Road test: Volkswagen Tiguan

Coffee is calling half an hour into the drive. I pull into New Norfolk's Circle Coffee House with ease, thanks to the Park Assist System and 360-degree vision. I'm still getting used to the Tiguan's dimensions, but the tech makes it feel intuitive. New Norfolk has plenty to tempt a day-tripper: vintage stores, riverside parks, heritage architecture and a growing reputation for good food. The Agrarian Kitchen might be the main event, but today is about the journey, not the long lunch.

I've got a soft spot for antiques; there are so many untold stories within each piece, and it's always fun to imagine the lives of those who owned them prior. New Norfolk is vintage-fossicker's dream. The Drill Hall Emporium is always a good start, and it's easy to lose an hour or two fossicking through Flywheel, the letterpress studio just down the road. I finish up at The Black Swan, a bookshop-turned-cafe with a cosy vibe.

Turning on the keyless setting, it takes a moment to feel comfortable leaving the car and returning without checking for my jumble of keys, but I quickly adapt, and it's very handy not fumbling for them when jumping in and out while day-tripping. If I'd browsed in town much longer, the automatic unlock would also have been handy for putting cumbersome purchases into the car without a spare pair of hands. Alas, it's time to pop back to the glossy exterior of my Tiguan and continue experiencing its capabilities while exploring New Norfolk's surrounds.

Winding through hop and raspberry farms still etched with their winter dormancy, I feel secure behind the wheel, yet there's oodles of zip with speed when needed. The side door has a useful, wide-berthed cup holder space, which is necessary to hold the giant water bottles that are all the fashion these days. There's also plenty of space to put coffee cups and sunnies at the front of the car without adding clutter or obscuring the wireless charging docks, of which there are several - as let's be honest, two adults and kids means most often more than one is needed.

Hunger leads me to the Salmon Ponds, where I stop at Pancakes by the Ponds for a quick bit and a stroll. The hatchery here releases more than a million trout into Tasmanian waterways each year, but I'm more interested in the English-style gardens - and the unexpectedly bold platypus that swims right over to say hello. I'm halfway through a salmon and cream cheese crepe when I spot it doing the same for the next family. It clearly knows how to work with the crowd.

With a few more hours in the day it might have been nice to potter next door at Plenty Cider, but I'm keen to reach the fern-laden boardwalks of Russell Falls and Mount Field before heading home. The mood lighting and audio personalisation bring some fun to the drive, while the panoramic sunroof fills the cabin with spring light. Road noise is minimal, fuel use feels reasonable and the auto headlights are a nice touch. The only curveball is the positioning of the gearshift paddles and indicators behind the wheel, but once I adapt, it's smooth sailing.