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The Tiguan is a fairly conventional-looking compact crossover. It doesn't have any glaring design flaws that will make you recoil in horror, nor does it have anything all that compelling that will cause you to continue staring. The sides, however, have enough contouring to catch the light and prevent it from looking slab sided. The Tiguan's face, meanwhile, is a clean interpretation of the current VW family appearance and doesn't suffer for lacking the huge swath of chrome below the grille that the Jetta and Passat have.

Perhaps the only real complaint about the Tiguan's appearance is its nose profile. From certain angles the front overhang appears a bit long and ungainly. In comparison to the nearly identically sized Ford Escape,... // Autoblog

We tested the TDI, a pleasant surprise for those who remember diesels as noisy, smelly slugs.

Slip behind the wheel, turn the key, step on the pedal and most would suspect a V-6 gas engine under the hood. Smooth, energetic, yet quiet takeoffs without diesel chatter, clatter and commotion.

There were times not long ago that those excluded the from block party were the diesel owners, and the neighbors knew who they were.

Nothing about the TDI calls attention to its difference.

Even performance doesn't give it away as it's as no longer the slowest vehicle on the block. The 2-liter develops just 140 horsepower, but it delivers a whopping 236 foot-pounds of burst-from-the-light, scoot-down-the-merger-lane and dart-into-the-passing-lane energy. Push the pedal, and it goes.

The TDI still... // Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune (Enlarge photo)

Before hybrids arrived on the scene, diesel vehicles were the alternatives to gasoline-powered cars. They got far better mileage and thus a much greater driving range before need for a refill than gas.

The cost of the extra miles, however, was that diesels were noisy, smelly and sluggish, and the fuel, as well as the vehicle, was more expensive than gas.

The noxious sulfur that diesel spewed incurred the wrath of not only the clean-air crowd but also several high-volume sales states, including California and New York, who set emissions standards so high diesels were effectively outlawed.

Jilted automakers lobbied for petroleum companies to develop ultralow-sulfur diesel to meet those standards. They did, so Volkswagen has reintroduced the compact Jetta TDI, or turbodiesel, for... // Chicago Tribune

Like a diva who needs to make sure his or her entrance is noticed, Volkswagen has finally arrived to the compact SUV party attractively and expensively.

VW's Tiguan features its superb 2.0 liter turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder engine that pumps out a spirited 200 horsepower. Mated with either a six-speed manual in the base trim or a six-speed automatic in the higher trim levels, it delivers seamless power and attractive fuel economy.

If you are fan of VW's Touareg styling, the Tiguan won't disappoint. Besides odd-sounding names, the Tiguan and Toureg share design that clearly identifies it as coming from Wolfsburg. The Tiguan's curves are muscular and fluid, giving it a masculine stance which will help it stand out.

The interior is standard VW simplicity, with some new... // Gay.com