This story actually began before I got my hands on the Volkswagen Tiguan. It goes without saying that I enjoy driving a lot and I am always looking at routes to explore in the hope of discovering something new or at the very least seeing something that I haven’t seen before. Having said that, I also enjoy what life has to offer along our coasts and while I have spent time driving along the west coast of India, it is the eastern one that I have never really explored. When the opportunity came to take some time off and head out on a fantastic drive, I just knew that this was the moment to explore the east coast, or rather, a part of the east coast, however what I needed was the right car for the job.
This got me thinking about my trip to Hampi that I had done in the Volkswagen Tiguan and I figured, why not? It has been a bit of a break and I really enjoyed being behind the wheel of the Tiguan, so why not revisit it? I mean, it made perfect sense. It ticked all the right boxes for me – it’s an SUV, its powerful, frugal and comfortable. The fact that you have AWD gives you that extra confidence to explore your adventurous side beyond the tarmac and you also get that boosted driving experience that only a DSG transmission can offer! The Tiguan is brilliant on the creature comfort list as well and this includes the massive sunroof, awesome sound system and touchscreen infotainment system. Yes, I was more than convinced that this was the right vehicle for the task and having had my hands on a bunch of other SUVs in recent times, I was also looking forward to spending some time with the Tiguan again, and that is how my coastal adventure became a ‘Tiguan Tale’ to tell!
The Volkswagen Tiguan arrived a day before I had to leave and the first task I had was to load it up for the trip ahead. The generous sized boot does give you the impression that taking the kitchen sink along with you is a good idea, but I was on a solo trip and my few bags didn’t take up much at all. Since it was just me and Tiguan, I, for the first time realized just how helpful that ‘automatic boot open’ can be at times like this.
It was an early start from Pune and my destination for the day was Bengaluru, a total driving distance of close to 850 kilometres from door to door. I figured it would take about 11 hours to complete the drive and Google Maps assured me that it would take about 13. However, Google isn’t always right and my experience had to count for something and I managed to reach Bengaluru in a shade over 11 hours. It was a rather quick drive in my books and the roads are brilliant once you get past Satara. It was a day of easy cruising and singing along with my favourite tunes as I made my way between these two cities.
I was staying at a friend’s house in Bengaluru and when his dad got a glimpse of the Tiguan, he couldn’t resist asking for a drive. It was a weekend and we decided to make a small trip out of the occasion and headed out towards Nandi Hills to a beautiful Golf Club there where enjoyed a lazy afternoon, followed by a late lunch. Both my friend and his dad were amazed at the refinement of the vehicle as well as how comfortable it was for the journey. They did spend the evening grilling me about the car and all its features, and considering just how many are on board, I did have to double check my statements against the official website! Having said that, according to my friend, his three best things about the Tiguan were the way it powers up, the manner in which it handles and the excellent sound system on board. To that list I would probably add just how comfortable a vehicle it is and its frugal nature can’t be forgotten either. I have a sneaky feeling that they might buy one!
After a good night’s rest, it was time to make my trip further down south to my next destination, namely, Kodaikanal. Why Kodaikanal on a coastal run? It just happens to be my hometown and I do have a neat farm at the foothills, which I figured would be a good place to take a break before I made my way to the coast.
The drive from Bengaluru to Kodaikanal takes about 7 hours and the roads are simply brilliant. It is that part of the country where you can engage the cruise control and enjoy a chilled out drive, and that is exactly what I did. With my favourite tunes being cranked out over the awesome sound system and cruising along at a decent speed, I had a very relaxed drive and at the end of it, I felt just as fresh as I was in the morning when I started. I should add that this 450 km odd run was also epic because I managed to get a fuel efficiency of 16.1 kmpl!
Having spent the last few days either on brilliant highways or in city traffic, the last 48 kilometres of my drive toward Kodaikanal did give me the opportunity to experience just how well the Tiguan deals with the hills. The 48 km hill climb from my farm to Kodaikanal runs through a dense shola forest as well as some plantations. It is a rather scenic drive and the tarmac is well maintained most of the way up the mountain. Needless to say, the Tiguan was an absolute delight to pilot through this course. It delivers that performance effortlessly and to keep things easy, the DSG box proved to be an absolute delight and didn’t falter even once, despite the ever changing terrain that constantly requires you to either gear up or down.
So far, I had managed to complete 1500 kilometres in the Volkswagen Tiguan and it was time for another break before I finally set out for the coastal road that I wanted to explore. The Tiguan had already proved its mettle and I just wanted to keep enjoying that experience of being behind the wheel, so to have a fresh start on that part of the journey, I chose to unwind in Kodaikanal for a few days before setting out, but that didn’t stop me from exploring the hills on a couple of short excursions! Yes, the all-wheel-drive did come in handy at times on some tricky bits and once again the vehicle’s capability was highlighted.
It is great how the Tiguan just keeps surprising you and I was looking forward to more surprises on my journey along the coast, however for now it was time to unwind and give the Tiguan a well-deserved wash! As for the coastal run, read all about it in the next update of Tiguan Tales.