WE'VE all seen the ads - the terminally ‘uncool' dad driving his daughter to school in his stylish and clever Volkswagen Tiguan while blasting out some bass-heavy hip hop.

But can you be Steve McQueen-cool in a Tiguan?

VW certainly has the pedigree. The Beetle was once one of the coolest cars on the planet - air-cooled obviously. And, the marque's campervans are in a league of their own with the cognoscenti.

The Tiguan has certainly been a hit. Well over 3.5 million have been sold since it first hit the world's roads in 2007.

The latest - completely redesigned - model is following in its tracks with nearly 400,000 sold since it arrived last year.

Based on VW's MQB (Modular Transverse Matrix) platform which is also shared by the latest Golf, Passat and Touran, the second generation Tiguan set the benchmark for its class in sleek and stylish design, comfort and functionality.

There's a huge range of engines available - both petrol and diesel, offering from 115ps to 240ps - but, perhaps in homage to my old Golf, I was drawn to the 150ps 2.0-litre TDI.

There's a classy, spacious interior - it's definitely a five-seater with plenty of room for three in the back despite its lower overall height. and, due to the new platform, a very decent gain in boot space.

There's now 1,655 litres with the rear bench folded, an increase of 145 litres. An adjustable 40:20:20 split bench rear seat which can slide forwards and backwards by up to 18cms provides extra legroom or bootspace depending on need.

In the UK, the Tiguan comes in five familiar trim lines - S, SE, SE Navigation, SEL and R-Line.

All are well-equipped. Even the entry level model comes with 17-inch alloys, an eight-inch colour touchscreen with Bluetooth, digital radio and CD player.

As a family car, safety is paramount so there's driver and front passenger airbags, an airbag curtain system and front seat side impact airbags. Hazard lights flash automatically under hard braking while electronic stability control, traction control and trailer assist are all standard.

Air con, electric front and rear windows, rain sensing wipers, auto dimming rear view mirror, cruise control and daytime running lights with low beam assist are also standard.

Jump to SE Nav and there's 18-inch alloys, rear privacy glass, a leather trimmed three-spoke steering wheel, parking sensors and, of course, sat nav.

In the new Tiguan, seat height has been notably raised 8mm for extra visibility. Driver comfort is also supportively aided from SE level by 14-way seat adjustment and a massage function.

There's also VW's Car-Net App-Connect, which allows the ‘mirroring' of smartphone display on the infotainment touchscreen display as well as myriad other connectivity and app-related functions.

Electronic air conditioning is enhanced in a three-zone package, which means the temperature can be controlled independently for the driver, front passenger and rear seat passengers.

The 150ps 2.0-litre TDI comes as standard with a two-wheel drive manual drivetrain or as a 4MOTION four-wheel drive with DSG, which around three-quarters of Tiguan owners opt for.

It's a nice option to have but not strictly necessary.

Like its Golf sibling, the two-wheel drive Tiguan is comfortable and capable on the road with plenty of grip and beautifully-weighted steering.

There's little body well and, though it might not be quite as sporty as the hatchback, it's very composed and surprisingly refined with little wind and engine noise.

Anyone familiar with VW diesels - the vast majority of its owners - will know how smooth and powerful it is. It's also affordable to run, officially returning nearly 59mpg. Over nearly 470 miles, I managed a very creditable 45.3mpg.

In the end, the Tiguan isn't Steve McQueen-cool, no matter what tunes you play.