Make no mistake, the Volkswagen Tiguan is an excellent SUV. It’s an excellent daily companion and a first-rate cruiser on highways. But like every other car, it isn’t perfect.

Yes, it lacks any form of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS). There’s no autonomous emergency braking or even a blind spot monitor. To some, this would be the deal breaker, and understandably so.

But personally, ADAS isn’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to buying a car. It’s nice to have but I wouldn’t consider it a necessity, unlike stability systems and airbags. Because ultimately, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure the safety of everyone in and surrounding the vehicle.

Which is why the Tiguan’s deal breaker, to me, is the slightly jarring suspension. Over sharp edges and depending on speed, it can be quite jolting to the passengers.

Worse still if the tyres are inflated to the “normal” pressure at 260 kPa. Lowering the pressure to the “comfort” 230 kPa makes the Tiguan ride noticeably better. But even so, the Tiguan can’t deal with tricky surfaces as well as the Proton X70 for example.

Don’t get me wrong, the Volkswagen Tiguan’s ride quality is not by any means terrible. It just doesn’t smother road irregularities as deftly as one might expect from an SUV.

The plus side is, the Tiguan handles rather well. Body roll is kept in check and there’s a sense of agility as with most Volkswagen models underpinned by the MQB platform. If only it was a little more pliant over sharp edges, it would’ve had the ideal setup.