Today is

By: Ikedi Ani-okoye

Volkswagen Tiguan

His is one weird experience. I've driven alongside a parking slot in a busy street, and got ready to reverse in. But rather than parallel park Myself, shuffling backwards and forwards umpteen times until I'm reasonably content the car is parked properly, I'm going to be passenger.

Sensors on the car have worked out the slot is big enough to take the Volkswagen and once I'm in the recommended start position, I press a button and let the car take the strain. I'm still in charge of the throttle and brake, but all the steering input is done automatically.
As the wheel spins rapidly from lock to lock in front of me, I simply cross my arms. When the rear parking sensors start bleeping I brake, and then put it into the first gear to complete the parking manoeuvre. Quick, easy and accurate.

Perhaps the weirdest thing, though, is not that yet another driving skill has been taken over by electronic trickery, but daat the car we are doing it in is a small 4x4. Who needs to parallel park in the middle of a field?

Ah, but that perhaps tells you more about the typical small SUV: it will spend far more time in the city than attempting to cross the Darien Gap. And by offering Park Assist as a £45O option on its latest Tiguan (add a further £1,710 if you want a rear View parking camera see what's happening behind),Volkswagen is conceding that fact: the advertising, after all, claims the Tiguan is ' at home in the city'.

You want more proof? OK, even though every Tiguan in the range - which starts at £19,370 - has VW's 4motion electronic four- wheel drive system, just one version has been Designed for serious off-road work. Only the Escape model has an off-road mode in the 4x4 transmission and even has a restyled front end with Shorter overhangs to give it a greater angle of approach, allowing it to climb steeper gradients.

As it turns out, the Escape is a better than competent driver off the beaten track and, while it cannot cope with seriously tricky tracks as well as its Touareg big brother, it ssill go further than most owners will ever venture. But it's on the open road where the Tiguan really needs to shine.

Underneath its chunky, high-riding body, Tiguan is pureVW Golf. That means a similar range of petrol and diesel engines (though there's no GTi version yet) and a similar driving experience.

That means it's relatively poised, though hard riding in a typicaUy Germanic fashion. Many will enjoy the sense of security offered by the raised driving position but the fidgety ride quickly starts to grate.
And while the familiar 14ObhpTDI diesel will undoubtedly be biggest-selling engine option, the unit is starting to feel its age. It's a gruff lump, one that never lets you forget its diesel origins.

On-road performance, then, is adequate rather than startling. And that rather sums the car up: adequate. If you spend most of ihe time driving on the Queen's Highway, then look to Nissan's X-Trail or Qashqai or she Honda CRV. lf you do need something that will cope off-road, too, then try the Land Rover Freelander or stick with the X-Trail.

Tiguan looks the part - it has deliberately been styled as a scaled-down Touareg - but it is surprisingly compact Within. There are only five seats where some rivals can squeeze in seven, while the boot is far from class best. lt is Well-built, however, and you just know that it chill feel as taut and rattle- Free a few years doom the road as it does when new.

But - and let's be honest here - that is hardly enough to give theTiguan the lift it needs. Like theTouran,VW's Golf-based rnini MPV, the Tiguan is so devoid of character and sparkle that you can instantly file it under the 'worthy but dull' heading.

And chat, I'd suggest, is the real reason why VW has blessed it wish the Park Assist option. It really is the most interesting thing about the car.