DT Dobie, through its VW Division, recently launched the new Tiguan range of soft SUVs. The media launch at the new state of the art and customer friendly showroom on Uhuru Highway, was graced
by Matt Olivier, DT Dobie’s Business Development Director and the ever-graceful Usha Nagpal, VW General Manager Sales. The new VW Tiguan launch marked another milestone for DT Dobie in Kenya, the SUV having been assembled locally from CKD kits at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers facility in Thika.
Priced at Ksh. 4.5m for the Trendline and Ksh. 5.5m for the Highline, the new VW Tiguan comes standard with a wide range of the latest German safety features, including dual airbags driver and passenger front and curtain airbags, front and rear sensors to help in blind spots and pedestrian monitoring to help warn the driver about the surroundings, reverse camera to improve rear traffic alertness, Anti-locking Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with counter-steer support and Anti-Spin Regulation (ASR) among other safety features both for the occupants and the pedestrians.
Like all its stable mate, the new VW Tiguan is powered by a 2.0 litre diesel or petrol power plants, the diesel hauling 5 passengers and the petrol, 7. The Tiguan is sleek and stylish, with power transmitted through an all-wheel drive 7 speed automatic transmission, churning the road on 17 inch alloy wheels to increase the ground level clearance and ride height, making the SUV extremely suitable for our rugged and occasional pot-holed roads, in addition to improving the road handling.
STYLING AND DESIGN
The new VW Tiguan features bold radiator grille, coupled with headlight styling that boosts the appearance at the front. The sharply cut shoulder lines and bonnet creases points to the greatness in design and precision of German car designers and engineers, that remain the hallmark of VW.
Underneath the new Tiguan, the VW Group’s MQB platform gets its first outing on an SUV. Its steel construction confers a front transverse engine layout and all-independent strut at the front and multi-links suspension at the rear. This redesign of the underbody also increases torsional rigidity while at the same time increasing the overall length and enlarging the SUV’s tailgate opening. This is a compromise that is not normally easy to achieve.
The technical specification is equally impressive and includes adaptive damping and a gradually sensitive variable-rate steering system.
The engine range includes a 178bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol unit and a 237bhp twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel, driving through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox in both cases. The new Tiguan is also 53kg lighter than the outgoing model, further improving performance and reducing fuel consumption.
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INTERIOR
And, as you settle in behind the new VW Tiguan’s steering wheel, you soon realize that it is money well spent: the dashboard and indeed the entire interior cabin looks quite a lot like that of the new VW Golf.
The Highline trim incorporates additional comfort features including keyless access, park and rest assist detectors and a 360-degree surround view camera.
The launch of the VW Tiguan Allspace also enhances DT Dobie’s growing range of locally assembled vehicles at the KVM facility in Thika, outside the capital of Nairobi.
DT Dobie launched the Volkswagen Polo Vivo in 2016, the first ever locally assembled German car in Kenya, followed by the Caddy Kombi in 2019.
DT Dobie local assembly programme has brought new car ownership within reach of many more Kenyans as they are attractive and cost-effective alternatives to buying used cars. The buyers have the satisfaction of knowing that these cars will have to be driven for many years before they reach the mileage of a used imported car.
Evolved for the future, DT Dobie makes the purchase easier through a finance package of 10% down payment and up to 60 months repayment period to suit all pockets, subject to a customer’s individual credit standing.
As you arise to the next level with the new Tiguan from VW, DT Dobie makes the difference for your driving peace of mind with a 3 year or 120,000km warranty and a branch aftersales service across the country in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Kisumu, not to miss the ever charming and helpful Usha Nagpal, the general manager in charge of VW sales in Kenya.
