Peter Anderson road tests and reviews the Volkswagen Tiguan 132TSI Comfortline with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

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If there's one good thing about the SUV fad that isn't a fad but an ongoing thing that we've embraced as a nation, it's that now we're getting into second-generation cars, they're getting even better.

Car companies are looking at what we buy and why and sharpening that saw. Companies that might have misjudged their first go and giving their second attempt a red-hot go.

Companies like Volkswagen, for instance. Here's the new Tiguan. I don't mind telling you, VW has just heaved a gigantic feline into a barrel of pigeons.

The new Tiguan can be had in with a choice of three petrol engines and two diesels and a manual or twin clutch automatic, at least down at the entry level.

What we have here is the mid-spec Comfortline 132TSI petrol which retails a well under forty grand for the front wheel drive 110 TSI and over forty grand for the 132 TSI all-wheel drive.

I reckon this is the sweet spot of the range, you get a lot of stuff for about the same price as a Japanese or Korean competitor.

This new Tiguan is much better looking than the old one which was a bit meek and all over the place.

This is loud and proud current VW thinking in sheetmetal and it looks superb. Not gorgeous just devilishly handsome. Like my cameraman.

The 132TSI 4Motion has a 132kW petrol engine, driving all four wheels through a seven-speed twin clutch transmission.

Inside here it is fantastic. So much thought and effort has gone into this design, it's clear the company knows how to listen to its buyers.

There's storage bins everywhere, lined with either felt or rubber depending on where they are.

Cupholders and bottle holders front and rear and these super-cool kiddy airline tray tables. Who uses these cars? Famiies with kids. Sorted. They even get their own cupholder.

The fabrics are cool and tough but not nasty, the plastics are really high quality and the seats are superbly comfortable.

It's also got seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane departure warning and two ISOFIX points and reversing camera.

For a couple of grand you can also spec the Driver Assistance Package. That gets you more safety tech in the form of rear cross traffic alert, front and side cameras for a 360 degree view, active cruise control and this awesome fully digital dash, a bit like Audi's virtual cockpit.

The two biggest complaints about the old car were the rear seat space.

I think that's been sorted and rear cargo space, a minimum of 520 litres and a maximum of 615 if you push the seats forward there's way more of both, meaning four grown people can cheerfully pile into a Tiguan and head off to the snow or beach with all their stuff. So young families will be fine.

Out on the road, there's not a lot to pick the diesel or petrol apart. The petrol is faster to 100, tows the same (2500kg braked) but it's not as frugal. The diesel definitely wins there.

If you like a bit of go, the petrol is the one to go for. The only problem I do have with the driving is that when you put it in Sport, everything is good except the steering gets too heavy. Apart from that, really good.

And seriously, if you're not putting the Driver Assistance Package on, give yourself your annual review early. It's packed with useful stuff and this terrific dash.

The only real problems I have with the car the halogens. You can't get LEDs unless you've got 50 grand to spend on the Highline and that's a shame. You can't even get Xenons. As much as anything, they don't look as crisp or modern as the rest of the car.

Also, its competitors have bigger wheels. I don't really care too much about that and it's nothing a few hundred bucks can't fix.

The Tiguan doesn't match dollar for dollar feature for feature but it's got stuff the others don't have and won't for a long time. It drives really, really well swallows your family and its stuff, looks good and there's nothing really genuinely wrong with it.

This is definitely close to being the best family SUV on the market, if not the best. Mazda's new CX-5 better have its gloves off.

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