad section of buyers by the fact that it is not a huge 4×4 and yet is still big enough to be practical has meant that demand has continued to rise steadily.

The very top of the range R Line models and especially those with the automatic gearbox and all the toys have fetched blistering money in the trade in some cases thousands into book. Its value has been further boosted by the fact that there has not been much supply and therefore even fairly basic s spec models have made a premium. There’s no doubt that the car is a roaring success and the quirky park assist option is very futuristic.

With VW set to introduce a DSG gearbox into the range next year expect to see the success continue.

Best models are sport/R Line especially leather and auto you should be able to buy a 58 plate diesel SE for under £20k

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