By the time the Tiguan, VW's small crossover that will hit U.S. streets in summer 2008, begins rolling off its Wolfsburg assembly line, it will have undergone extensive testing in myriad terrains, climates, and elevations. It's a sport/utility after all, not to mention the Touareg's little brother, so much of its allure will be its perceived ruggedness; thus, testing in extreme conditions is a requisite.
So with the start of production just a couple months away, Volkswagen, with time for one last shakedown, had a decision to make-where to conduct the Tiguan's final torture test?
Naturally, the powers at be opted for Namibia in southwest Africa, a former German colony and now a popular destination spot for Teutonic tourists. Known for the extensive range of wild game in Etosha National Park, the 1000-foot sand dunes in Sossusvlei, and the fatal beauty of the Skeleton Coast, Namibia is also a country that boasts plenty of elevation change, severe temperatures, and loads (and loads) of dirt roads, most of which are as smooth as a rusty washboard. Could it get any better?
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