In a not-so-distant past, a hot hatch was the only answer for those looking to spice up a daily commute but keep the retain some practicality. Fast forward to modern times, where hot hatches still exist, but go-fast SUVs seem to be the flavour of the month.
A perfect example of this is Volkswagen’s new Tiguan R, which (as the name suggests) is a more aggressive version of the Tiguan that we’ve grown so fond of over the last decade or so.
Like most current Volkswagen products, this Tiguan R sits on the MQB platform, meaning that it shares a lot with the current Golf. It also makes use of the same 2.0-litre turbocharged engine that’s found in the Mk8 Golf R. Despite packing a hefty 235kW and 400Nm, I’d argue that it takes a lot more than just this engine to make this Tiguan R one of the most well-rounded performance SUVs on the market.
Volkswagen’s 4MOTION all-wheel drive system is nothing new for the Tiguan, but in the R it comes with a system called ‘R’ Torque Vectoring. Like the smaller Golf R, this gives the Tiguan the ability to shuffle torque between the front and rear axles, providing a more engaging and dynamic drive. Despite the fact that there’s a 1st Edition on offer, the Tiguan R misses out on a ‘Drift Mode’ (probably for the best), but does get a launch control feature which helps it rocket to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds.
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On the road, Volkswagen has done a great job of making the Tiguan R feel like a slightly larger version of the Golf R. Despite the extra mass, this Tiguan R only weighs an extra 200kg over the Golf, which is hardly noticeable, but the extra height is.
The active dampers do a good job of negating the extra 20cm of height that the Tiguan has, but not quite enough to have it feeling like a hot hatch on the road. But then again, this isn’t a bad thing, as I’d argue that the Tiguan R focuses on practicality first, and performance second.
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In terms of economy, Volkswagen claims a figure of 9.7L/100km. During our time with the Tiguan R, we found that reaching this was easier said than done, as we never saw less than 10L/100km. But then again, the satisfying noise that the turbocharged engine makes doesn’t help with the issue of a heavy right foot.
With 615 litres of boot space, it’s one of the most generous in the segment, and that’s before the rear seats are folded down to provide 1,655 litres of space. Said rear seats are spacious for the small SUV segment, with plenty of leg and headroom on offer.
Front row seating is no different, and I’m a big fan of the new 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment display. It comes standard with wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity, which is not too common in the segment. It also gets a heads-up display as standard as well as a juicy Harman/Kardon premium sound system.
As I’ve mentioned in the past, the haptic touch multifunction steering wheel isn’t super easy to use at first, but drivers will get used to it over time. Accidentally activating the heated steering wheel during a turn is still something that I struggle with there.
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Unlike the Golf, the Tiguan has retained a traditional gear selector, which is a great thing in my books. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get a manual handbrake, but at that point I’m probably asking too much of VW.
This small performance SUV segment is one that’s growing at an impressive rate, but it seems that this Tiguan faces its biggest rivals within its own company. Vehicles like the Cupra Ateca and Audi SQ2 that sit on the same MQB platform is what most potential buyers should probably be also considering.
At $80,990 (and $85,990) the Tiguan R is more expensive than both these other options, but you’ll likely struggle to find a more well-rounded small SUV that will spice up the daily commute like the Tiguan R will.
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Volkswagen Tiguan R
ENGINE: 2.0-litre turbo
POWER: 235kW/400Nm
GEARBOX: 7-speed Automatic, AWD
ECONOMY: 9.7l/100km (WLTP)
PRICE: $85,990
