Five reasons why the Volkswagen Tiguan Comfortline is the perfect balik kampung car



If you are not much of a car person, chances are you will be asking car enthusiasts around you when it’s time for you to buy one. You can’t go wrong with their advice, because all they read about is cars, right?

Well, there’s a good chance the guy in question might have a very different set of priorities from you, and if he is not emphatic with his advice, you would probably end up with something that doesn’t quite fit your needs. He will very possibly be biased towards century sprints, power to weight ratio, and other performance related aspects the car. These numbers don’t translate much for your annual balik kampung drive now, do they?

The truth is, designers have poured in as much as effort as the engineers to provide the car with practical features. This makes the car more wholesome to live with, almost like a trusty partner. And the Volkswagen Tiguan is as good as it gets in this regard.

So, for once, we won’t bore you with the Tiguan’s 148 hp and 250 Nm of torque from the small 1.4-litre engine. Oh by the way, road tax is just RM100 per annum. We won’t even mention that it sprints to 100km/h in less than 10 seconds because of its rather sweet shifting six-speed dual clutch (wet type) transmission. We promise.


Self activating headlights and wipers

Driving along the congested highway is already taxing (screaming kids in the car notwithstanding) enough and the last thing you want is to fumble for the light and wipers. You know, the erratic Malaysian weather. Fear not, because the Tiguan automatically switches the lights on for you when it’s dark. As do the wipers when it rains. How thoughtful!


Electronic parking brake and auto-hold function

After the toll, you have to brave that last stretch of traffic before reaching your folks’ home. The Tiguan will hold up well, and I mean that quite literally. When the car comes to a stop, simply take your foot off the brakes until the lights turn green again. After that, just step on the gas and off you go. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, a flick is all it takes to engage the parking brake. Gone are the days of the undignified ratcheting sound of manual handbrakes…

The Tiguan watches out for you too 

In terms of safety, the Tiguan is incredibly well equipped. Six airbags and ISOFIX mounting points are standard across the range (you can even disable the front passenger airbag to mount a child seat). But wait, there’s more! If the car collides with a pedestrian, the bonnet pops up to cushion the impact. And should you get into an accident, all four doors will automatically be unlocked, hazard lights get turned on and the fuel pump will be disabled. Important stuff, this.

No wonder then, the car passes the famously stringent EuroNCAP test with an impressive 5 stars!

It looks properly upmarket and classy

If you are not a showy person among your friends and relatives, the Tiguan is right up your alley. Compared to the flowy lines of Japanese makes, the Tiguan’s straight-cut lines (accentuated with tasteful chrome bits) are understatedly classy. This styling will go well with any of the five colours available – Atlantic Blue, Iridium Grey, Tungsten Silver, Deep Black and Pure White.

It gives you duit raya

Really. If you buy a Tiguan Comfortline now, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia will gladly knock RM5,000 off the selling price. And if you register one before 30 June 2017, you get RM500 worth of petrol vouchers for your balik kampung drive.

So there you go, a safe, thoughtful car that gets on with its job in one classy package. Perfect for driving home to your folks, isn’t it?