The 2009 Tiguan Volkswagen is part of a new wave of compact SUV in Europe. This car is considered to be a compact sports utility vehicle, but it is so much more. The Tiguan VW has the best features of a sedan and incorporates them into an elegant and trendy mini sports utility vehicle. The Tiguan Volkswagen offers a pleasant and sporty driving experience, more than most compact crossover SUVs.

Built on a platform that unites basics of the Jetta/Rabbit and Passat, the 2009 Tiguan Volkswagen is shorter than the Jetta by almost 5 inches and shorter than the Passat by 13.6 inches, though it is almost 10 inches longer than the Rabbit. The Tiguan’s 102.4 inch wheelbase is 0.9 inch longer than the Jetta/Rabbit and 4.3 inches shorter than the Passat. All this adds up to rather economical compact SUV packaging, though the Tiguan VW does not have the cargo room of most vehicles in its class.

It’s simple to get in the New Tiguan, and the driver also has ample room. Head room is impressive and the seat moves back far enough to let big men to fit. While the seats do not have a lot of controls, the tilt/telescoping steering wheel and general seat geometry make available for a natural driving position. Visibility is clear to all corners, but the side mirrors are a bit short, making the blind spots a little bigger.

Like other Volkswagon cars, the 2009 VW Tiguan exists among standard line and luxury. That is most evident inside, where the Tiguan has more soft-touch solid materials than the majority compact SUV competitors. The dash is padded, and the rest of the materials are solid and well mounted. The only competitors with similar interior materials come from Acura and BMW, and they cost a little more.

The 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan comes with front-wheel drive or 4-Motion all-wheel-drive system. Volkswagen’s 4-Motion sends 90 percent of the power to the front wheels in normal driving conditions, but when conditions demand it is able to send up to 100 percent of the power to the rear wheels. In general, this system is made for on-road use in slippery conditions. It’s an all weather all wheel drive system with no low-range set of gears, though Volkswagen says the Tiguan has some modest off-road capability. The 4-Motion uses a Haldex coupling and a multiplate internal clutch.

The 2009 VW Tiguan is a four-door and five-passenger sport-utility. It is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. This engine is one of the top on the market. It’s more powerful than the engines offered in most compact SUVs. Direct injection helps it churn out plenty of useable power for its size, while also delivering decent fuel economy.

A six-speed automatic transmission is standard on all but the S, where it’s an option to that model’s standard 6-speed manual with a manual shift gate. It’s a good option. Both give this New Tiguan a leg up on the competition, because so few manuals are offered in this class and the automatic as it has six gears, while many competitors are offering four or five speed automatic.

The automatic has a tendency to up shift quickly for better fuel economy, which means drivers must get on the throttle pretty hard to coax the downshifts necessary for maximum power. This can be remedied by using the automatic’s manual shift gate, but most drivers will just let the transmission do the work. Steering wheel shift paddles are not available. The 2009 Tiguan Volkswagen’s fuel estimates comes in at 19 city mpg and 26 highway mpg, far surpassing most of the competition.