Officially being a year into production, Volkswagen’s smallest crossover is trucking along well within its segment. There has been  a lot going at Volkswagen Corporate with the new Jetta GLI, Arteon, and soon to see Golf GTI; therefore, leaving much of the Tiguan alone as we proceed into another year of production. However, little changes have been made to the Tiguan to keep some consumer intrigued like a standard third-row seat on the entry ‘S’ and the techy virtual cockpit is now standard on SEL trims and above.

We have a problem however – you see, a little more than a year ago, we dabbled our toes in the Volkswagen Tiguan and despite the color differences, these two are exactly the same. The only difference being the $500 optional third-row is now standard. So, what do we do with a crossover that’s already been reviewed as a competent family hauler with superior chassis development and behavior? We take it on a little trip to the middle of the desert to see a bunch of rocks stacked on top of each other.

While I would like to consider this roadside attraction a modern display of Stonehenge in England, we know exactly how these rocks were placed whereas in England, it’s still a mystery how and where its structure came from. Known as Seven Magic Mountain, these rocks are located just 10 miles south of Las Vegas, just off Interstate 15. Standing over 30-feet tall, 7-structures composed of 33-boulders weighing between 30,000lbs to 56,000lbs took Renowned Switzerland artist Ugo Rondinones nearly 5-years to construct.  Seven Magic Mountain is considered to be one of the largest land based art formations displayed in over 40 years.

Getting to this land was as easy has hopping onto three interstates, I-17 to I-40 and I-40 to I-15. However that wasn’t exactly my route since it would have added many, many hours and miles to our single day excursion. With 400 routed ahead from Phoenix, Arizona, our Volkswagen Tiguan with 3-rows and room for 7-passengers merely occupied just one for this journey. Its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder and 184-horsepower was just an absolute delight on the open highway. With 221 lbs-ft of torque, the Tiguan was a spree little highway domesticator as each mile that passed when unnoticed. With our sights set to 75 mph, the eight-speed auto stayed tuned to its high-gear causing an average of 34-mpg on the highway – 5-more mpg’s over the rated EPA.

With our entry level Tiguan ‘S’ having no premium luxury features, we were glued with a manual adjustable single-zone climate control and small touch-screen display. However, has technology has progressed, the Tiguan’s touch-screen incorporates Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity alleviating the need for the upgraded navigation system and having the ability to use touch free connectivity from your mobile device. Imagine having a conversation with Siri, which helped pass the time too.

Despite the limited changes for 2019, the Tiguan is a happy little crossover with lots of pep and room for a growing family.

VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS

Model: 2019 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN
Starting Price: $24,295
As Tested: $26,035 (ENTRY ‘S’ MODEL)

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 2.0-LITER TURBOCHARGED FOUR-CYLINDER
Horsepower/Torque: 184-HORSEPOWER / 221 LB-FT TORQUE
Transmission: 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC
Fuel Economy: EPA RATED: 22-CITY / 29-HWY / 25-COMBINED
(AS TESTED: 31.4 MPG COMBINED | 34.0 MPG –HIGHWAY TEST)
Fuel Range: 400 MILES