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Unlike other VW vehicles, the Tiguan is not named after a type of wind or a nomadic tribe. Instead, the name Tiguan is a composite of Tiger and Iguana, and it was chosen as the winning entry in a naming contest. The Tiguan looks nothing like a tiger or an iguana. We're not sure what a cross between a tiger and an iguana would look like, though we're pretty sure it would not be an attractive creature. Nevertheless, the Tiguan is a good-looking vehicle.Built on a platform that combines elements of the Jetta/Rabbit and Passat, the Tiguan is shorter than the Jetta by almost five 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 that of the Jetta/Rabbit and 4.3 inches shorter than that of the Passat. All this adds up to fairly efficient compact SUV packaging, though as we'll see, the Tiguan doesn't have the cargo room of most vehicles in its class. Up front, the Tiguan features another take on Volkswagen's corporate face, with a trapezoidal grille whose shape is reflected in a lower air intake. Fog lights flank the intake on SE and SEL models. The look is reminiscent of the Jetta and Passat, just raised a bit higher off the ground. The shape of the grille flows into the hood and those lines flow directly into the A-pillars. Along the sides, the Tiguan has black plastic wheel arches and rocker panels, as well as flared and squared off wheel cutouts with a character line connecting the two. Chrome trim around the side windows on SE and SEL models adds a look of quality. Compared to the visually aggressive concept vehicle that was shown at the 2006 Los Angeles Auto Show, the production model has much smaller wheels, ranging in size from 16 to 18 inches from the factory (though 19-inch wheels can be purchased as accessories at the dealership). The effect is a less imposing vehicle than the concept, but an attractive one nonetheless. (This is often the case with concept cars.) The Tiguan's best angle may be from the rear. On the road, it looks like a beefed up GTI, and that's not a bad thing. The taillights are split between the rear fenders and rear hatch, and the VW logo is featured prominently at in the center of the hatch. Unlike the GTI/Rabbit, however, the VW logo does not act as the handle for opening the hatch. Instead, that is located lower in the license plate frame. Unfortunately, the Tiguan does not have separate opening hatch glass to ease loading groceries. The large panoramic sunroof has a 13 square foot opening (about three times the size of an average sunroof), and includes a power retractable shade to let the air in but keep the sun out.
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