High-performance SUVs taking on the new VW Tiguan R

VW has released its Tiguan R into the wild, an aggressive-looking SUV with the heart of a hot hatch.

At R999,900, the VW is, in fact, quite competitively priced considering the current market landscape as there’s not much that can compete with it in a straight line, at least at under one million rand.

This is because the sporty Tiguan for the first time sees the same engine as the flagship Golf R, in the form of a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol block producing 235kW and 400Nm.

Mated to a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox that directs power to all four corners through the new torque-vectoring 4Motion system, the SUV sprints from 0-100km/h in a rapid 5.1 seconds and it’s rated to reach up to 250km/h.

Apart from the uprated powerplant, the R also sees a helping of functional enhancements consisting of an upgraded chassis, adaptive shock absorbers, 18-inch brakes, and a 10mm-lower ride height over the standard Tiguans.

To go along with its newfound sportiness, the VW is further endowed with a model-exclusive body kit that brings R-exclusive bumpers, matte chrome mirrors, a gloss-black rear diffuser, and 20-inch Misano alloy wheels.

High-performance rivals

If you want five-second sprint times in an SUV in South Africa, the new Tiguan R is one of the cheaper vehicles that will allow this.

While sporty SUVs are plentiful, these usually fetch far above seven figures while the VW still slides in just under the magical R1-million mark.

Detailed below are the high-riders that rival the new Tiguan in performance, ranked from fastest to slowest.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.