How the new Volkswagen Tiguan is using technology to make your life easier, one cool feature at a time.

Start your ride before you even head out the door using Car-Net®, the latest app from Volkswagen. "It lets drivers access a range of critical functions in their vehicle from a smartphone," explains Patrick Danielson, Director of Product Planning at Volkswagen Canada. Among others, this means you can remotely lock and unlock your vehicle and remote start your engine. Unlike a key fob, Car-Net® isn't limited by range, so you can get the car warmed up outside the gym while you're doing your last reps inside. You can double-check that you've locked the doors even after you're in the office, sitting at your desk.

The Car-Net app also has a dignity-saving feature that lets you locate your vehicle's last parked location. Gone are the days of hunting for your car in a massive parking lot, or setting off the alarm in desperation. (Listen, we've all been there!) And if you're lending your Tiguan to someone, or once your kids are old enough to take practice drives themselves, the app's Guardian Services come in handy.

"The app can send mom and dad a notification if the vehicle exceeds a pre-set speed or leaves a selected geographic boundary," says Danielson. "In the event of a collision, a Volkswagen representative will contact the driver and deploy emergency services to the vehicle's location if necessary. Car-Net can even provide vehicle status updates and maintenance alerts."