Dynamic review of Tiguan L Pro: Oil and electricity compete, the glory still exi
In the third week of May this year (13th-19th), the domestic new energy passenger car insurance volume reached 168,000 units, and the new energy terminal insurance penetration rate also broke through 50% for the first time, reaching 50.2%, surpassing fuel vehicles for the first time. Many people feel that the competition between fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles has come to an end, and the era of fuel vehicles is really fading away from us.
However, it seems that some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) do not believe that the fuel vehicle has truly come to an end, and I don't think so either.
In fact, a significant portion of the 50% penetration rate still consists of vehicles with engines. Indeed, the pure fuel vehicle market is shrinking, partly due to policy reasons and partly because the current focus in China is not on fuel vehicles, leading to a sense of discontinuity in many fuel vehicle products.
On the occasion of its 40th anniversary, SAIC Volkswagen, with the policy of "advancing both fuel and electricity, prioritizing efficiency, and refreshing the brand," debuted the Tiguan L Pro at the Beijing Auto Show, continuing to cultivate the fuel vehicle market.
Advertisement
The Tiguan L has always maintained a good sales performance, even when new energy vehicles dominate the domestic market, with over 10,000 units sold in April this year. This upgrade is intended to keep pace with the trend of intelligence, ensuring that intelligence does not lag behind fuel vehicles.So, the main upgrade of this Tiguan L Pro is in the field of intelligence, aiming to achieve "equal intelligence for both fuel and electricity." The Tiguan L Pro I drove is equipped with the IQ. Pilot Intelligent Assisted Driving System, which is a result of a deep collaboration with DJI. It uses an inertial navigation binocular solution, allowing the vehicle to perceive obstacles and distances ahead without prior learning, and can achieve L2++ level driving assistance functions within a range of 0-130km/h.
Functions such as adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, flicker lane changing, and intelligent obstacle avoidance can all be realized, which indeed can alleviate driving fatigue to a certain extent.
In addition to that, my first impression of the Tiguan L Pro when I got the test drive car was that the seats should be quite good. The seats and the interior touchable areas are mainly made of suede material, which feels very comfortable to the touch, and the softness is excellent. After several days of test driving, there were no uncomfortable sitting positions. The front driver and passenger seats are 12-way electrically adjustable (8 ways for the seat, 4 ways for the lumbar support), with seat memory, seat ventilation, seat heating, and massage functions (8 modes) all available. The rear seats can be folded in a 4/6 ratio, and the backrest angle can be manually adjusted, providing a good level of comfort.
I particularly think that the Tiguan L Pro has done a good job in some small details. For example, the interior storage spaces are almost all lined with suede material, which looks much better visually than hard plastic, and it also provides some cushioning when placing items, preventing them from knocking around and making noise inside. The design under the central armrest features a hollowed-out through design, creating an additional large storage space.Additionally, for instance, when the rear seats are folded down, the seat latches are covered with rubber sleeves, preventing the direct exposure of metal components.
The front seats, steering wheel, and various parts of the body all feature the "R" logo, distinguishing the details and catering to emotional value.
I particularly like the design of the three pedals' positions; the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, and rest pedal are all made of metal material. Originally, the entire vehicle has a dark interior, and the metal finish can help adjust the atmosphere inside the car.
The above is just a bit of an introduction in terms of static aspects. As per convention, the main event is still the experience when the car is in motion. Following the usual evaluation method, I will specifically introduce from the following aspects:
01Dynamic Performance + Gear Shifting Capability
The Tuguan L PRO still employs the commonly used 2.0T + 7-speed dual-clutch powertrain by Volkswagen. This particular vehicle is a high-power all-wheel-drive version with 162kW. Compared to electric vehicles, I prefer the sensation of the engine and transmission filling up the front compartment.
Overall, I feel that the power of this vehicle is sufficient for daily use and ranks among the better levels in its class.
I primarily tested the Comfort mode and the Sport mode. Generally speaking, the Comfort mode is more suitable for everyday use. Under Comfort mode, the vehicle starts with a light throttle from a standstill, providing a decent acceleration sensation. It certainly doesn't have the abrupt surge of an electric motor at startup, but I find it more aligned with my habits, offering a gradual progression. The initial response is also quite sensitive.
When accelerating with full throttle (WOT), the power becomes more aggressive. However, at this point, due to the full engagement of the turbocharger, there is a noticeable two-stage sensation in the power output, which is not as smooth as with a light throttle. In daily urban driving with frequent starts and stops, the throttle response is very good; a light touch on the gas pedal results in a noticeable power output from the vehicle, without feeling weak.For overtaking situations, when the accelerator is heavily pressed, the power output is also sufficient for use, allowing for a relatively composed completion of the overtaking maneuver. However, at this time, the subjective feeling of the transmission downshifting is slightly delayed, which makes the power delivery feel less direct. Initially, there is a rise in engine speed before the downshift and subsequent acceleration. In sport mode, the subjective response of the throttle does not feel particularly different; the throttle response in comfort mode is already good. It's just that in sport mode, the transmission upshifts are less aggressive, allowing the engine to maintain a higher RPM, which is more conducive to power bursts.
