test drives

VIDEO

By Tim Saunders

A small vehicle is my preferred mode of transport. Not just for reasons of economy but because I can usually squeeze one into a tight space by the roadside, meaning I don’t have to pay exorbitant car parking charges.

After patiently waiting for a P driver to parallel park in Fareham, I follow her and do the same in the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid AWD, which is reasonably easy to manoeuvre, helped by the reversing cameras. Although it is considered to be a small hybrid SUV it still feels quite large when I compare it to my wife’s ageing Vauxhall Corsa. Inside, my growing children complain about the lack of legroom in the rear. The driving position is ok and the automatic box makes for lazy driving. What we particularly like is the large panoramic glass roof, which really lightens the dark interior. There’s a cover that takes us some time to operate but we get there in the end.

I find the doors a bit plasticky when closing them from inside. Another qualm – and I have the same issue in the VW Tiguan – is its over sensitive reversing sensors, which do not like the hedges lining my driveway and a resulting automatic emergency stop not only frightens but infuriates me. Cars of today seem to be built purely for flat roads with no obstacles. No good at all.

Toyota has paired a 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with an e-CVT automatic gearbox. An extra electric motor powers the rear wheels to give all-wheel drive. This model generates 130hp but there is another model that will produce 116hp. Its 36 litre fuel tank allows it to travel just over 500 miles with super efficient driving not exceeding 56mph, I find. The nearer the bottom of the tank the digital reading becomes unreliable.

I find the inside door handles are in an odd place, too – out of sorts with other cars I drive and every time I go to open the door I find myself missing the handle. I have to actually look at where the handle is whereas in other cars I just automatically know. The children concur. The armrest on the driver’s door isn’t quite right for me either. And the driver’s seat is too low, possibly my fault but I can’t seem to make it higher so for the duration of the test I feel like a little schoolboy driving around. Caroline in the front passenger seat seems taller. Perhaps I’m shrinking with old age.

The model tested is all wheel drive but there is a slightly more efficient version available in front wheel drive.

I take it for a trip to Torquay. It’s a three to four hour journey and I find that my back starts complaining, so I think it would appreciate more padding in the driver’s seat. It copes with all manner of traffic jams, roadworks, closed roads, diversions due to accidents, water pipe repairs and wild fires and due to the clumsiness of these diversions which cause me confusion it is necessary to do a little off-roading as we park up and scratch our heads. The sat nav could be improved considerably. There are some that have the ability of spotting diversions and road closures, this is not one of them and some of the instructions could be clearer too. When the A380 around Torbay is closed and very poor diversion signs put in place this device keeps telling me to go back in the long long queue because I’m going wrong. Terrible. It’s only talking to a helpful customer in a petrol station that we learn that we need to drive to Teignmouth and then on to Dawlish and then to Exeter where we wish to visit. Later, a shocking New Forest wild fire closes the M27 which means we have to drive to Salisbury and then pick up the A36 and then onto the section of the M27 that is open. We only learn this from a helpful petrol attendant at the only petrol station that seems to be open in these parts. We finally return home after midnight.

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The idea of swiping a credit card has been transferred to the driving experience. Opening the sunroof, operating the heating or the radio is all done by a scroll of the finger in the Volkswagen Tiguan. Henry, my ten year old son likes this.

Correctly pronounced “TEE-gwan” (TEE-gwahn), the name is a blend of the German words Tiger (tiger) and Leguan (iguana).

Initially, I sit in the car on my driveway to familiarise myself. There’s a dial where the gearbox is often located but on first inspection this isn’t anything to do with that, it’s for the volume. So where’s the gearstick?

“It’s on the right of the steering wheel,” guides Henry who is far more aware than me!

This reminds me of the gear shifts on cars of the past, with a modern twist.

There’s a button behind the volume dial that releases or engages the electronic parking brake.

So that’s simple enough.

Only it isn’t. When I push the start button and engage drive mode, releasing the parking brake and pushing the accelerator, the car rolls down our sloping driveway, which is frightening. After some research I discover that when the footbrake is pressed hard at the same time as starting the engine this should engage auto hold, but even then there is some forward movement. The car doesn’t seem to like our bumblebee covered lavender bush. Reversing up the driveway it violently brakes all by itself, which when I don’t feel very well is almost enough to see the contents of my stomach plastered across the windscreen. It doesn’t matter whether I reverse down the driveway or park head on, the same problem presents itself. Even after I have switched off all parking technology it seems. If there ever was a case of incorporating too much technology, it is here.

As I pull away there is a delay as it takes a little time for the transmission to acknowledge that the accelerator has been pressed. Problematic, even dangerous, when pulling out onto a fast moving road. Selecting sports mode does not seem to speed things up either. It is also necessary to push the selector away from you when changing from sports mode to driving mode because if you don’t do that it falls into neutral, which you eventually notice when travelling at 60mph because of decreasing speed. Then when braking we don’t come to a smooth halt but more of a bouncy springy stop, which is all rather unnerving. No doubt for reasons of efficiency but other hybrids don’t feel so disconnected.

“This isn’t just a volume control,” smiles Heidi (13), pushing and turning the dial to reveal various driving modes that appear on the screen. This seems ill thought out to me. In my mind it should be used for one or the other. Not both. It’s confusing.

Externally, the Tiguan mild hybrid is a smart looking, sophisticated vehicle, finished in a tasteful metallic blue.

It’s a sizeable vehicle with good amounts of legroom for five occupants and the large boot is perfect for a family’s requirements from a tip run to a break away.

I take it on the Wightlink ferry from Portsmouth to Fishbourne on the Isle of Wight and when we return to the vehicle we find that the only cars to have their alarms sounding on the crossing are those from the VW Group – the Audis, VWs and Skodas. They must have very sensitive alarms compared to say, Hondas.

For me the Tiguan is a reflection of society. It highlights when change is incorporated for the sake of it and does not bring with it any advantages. Sadly, the Tiguan feels like a large lumbering lethargic vehicle, well suited to our times and in need of a health check.

Facts at a glance