The guy in the mall parking lot stopped in front of the vehicle I was exiting, pointed at it and asked, “What’s that called?”

“It’s Volkswagen’s new compact crossover SUV,” I replied.

“I know what it is,” he said. “What’s it called?

“Tie-Gwan,” I said.

“Tie-Gwan or Tee-Gwan?” he asked.

“Well… I think it’s Tie-Gwan, but it may actually be Tig-Gwan,” I replied.

“TIG-GWAN??? I never heard that one,” he said.

That’s the real way to pronounce the name of Volkswagen’s hot new compact crossover SUV, I learned from a Volkswagen spokesman after testing the vehicle. The spokesman said the name is made up, created by combining Tiger and Iguana.

That makes no sense to me on two levels:

For one thing, that means it should be pronounced Tie-Gwan, right?

Secondly, I have no idea what would happen if you mated a fierce and agile beast of prey with a plodding, deliberate reptile that eats insects, but I can’t see how their offspring would be anything like the Tiguan.

Unless, that is, you’re referring to how many bugs will get decimated by its front grille and windshield when the Tiguan is deftly darting along some curvy back road on a warm summer evening.

The Tiguan’s performance invites that kind of imagery even if its name evokes images of some science fiction-inspired nightmare. That’s because driving the Tiguan is even more fun than ridiculing its name.

Volkswagen’s newest model manages to deliver most of what today’s consumers are looking for as they increasingly abandon larger, truck-based SUVs in favor of smaller, car-based crossovers.

Despite it diminutive dimensions – just 14.5 feet from tip to tail – the Tiguan offers the versatility people find so endearing about SUVs. With its 60/40 split rear seatbacks upright, there’s nearly 24 cubic feet of boxy cargo space behind them. Fold the seatbacks – a swift, one-handed task – and cargo space more than doubles.

That’s comparable to the compact crossover class leaders. And while the Tiguan isn’t available with third-row seating that you can get on, say, Toyota’s RAV4, it does have several features that enhance its cargo- and passenger-carrying versatility.

For example, the rear seat slides fore and aft, and their seatbacks tilt as well as fold. When it’s folded down, the rear-seat armrest on my top-of-the-line Tiguan SEL test vehicle created a pass-through perfect for carrying long, skinny objects such as skis. Bulkier long cargo also can be accommodated because the front passenger seatback flips forward and flat.

The Tiguan was equally accommodating to passengers. Four average size adults can cruise comfortably for a few hours, and it doesn’t feel like torture when a small kid squeezes between the back-seat occupants, either.

Passengers used to riding in big, cushy SUVs, however, might find the Tiguan’s ride a little brittle on rough surfaces. Although major road ruts and bumps can be jarring, I mostly appreciated the vehicle’s firm suspension.

That’s because it gives Tiguan a responsiveness and surefootedness that makes it behave more like a compact sport sedan than a conventional SUV. Despite a 39.4-foot turning circle that seems unusually wide for such a small vehicle, it’s probably the best handling compact crossover I’ve driven.

Steering response is accurate, progressive and predictable. The electro-mechanical system makes parking-lot maneuvering effortless, but firms up beautifully for an easy to appreciate heft at higher speeds.

The Tiguan doesn’t flinch when it’s directed to tackle a tight turn at those speeds, either. It simply claws at the asphalt and does its bidding with hardly a trace of tire squeal or body lean.

Its engine is similarly cooperative. There are rumors that Volkswagen may eventually offer a diesel engine similar to the one in the Jetta TDI, but for now all Tiguans get the same engine.

Fortunately for Volkswagen and Tiguan owners, it’s a good one that is well-suited to the vehicle. A turbocharged, in-line four-cylinder with direct injection, the 2.0-liter engine proved peppy and responsive throughout my week of testing.

It exhibited no turbo-lag and seemed like a perfect mate to the Tiguan’s slick-shifting six-speed automatic transmission. The entry level, front-wheel drive Tiguan S is the only model available with a manual.

The front-wheel drive Tiguan with manual transmission is estimated to travel one city and two highway miles farther on a gallon of gas than the AWD automatic model. Yet given its spirited performance, I was impressed when my test vehicle averaged over 20 mpg overall.

But no more impressed than I was with the vehicle as a whole. In the Tiguan, Volkswagen has delivered a sporty, versatile and refined SUV that compares favorable to anything in its class. And it’s a whole lot more memorable than most of its competitors – in name as well as performance.

 

NUTS AND BOLTS

What is it? 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL 4Motion, a sporty compact crossover SUV.

What’s it cost?  Tiguan starting prices range from $23,200 for a front-wheel drive S model with manual transmission to $32,940 for an AWD, automatic SEL 4Motion like the one tested. Options, including a $2,000 navigation system and $1,300 panoramic sunroof, and destination charge hiked test vehicle’s MSRP to $37,230.

What I liked best: Upscale refinement, agility, responsiveness.

What I disliked: Big turning circle, smallish cargo space, no diesel engine option.

Who’s it for? Tiguan’s refinement and performance should give it broad appeal at a time when small crossover SUVs are hot. But it’s audience could be limited by the $29,000 pricetag on the least expensive AWD model.

Important numbers: 2.0-liter, 16-valve, turbocharged In-line 4-cyl. Engine with direct injection produces 200 hp, 207 lbs-ft of torque. 6-speed automatic. 102.5-inch wheelbase. 3,631-lb curb weight. 0-60 in 7.9 sec. 2,200-lb towing. 18 city/24 highway mpg (EPA). 23.8/56.1 cu.ft. cargo room with rear seatback up/folded.

About the Author

Scott Wasser is the managing editor for the Times Leader. Reach him at (570) 970-7162 or swasser@timesleader.com.

Scott Wasser is a previous Vice President of News. He currently serves as executive editor of the Portland Press Herald as her continues to write an auto column for The Times Leader.

Wasser has worked at newspapers as diverse as the Stuttgart Daily Leader in Arkansas and the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina. His Times Leader tenure began in 1983, when he was hired as the newspaper’s sports editor. Over the next decade, he turned the newspaper’s sports section into one of the most recognized in the nation as it was annually named one of the best daily and Sunday sports sections in the country.

Wasser left the sports department to become assistant general manager and online editor of The Times Leader’s website during the infancy of the internet. He left The Times Leader in 2000 to become online editor of the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal. Just prior to returning to The Times Leader in 2008, he was editor-in-chief of a national magazine covering home theater and other consumer electronics.

But Wasser says his proudest accomplishment is having driven and reviewed over 1,000 cars, trucks and motorcycles since he started writing a weekly car column for The Times Leader in 1988. The column, which runs in print on Saturday and online here, has appeared in several other newspapers, and Wasser has contributed auto-related content to national publications including “Road & Track” and “Open Road” magazines and “USA Today.”

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