Off road tech when off road

[jimbomort]

This is what i am thinking.
If i plan to do some offroading, i would be getting a full size spare in the boot area and some offroad spec tyres (cooper CS4's etc).

I'll say right up that I haven't done a lot of serious off roading (though a bit), but unless the offroading is pretty serious, cant see that the standard spare wouldn't get you through it with a bit of care. And if its that serious maybe the Tig isn't the best bet. With that said knowing how far even a moderately well driven 2wd car will go (I remember some shocked faces of 4wd owners when bypassing them on some 4wd tracks in an old 76 escort in the 80's), driven well the Tig is quite capable of getting a long way, provided the clearance and approach angle aren't critical in that terrainn (sometimes those issues just become inescapable - like hideous ruts or creek crossings with boulders that say "I want your sump" or approaches that say "thats a nice looking front air dam you have their - hmmmmm").

Same on the tyres - unless you are doing lots of offroading, why bother? True I've seen some comments on the Bridgestones (we have the Hancocks) but a significant expense and hassle in having a second set and having to swap, or if 'the set', a significant tradeoff on the bitumen if thats the vast bulk of driving.

In reality, if you are planning on doing all that to the Tig to get it offroad, you might as well get an older "True 4wd" like a landcruiser or jeep etc that is built for offroading aas the Tig will only get you so far.
It would probably cost less in the long run as well.

Agree, except people may have their own reasons (dont want two cars and otherwise love the Tig) and its no different in principle from doing mods for improving on road performance, which more than a few are doing.

I do wonder though about how serious the off roading is that people are talking about, its not the vehicle you'd buy for really serious stuff, but driven well it would get to the majority of places most people are wanting to go, especially with the off road tech option helping. For years people did a lot of what is often considered '4wd only' now with far less capable vehicles.

[Sanman]

I can't see why they aren't interchangeable from these diagrams, but ELSA is pretty clear on it:
"These front bumper covers are not interchangeable"

Manufacturing simplicity would lead you to expect that it should be interchangeable, but we're told it's not. I would guess that the radiator support panel would not go down as deep for the Track and Field front; that would mean changes to the body in white, different crash worthiness, different test programme required, which partially explains why it is not available in Australia - the additional cost to ADR it. The other reason is, why fragment and complicate your market with too much choice (unless you have to?) - seen with the choice not to bring in other Golf Variants (Scirocco, plus, wagon (until now)), or offer full colour range, interior, R, long service interval and bluemotion options.

[smashley]

What exactly does the off road tech button do?

And what would stop them from retro fitting it at a later date?

[Arctra]

What exactly does the off road tech button do?

And what would stop them from retro fitting it at a later date?

Mate, have you even bothered to read the top of this post? The first few posts tell you what the offroad tech does, and that it is possible tor retrofit although I can't find the post that I originally saw where the user did retrofit it.

[phaeton]

So I wonder what else needs to change to fit the off road front end?

I wonder why VWAus didn't bring that end in. Additional ADR testing costs? Or maybe the lower front end can incorporate a bigger radiator for hotter climates? But then why would the South African market get the off road nose?

One of the Club VW (NSW) magazines actually has a photo of a Track&Field in Australia as part of the ADR testing prior to Tiguans release in Australia.

http://vwwatercooled.com/mag/mag/history.html (January 2008 Issue)

So it is certified; VGA have chosen not to bring it in at this stage and most likely won't until Tiguan GP (facelift) is released next year.

[Sanman]

photo of a Track&Field in Australia as part of the ADR testing prior to Tiguans release in Australia.
So it is certified;

It doesn't nearly follow that if one is brought in for evaluation that they will go through the certification process. Vehicles can be brought in duty free for one year. I lost track of how many 1 yo Z28 & IROC Camaros PBR sent to Sims crusher

[smashley]

Has any one got information on the retro fitting of this or other options.