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The Volkswagen Tiguan is a nicely finished and versatile family car pointlessly dressed up as an off-roader.

• Comfort

  The interior is roomy and quiet, and the high eyepoint gives a good view out. But sacrifices have been made in order to give the Tiguan its good handling: the suspension and ride are a bit firm. Still out-rides the BMW X3 though.

  

• Performance

  The Tiguan has the option of three engines, a 1.4 TFSI and two 2.0 TDIs with either 138 or 168bhp. Fabulous in smaller, lighter cars such as the Golf, in this hefty SUV the 1.4 TFSI can feel underpowered despite its 150bhp. Push hard and is soon runs out of puff at the top end, so you need to change up diasppointingly early when accelerating. There's also a long delay when setting off from a standstill which is scary at a busy junction. So while its clever turbocharger plus supercharger combo has power, economy and emissions advantages, for all-out torque, the diesel is the way to go, even if the two-litre TDI 140 is slower than the TSI.

  

• Cool

  VW isn't a proper 4x4 maker, so the Tiguan will be seen as a bit of a sham. And shams aren't cool. Not even Sham 69 were cool.

  

• Quality

  The cabin is terrific - really well-designed and finished, with VW's typical high standards of build quality. However, it's all starting to look a bit samey - get behind the wheel of a Golf and you struggle to spot the difference.

  

• Handling

  You never forget the height and weight of a Tiguan, but you can chuck it about a bit if the mood takes you. It steers accurately and controls body movements well, and there's traction to push you through corners whatever the weather.

  

• Practicality

  The Tiguan is longer, wider and taller than VW's own compact seven-seat MPV, the Touran, which makes it decently spacious. Leg, head and shoulder room are all excellent front and rear, although it's a bit tight for three in the rear. The boot is generous at 1,510 litres (rear seats folded), larger than the Toyota RAV4's but smaller than the Land Rover Freelander's. However, the rear seats don't fold completely flat.

  

• Running costs

  The CO2 levels are better than class-competitive if you stick with manual transmission, and servicing is on a variable schedule. But there are lots of new competitors launching, so three years away they might be in glut, which will harm residuals.