For general mountain road driving on slopes, the vehicle's power remains ample, handling the changes in road conditions well. At this time, it feels like the engine maintains a higher RPM than on flat roads to ensure power output, although it is unclear whether a hill signal has been incorporated as an auxiliary feature.
Regarding shift performance, the dual-clutch transmission in the Tuguan L PRO, whether during gentle acceleration with light throttle or full-throttle acceleration, the smoothness of the shifts is generally acceptable. However, each shift can also be felt as a jolt in the vehicle, and the subjective feeling is that the shift speed is not fast enough, resulting in a slightly noticeable interruption of power, causing a slight forward and backward sway inside the car.
In theory, the shift speed of a dual-clutch transmission should be superior because with two clutches, while one clutch is engaging, the other clutch is already ready to control the shift. Downshifts are very smooth, without the jolt felt during upshifts.Driving Performance
In terms of driving performance, under normal conditions, whether at low or high speeds, the vehicle runs smoothly during tip in/out, without any significant jolts or impacts. It offers good smoothness in both urban and highway driving, making it easy to drive.
However, at low speeds, around 10km/h to 15km/h, there is occasionally a slight jolt when tip in or tip out is performed. At this time, the gearbox may emit the familiar "click-click" sound that dual-clutch gearboxes often have, which I speculate might be due to the gear shift point between 1st and 2nd gear. A slight press on the accelerator could cause the gear change, leading to this sensation.
Unlike electric vehicles that have energy regeneration, fuel vehicles provide a smoother gliding experience, which is more comfortable in terms of physical sensation and aligns better with human subjective perception. In this regard, fuel vehicles have an advantage.Braking
During gentle braking, the pedal force feels slightly high, with a slightly longer free travel. The initial braking response is a bit slower, and the growth curve of the braking force is relatively flat, which gives a slightly insufficient sense of braking confidence.
During moderate braking, the physical sensation improves. The total travel of the pedal is moderate, and the feedback of the pedal force is also appropriate. The pedal force is quite linear, and the braking response matches expectations, allowing for good control of the braking force. The control of braking pitch is quite good, and it feels much better compared to the pitch during acceleration.
During emergency braking, the pedal travel is similar to that of moderate braking, and the pedal force is suitable without any sudden changes in force. The braking force response is timely, and after the ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) intervenes, the stability of the vehicle is very good, with no significant deviation occurring. The feeling of ABS intervention is comfortable, and the overall braking deceleration and braking distance meet the requirements.Steering
---
The steering system comes with two modes: Sport and Comfort. I find that the steering effort in both modes is not heavy overall, but rather moderate. The Sport mode offers slightly stronger feedback compared to the Comfort mode, without being overly light and feeling too "electronic."
At low speeds, the steering self-centering performance is fairly average, with a residual angle on either side of approximately 3° to 5°. The self-centering speed is moderate, and the process is slightly uneven, with a minor pause at the end. However, the vehicle remains stable during the self-centering process, without any noticeable wobbling. At high speeds, the self-centering performance is characterized by a slight overshoot, which means there might be minor oscillations, but the speed of self-centering is appropriate.
The vehicle's maneuverability is quite good. The steering angle and turning radius feel normal and do not make the vehicle feel inflexible. There is a minor issue when making large-angle turns at low speeds, likely due to an active anti-collision protection feature at the end of the steering range. When the steering wheel is turned all the way during a U-turn at low speed, it tends to "resist" the driver's hand, resulting in a noticeable rebound, which I personally do not prefer—protection is fine, but it should not interfere with steering operations.
The steering response is not overly aggressive, which I believe is sufficient for an SUV, as a high center of gravity would cause discomfort with too much responsiveness. When making small-angle turns, the vehicle's response in the central zone (i.e., the steering dead zone) is moderate, and the yaw response is not overly pronounced, providing a moderate level of response. Moreover, the linearity of the steering response is good, being quite uniform and not difficult to predict.The steering dead zone (the area where the human hand feels no change in torque) is not large. When steering, there is a relatively noticeable torque feedback on the hand, which provides a force feedback for steering, allowing a person to know the position of the steering. If it's too light, it can make the steering feel very unreal. The steering feels quite smooth, with no noticeable friction or stickiness. During the small angle stable lane change steering process, the feeling of roll may be slightly larger, but it is still within a controllable range and does not have a particularly obvious impact on driving.
