The head of Volkswagen’s performance division has promised the new Tiguan R is a “genuine R” that boasts “racetrack capability”.
At the reveal of the refreshed Tiguan, Volkswagen R boss Jost Capito said the 235 kW performance SUV would cover “all the attributes you know and expect from an R model”.
Capito added its abilities would span from a “sporty character” to “racetrack capability”. As a reminder, power will come from VW’s familiar turbocharged 2,0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, delivering its oomph to all four corners via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
While the Wolfsburg-based firm has thus far revealed very few official details about the Tiguan R, Capito pointed out a few specifics.
He confirmed the Tiguan R would ride on 21-inch alloy wheels as standard, while new “ergonomically optimised” sports seats (featuring integrated headrests) had been developed specifically for the new model. Capito furthermore pointed out the blue “R” button on the sports steering wheel, conceived to allow the driver to quickly switch to “race” mode.
In addition, the hottest Tiguan is expected to come standard with a new R Performance torque-vectoring system, which Capito says renders the newcomer “as agile as it has to be for a sportscar”. An Akrapovič exhaust system is seemingly also set to be available.
Volkswagen South Africa says the facelifted Tiguan is scheduled to launch locally in the first quarter of 2021, with the Tiguan R set to follow “towards the latter part” of next year.
