Volkswagen Tiguan R review

At What Car? we like to disseminate the facts about cars in a clear fashion, so, to explain the difference between the Volkswagen Tiguan R and the rest of the R range, we’re going to turn to the world of boxing. 

You see, the Golf R is a featherweight, because it’s light and nimble; the T-Roc R is a middleweight; heavier, but still light on its feet, while the Tiguan R is a light heavyweight – carrying a bit more beef but still able to deliver one hell of a punch. 

It uses the same engine as the smaller T-Roc R, but with even higher power and torque outputs: 316bhp and 310lb ft respectively. Like that car, power is also sent through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, but the Tiguan gets the added benefit of an all-new version of Volkswagen’s 4Motion four-wheel drive system that can vary the power sent to each rear wheel individually, helping the car feel more agile in tighter corners. Clever stuff. 

So you can tell it apart from the regular Volkswagen Tiguan, it wears a more aggressively styled front bumper and features design cues that mark it out as a member of the R line-up, including standard 21in wheels. 

Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but we suspect the R will sit somewhere between smaller hot SUV rivals that include the T-Roc R and Cupra Ateca, and more ‘premium’ rivals such as the Audi SQ5 and Porsche Macan. That is some serious competition, but on paper at least, the Tiguan R looks like it has the firepower to take on all comers. Over the next few pages we’ll see how the Tiguan R stacks up when it comes to performance, practicality, quality and fuel economy. 

And whichever car you decide to buy, from a simple hatchback to a sizzling-hot SUV, remember that our New Car Buying service is here to help – it takes all the effort out of the process, while potentially saving you a handsome pile of cash.