Last month, The Citizen Motoring received a long-term VW Tiguan.

Being the 1.4 TSI Life derivative, it does not feature many of the great things the mid-sized SUV range is associated with.

Things like the beastly 235 kW engine that serves on the high-performance Tiguan R. Nor the hasty 162 kW 2.0-litre TSI petrol mill or the popular 130 kW 2.0-litre TDI diesel mill.

Neither is it equipped with seven-speed DSG transmission. Or the 4Motion all-wheel drive system that features on the three more powerful derivatives.

And there is no Volkswagen R-Line styling pack that adds bling to four of the line-up’s six derivatives. In fact, clad in Pure White, our test car is as mundane and unobtrusive as it can possibly be.

Plain Jane VW Tiguan

So why should anyone bother considering the poor cousin bereft of so many niceties?

Simple. Because it offers a more affordable gateway to what is a very good car with a very good pedigree.

With the economy being what it is, money is getting tighter by the day. And a quality product like a VW Tiguan does not come cheap.

These days the 2.0-litre TSI and TDI versions both start at over R800 000. And the number reaches seven digits of the R.

Despite being down on power compared to its fancier siblings, the VW Tiguan 1.4 Life still offers a lot of car for R677 900.

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Enough power

Staying on the subject of power, its 1.4-litre turbocharger petrol engine is anything but a slouch.

The blown four-pot mill sends 110 kW of power at 5 000 to 6000 rpm and 250 Nm of torque at 1 500 to 3 000 rpm to the front wheels via six-speed DSG transmission.

We are using our VW Tiguan for school runs, driving to the office and stopping for groceries.

For those purposes, there is more than enough power. Acceleration is very smooth courtesy of good gear ratios with turbo lag kept to the minimum.

When you are in a hurry there is plenty of oomph as the claimed 0 to 100 km/h sprint time of 9.2 seconds indicates.

And should you fancy your own shifting around some twisties, there are paddle shifters behind the steering wheel.

Claimed fuel consumption is 7.7-litres per 100 km on a combine cycle. We could only achieve 10.4 L/100 km over the first 800 km we’ve covered.

But to be fair, it has been all inner city traffic with zero open roads.

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VW Tiguan a smooth ride

What is also working in this VW Tiguan’s favour on our imperfect roads are its 235/55 R18 tyres.

Because this rubberware is chunkier than the lower profile wheels on the fancier derivatives, it makes the ride a lot smoother over bumps and through potholes.

The VW Tiguan 1.4 Life comes at a R71 200 premium over the base Tiguan 1.4.

This premium means 18-inch over 17-inch alloy wheels, Led Matrix Headlights over LED headlights, foldable side mirrors, chrome strips around side windows, anodised silver roof rails and tinted rear and rear side windows.

The Life’s cabin benefits from comfortable front seats with lumbar support, an armrest on the rear seat, interior light in the front footwell, an overhead storage compartment, diver profile selection, eco-function and an electric tailgate.

Electric tailgate for the win

While many of these features are nice to have, there is only one that really stands out and that is the electric tailgate.

As the bulk of our travels entails the loading and unloading of school and sports bags, groceries bags and laptop bags out of the 520-lite boot, an electric tailgate has kind of progressed from being a luxury to becoming a necessity.

And here’s the thing, it’s not offered as an option on the base model.

Our test car is fitted with optional extras like a panoramic sunroof, easy open keyless entry, an electric trailer hitch, active info display, Vienna leather seats, IQ.Light LED matrix headlights and area view camera system with park assist.

The optional IQ Drive Package includes advanced safety features like adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking front assist.

These are in addition to the standard safety spec like ABS, six airbags and an electronic stability programme.

ALSO READ: VW Tiguan 2.0 TSI: Golf GTI engine gives this SUV a dark side

Not worth it

In our humble opinion, the six-figure total in South African Rand all these optional extras add up is simply not worth it.

If we had to choose one, it would be the area view camera system as it’s almost essential for parking in tight spaces.

And if you are going to really use them, the towbar and IQ Drive Package for the adaptive cruise control.

We will report back over the course of the next six months with regular updates on living with the VW Tiguan 1.4 Life. We have enjoyed every minute thus far and look forward to our future endeavours.

The VW Tiguan 1.4 TSI Life is sold with a three-year/100 000 km warranty. Plus a five-year/90 000 km service plan. Service intervals are 15 000 km.