There is some mystery surrounding the Volkswagen Tiguan. First, the name. Ti-gwan. I looked to Google for the meaning behind the name, hoping for something I can use to be clever for my article, and what I found was something Napoleon Dynamite might’ve dreamed up. The name Tiguan is the combination of two German words, one for tiger and one for iguana. A strange combination indeed and not much fodder to use for this review, sadly.

The mystery continues with the redesigned look of this compact crossover. It has a new grille (now part of the VW branded grille that the company is putting on all its vehicles), new headlights (that resemble those of its cousin over at Audi), and new bumpers. All of this gives the Tiguan a rather uninspiring design – upon first look. But, the more I looked at it, the more I walked around it, I discovered a vehicle with a lot more distinctive qualities than its first impression makes. Kind of like the Mona Lisa, without the smirky smile.

The Tiguan may not be a classic piece of art, but it does have some outstanding qualities.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine is quite spunky. Ignore the numbers that say 200 horsepower, this engine shows off its German engineering with all kinds of torque. The powertrain of the Tiguan holds up against any other small crossover on the market and can outdo some of the sedans even.

Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel drive adds to the performance, offering a fun driving experience as does the 6-speed automatic transmission which throws shifts quickly and smoothly.

Inside, a surprising amount of cargo and passenger space awaits. Passengers in the second row will not want for leg or head room. But with those seats up, cargo is space is a little limited. Fold those seats flat and enjoy 56.1 cubic feet of cargo space. That number might not look overly impressive (there are others in the segment that offer more), but for a vehicle that looks as diminutive as the Tiguan, the space is surprising.

The interior of the Tiguan gives just a hint of how the other half lives. For a non-luxury brand, Volkswagen presents the interior of the Tiguan with an upscale feel like leather seats (which are quite comfortable), a panoramic moonroof and soft touchpoints. I think this is the Audi influence on the Volkswagen brand, and that’s a good thing. I also loved the round retro air vents, which looked out of place, but gave the interior a fair amount of personality.

The entire entertainment system was cumbersome, and over engineered. Even setting the radio, changing the channels and maneuvering the entertainment system was a difficult process to learn and took eyes off the road too.

Fuel economy is improved too, which of course is a good thing. Despite having AWD, this Tiguan averages 21 city and 27 highway, which is practically the same as the front-wheel drive version as well. So, get the AWD and don’t worry about the pump. In a week’s worth of driving, mostly highway, I averaged 26 MPG.

The pricepoint for the Tiguan is where Volkswagen needs to continue making adjustments. MSRP for the Tiguan SE was $32,480. With options and delivery charge, my tester came in at $33,300. This type of pricepoint is near the vicinity of mid-size crossovers and top-of-the-line, non-luxury sedans. With that type of price, Volkswagen is keeping the Tiguan in a wide field with a lot of competition. A lowered price could make this vehicle more appealing to more people.

The Volkswagen Tiguan has a mysterious appeal. And, when it comes in a small crossover with a turbocharged engine and good fuel economy a little mystery is a good thing.

Jimmy Dinsmore is the Wheels editor at the Dayton Daily News and may be reached at (937) 225-2115. Follow him on Twitter @wheelseditor