With winter on the way, interest in four-wheel-drive crossovers is on the up once again. We compare the facelifted VW Tiguan

Buying a compact SUV has never been harder, with a bewildering choice of vehicles to pick from. A raft of new arrivals has seen the VW Tiguan drop down the pecking order lately, but the revised car has arrived just in time to take advantage of the winter rush.

With long-term weather forecasters predicting snowfall in the UK before the end of the month, we decided to test the all-wheel-drive Tiguan 2.0 TDI 4MOTION in SE trim. It costs £25,645, and the facelifted off-roader builds on the foundations of the original, but adds updated looks, a refreshed engine line-up and a wider range of optional extras. Will this be enough to see off the Kia Sportage?

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the VW Tiguan

The Kia has yet to be beaten in an Auto Express road test, and the top-of-the-range all-wheel-drive KX-3 is cheaper than the Tiguan, at £24,625. As we have come to expect from Kia, it’s loaded with kit, and includes luxuries such as heated leather seats and cruise control as standard. And don’t forget the brilliant seven-year warranty back-up...

Look at the official figures, and these two should be closely matched against the clock and at the pumps, so it promises to be a close contest. The Tiguan used to set the template as the fuel-efficient compact SUV of choice, but the Kia isn’t exactly thirsty, and its head-turning looks give the Sportage a unique selling point in this sector.

Will that be enough to help it claim victory here, or will the polished Volkswagen take the honours...?

For an alternative review of the latestVolkswagen Tiguanvisit our sister sitecarbuyer.co.uk