2009 Suzuki Grand Vitara Prestige And 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan 103 TDI Road Test Review

How Much Can I Cram In ‘em?

Spec sheets only tell half the story though, and, although our VW didn’t flaunt quite as much standard kit as the range-topping Suzuki that didn’t mean it was out of contention. Is the Tig’s interior a nicer place to be? Is in comfortable to use in day-to-day driving and does it cope with the rigors of the suburban chores more easily than the Suzuki?

In short, can it deliver in areas that the more keenly-priced Grand Vitara simply can’t compete? Let’s see now…

Well, ergonomically it’s pretty much a dead heat. The captain’s chair of both Tiguan and Grand Vitara offer up a commanding view of the car’s surrounds, and virtually every control falls easily to hand. The Tiguan’s dashboard is a fresher design than that of the Vitara’s however, and the VW’s metallic trim works a great deal better than the Suzuki’s cheap-looking faux-marble inserts.

The Tiguan also features deeper and more easily accessible door bins (both of which accept a 1.25-litre drink bottle), however shorter drivers may find the adjustable centre console lid fouling on their elbows during gearshifts.

An electronic parking brake button tidies up the area between the front seats and VW’s ever-so-convenient Auto-Hold function simplifies hill starts immeasurably.

The Grand Vitara’s dash is a little simpler and slightly less-modern than the Tiguan’s, but all the controls are easily marked, easy to operate and the instruments clearly legible at all times. The plastics are hard to the touch and a bit more scratch prone than the VW’s, but the dash and other trimmings are all screwed together nice and tight – this is one solid car.

Head over to the back seats, however, and the gap starts to widen. The Suzuki’s rear pews and those of the Tiguan are on a par in terms of cushioning comfort, but both legroom and the length of the seat squab appear to be smaller on the Volkswagen.

The VW’s back seat does get twice as many cupholders as the Suzuki’s though, and rear air conditioner outlets are conspicuously absent in the Grand Vitara – an important consideration for parents of cranky and heat-sensitive children.

The Grand Vitara has a little party trick here though. Not only do the rear backrests fold forward, but the entire rear bench itself can be flipped hard up against the front seats, creating a flat floor that’s perfect for hauling an apartment’s worth of flat-pack furniture.

Lawnmowers, bicycles, suitcases and the weekly shopping were thrown at the Vitara’s capacious boot, and it managed to swallow them all with little complaint or fuss. The Tiguan boasts a bigger luggage area on paper, but the awkward load space created by its sloping 60/40 split back seats meant it was slightly less versatile than the Grand Vitara.