The latest iteration of the SUV market leader now comes with new looks and toys.

The latest Tiguan features a new look dominated by horizontal lines on the front grille, bringing the model into line with other new Volkswagen models. The Tiguan now also once again bears a strong resemblance to its “big brother”, the Touareg. At the rear, new two-part light clusters give the Tiguan a distinctive appearance. Again, similar to those of the Touareg, they form an ‘L’ shape, while the lower border of the lights also follows a horizontal geometry.

Under the hood sits a twin-charged 2.0-litre TSI engine borrowed from the Golf GTI, serving 180 hp and 280 Nm of torque. The Tiguan Sport gets 30 additional horses added to the stable. Both variants shuffle the power to the road is a 7-speed DSG gearbox and 4 Motion, a permanent all-wheel drive system.

The 4 Motion system features a drive clutch that can continuously vary the power between the front and rear axles, depending on the traction available. In most driving conditions, 90 percent of the drive goes to the front wheels, which saves fuel. But when accelerating hard from standstill, for example, front-wheel slip is controlled by the clutch's ability to progressively direct nearly 100 percent of the drive torque to the rear wheels.

Also available as an option is XDS electronic differential lock — as fitted to the Golf GTI. As a functional extension of the electronic locks already integrated via ESP, XDS improves handling when driving quickly through bends. More optional driving aids includes Lane Assist (which helps prevent accidents caused by the driver drifting out of the lane) and Dynamic Light Assist which switches between dipped and main beam depending on oncoming traffic.

One of the daunting tasks of driving an SUV has to be the parking. The new Tiguan comes with the latest Park Assist function which can handle parallel or perpendicular lots. It uses ultrasonic sensors to work out whether the parking space in question is a suitable one. Once the system has locked onto the space, it will automatically guided into the gap in one move, with the driver operating the accelerator and the brake.

Naturally the latest Tiguan retains all the versatility and practicality for which the previous model was renowned. The rear seat is a 60:40 split bench that can be adjusted forwards and backwards by up to 16 cm and also reclined, while cargo capacity ranges from 470 to 1,510 litres.

Creature comforts? The Tiguan gets the usual slew of dual zone air conditioning, leather trims, KESSY — VW's keyless entry system and lots of storage cubbyholes around the cabin. The Tiguan Sport adds cruise control, steering wheel-mounted controls and shift paddles and a GPS system with a rear view camera. Yes, only the Sport gets the huge sunroof.

The new Tiguan will go on sale on 24 September 2011 at a price of $154,800. The Tiguan Sport will go for $179,800.