When driving on mountain roads and curves, the vehicle's roll control still feels slightly larger, but the steering feedback in the curves is still very good, with a clear sense of the road. This allows for a clear perception in the hands when the road conditions change, enabling a person to know the state of the vehicle. The steering's directional accuracy is acceptable, with no particularly difficult-to-operate feeling, and it basically meets the needs of the driver.
05
Handling StabilityFor this mid-size SUV model, there is not much expectation for handling stability, especially in extreme conditions. As expected, the main issue with the Tiguan L PRO is that during high-speed single-lane change maneuvers, the rear axle's followability is somewhat poor. After the front end stabilizes, the rear axle still feels a bit of yaw motion, and the overall roll is somewhat excessive, which slightly affects the sense of confidence. Fortunately, the front and rear roll are relatively balanced, and there is no noticeable inconsistency in the roll.
In terms of straight-line driving stability, the body's pitch is a bit larger during acceleration, with a noticeable nose-up phenomenon. Each acceleration is quite "proud," the tire grip is quite good, and the tires rarely slip during rapid acceleration. There is no torque steer phenomenon, and it maintains a stable state against road disturbances. In summary, aside from the acceleration nose-up, the straight-line driving capability is quite good.
Regarding stability in cornering, the impression given is of mild under-steering. When accelerating in the curve, the vehicle's stability is good, and there is no sense of instability. Braking in the curve, the vehicle has a slight tendency to over-steer, but it is controllable and does not give a sense of danger. The roll control in the curve is average; the roll is somewhat excessive, but the sense of confidence is still quite sufficient.
Overall, the handling level is sufficient for general situations. SUVs inherently have a relatively high center of gravity, and their functional use is not primarily focused on handling. The Tiguan L PRO's handling is capable of dealing with everyday situations without too many issues, so there is nothing particularly unacceptable about it.Chassis Smoothness
I believe that the Tuguan L PRO has some areas that need improvement in terms of chassis smoothness. SUVs are inherently at a disadvantage in terms of handling stability, so they should excel in comfort. However, I feel that this vehicle does not have a significant advantage in this area.
When driving over damaged roads, patched surfaces, and other characteristic road surfaces, the primary smoothness of the chassis is quite average. In terms of body control, there is a bit of pitch and roll when going over these surfaces, but the magnitude of the pitch and roll is not very large. On some rough cement roads, the sensation is more noticeable. Although the passengers' sway is not very significant, the frequency is not low, which can be uncomfortable.
Additionally, on undulating roads, the body's undulations are quite pronounced, similar to the up and down jolting sensation of riding in a sedan chair. When going over large bumps, in addition to the obvious pitch, the secondary bounce of the rear suspension is also quite noticeable, which I suspect is due to weak rebound damping that does not effectively suppress the body's movements. If it's a continuous series of bumps, it can be quite uncomfortable inside the vehicle.
In terms of secondary smoothness, when driving over rough cement surfaces, there is a lot of medium and high-frequency vibration transmitted through the steering wheel, floor, and pedals, and the vehicle tends to have more secondary bouncing. On the better side, on roads with better conditions, such as newly paved smooth asphalt roads and urban paved surfaces, the vehicle rides more smoothly, effectively absorbing minor road disturbances, providing a pleasant experience.For impact conditions, such as speed bumps, large potholes, and other significant impact scenarios, the tactile sensation is somewhat hard, with a strong sense of impact, and the noise from the impact is somewhat loud. However, the lifting sensation is not strong, and there are no particularly noticeable residual vibrations. The isolation from small impacts is better, with the impact intensity not as strong as with large impacts.
The suspension of this vehicle gives the impression of being somewhat loose, with a perceived lack of control over many vibration situations and poor filtering of road surface information. Many people used to say that Volkswagen's chassis gives a sense of premium quality, but this vehicle's suspension may still be a bit undercooked in this regard.
07
Driving SummaryFrom an overall test drive experience, the Tiguan L Pro can be considered a relatively comfortable vehicle: it has good power output, exquisite interior, and decent chassis comfort under normal road conditions, with a well-balanced performance in all aspects, and no particularly uncomfortable spots.
It should be noted that when I previously evaluated the chassis comfort, although I mentioned that the chassis does not have a strong sense of sophistication, it was under certain special road conditions. I believe that for the vast majority of users who use it for daily urban commuting, it is capable of handling most scenarios (reviews will try to include more extreme conditions to see the upper limits).
In summary, if I can purchase a car like this for around 200,000, I am willing to spend the money.
Comparing the Tiguan L Pro with the Chevrolet Equinox Plus, the subjective scoring results in the following radar chart for reference.
△ Due to the limitations of the test site for the Equinox Plus, no tests or evaluations were conducted for primary smoothness, secondary smoothness, and single impact, therefore, they are not presented in the radar chart.Please provide the text you would like translated into English.
Comment