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BOULDER, CO – What do you get when you cross a tiger with an iguana?

No, not a furry, striped lizard with big paws and a fierce disposition.

Recalling Napoleon Dynamite and his affinity for mutant animals such as the “Liger,” Volkswagen of America Inc. brings to market a compact, competent cross/utility vehicle with an engine as fierce as a tiger and a cabin as quiet as a lizard.

The ’09 Tiguan, now on sale in VW showrooms, is a stylish, well-assembled, roomy, purposeful CUV that reinforces VW’s edgy brand character, while injecting firm, European-style ride and handling into a segment not known for performance.

In this artsy, hippie-infested college town of fire jugglers, avant-garde jazz and high-altitude rock climbers, the quirkily named Tiguan is right at home, alongside the Touareg, Routan (the forthcoming minivan) and Passat in the VW lineup.

VW considers the Tiguan the “GTI of cross-over vehicles,” and the description fits.

The only problem with the Tiguan is, like a tiger waiting patiently to pounce on its prey, it arrives very, very late to the CUV feeding frenzy.