Volkswagen Tiguan competition check

Volkswagen has finally begun its SUV onslaught for the Indian market and the first vehicle to join this bandwagon is the very popular Tiguan SUV. It was unveiled in its present generation globally in late 2015 and was then showcased to the Indian market at Delhi in 2016. Now it is available in India across two variants which have been priced at Rs 27.98 lakh for the Comfortline trim and 31.38 lakh for the Highline trim (Ex-showroom Delhi). This pricing has put it in the range of the entry-level crossovers from the big German three and our competition check takes a look at how it stands up to its nearest rivals. We had expected that Volkswagen would price the Tiguan closer to the likes of the Hyundai Tucson in the low 20s. However, given the features that are available and possible cost of operations, it seems that VW decided to target crossovers one level higher, thus giving aspiration value to the vehicle.   

BMW X1
The top-of-the-line Tiguan takes on the entry-level BMW X1 which is the sDrive 20d variant as they are at similar price points. Both are evenly matched in terms of proportions and sport a similar design due to the crossover influence. However, here the Tiguan is better in terms of features and is a marginally bigger car. It also offers more kit in the cabin as compared to the X1. However, the X1’s ace up its sleeve is that 2.0-litre diesel engine which produces 188bhp/400Nm while the Tiguan’s mill churns out a much smaller 141bhp/340Nm. The former is only FWD while the Tiguan has AWD as standard.

Mercedes-Benz GLA
It is a similar story like the X1 when you compare the GLA and the Volkswagen Tiguan. Here too, it is comparison of the top-of-the-line Highline trim of the Tiguan and the entry-level GLA 200 Sport CDI. The Tiguan is slightly longer than the GLA in overall length but has a marginally smaller wheelbase. In terms of features both cars have all the basics to keep them level and there is a large amount of give and take between both vehicles. The Tiguan has LED head lights, three-zone climate control and a panoramic sunroof but the GLA has a more intuitive infotainment system, seven airbags and of course that Mercedes-Benz badging.

The German automaker has targeted these models as its main rival indicating that it wants to take the brand upwards in terms of what is on offer. It has to battle the fact that while the offering (Tiguan) may be fully packed, the brand value held by BMW and Mercedes-Benz is far higher and will still command a higher recall than the VW badge.