Features / 15 March 2022 / Albert du Toit

VW Tiguan R coming to South Africa – What to expect

VW has confirmed that it will launch two more SUVs in South Africa this year, one of them a high-performance version of the recently-released Tiguan.

Following VW’s naming conventions, it will be called the Tiguan R and gains cosmetic enhancements to make it look the part.

This is complemented by the fitment of an uprated 2.0-litre “EA888 evo4” engine – the same motor found in the Golf 8 GTI and Golf 8 R.

Beyond stating that South Africa will get the new Tiguan R, the local arm of VW has not said much else.

To get a better picture of what to expect from this SUV, we can take a look at its German spec sheet.

What to expect

The main feature of the Tiguan R is its 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol engine generating 235kW and 420Nm – 73kW and 70Nm more than the most powerful Tiguan that is currently for sale in South Africa.

Drive is distributed to all four wheels via a 4Motion system with R-Performance torque vectoring and a seven-speed auto-box, while also equipped with a “rear final drive with two multi-plate clutches.”

“This system does not just distribute the drive power between the front and rear axles, but also distributes it variably between the left and right rear wheels,” said VW.

Additionally, the sporty Tiguan comes with blue brake calipers, an R-specific drive mode, a four-branch exhaust, and dynamic chassis control with adaptive shock absorbers which sees ride height lowered by 10mm compared to the standard SUV.

In corners, the Tiguan R’s advanced drivetrain offers “noticeably improved handling agility,” said the manufacturer.

Further enforcing the athletic personality of this VW is an exclusive look brought by R-Design bumpers in high-gloss black, matte chrome wing mirrors, a black rear diffuser, black wheel arch extensions, and 20-inch “Misano” alloys.

Optionally available is a titanium Akrapovic exhaust, 21-inch “Estoril” wheels, and the Black Style design package.

The table below shows how the Tiguan R-Line currently for sale in South Africa stacks up against the Tiguan R in the German market.

Specifications	Tiguan R-Line	Tiguan R
Power	162kW	235kW
Torque	350Nm	420Nm
0-100km/h	6.5 seconds	4.9 seconds
Top speed	225km/h	250km/h
Combined fuel consumption	8.3l/100km	8.1l/100km

Tiguan R-Line features

While the looks and engine of the Tiguan R are exclusive to the model, we expect its interior and equipment to be similar to that of the R-Line variant that heads the local Tiguan line-up.

In Germany, the Tiguan R is equipped with sports seats with integrated headrests and R logos, a digital instrument cluster with a built-in lap timer, carbon grey finishes, stainless steel pedals, enlarged shifter paddles, and illuminated trim elements.

Many of the high-end features of the Tiguan R-Line are also expected to be standard on the R, such as the 8.0-inch infotainment display, touch-sensitive multifunction steering wheel, electric tailgate, automatic LED lights, tri-zone climate control, Vienna leather seats, heated front seats, and an electric driver’s seat.