In October 2016, our spies snapped photos of the long-awaited Tiguan R testing near the Nurburgring. Fast forward 10 months and the automaker continues to test the sporty SUV at the circuit and if our ears aren’t fooling us, the brand appears to have something special in store.
When first spied, it was thought that the Tiguan R would make use of a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, likely lifted straight out of the Golf GTI.
However, this prototype sounds like it has the 2.5-liter five-cylinder of the RS3 and TT RS under the hood, revealing that Volkswagen isn’t messing around with the SUV. As a matter of fact, it even has the same oval-shaped tailpipes as the RS3.
When installed into the RS3 and TT RS, this five-pot can deliver as much as 400 hp, a figure not to be underestimated. As awesome as it would be to see a 400 hp Tiguan R, we think it’s more likely the automaker will detune the engine to nearer the 350 hp mark. If it makes it into production that is.
It is difficult to say when the hot Tiguan could shed its veil but don’t expect to see it debut until the first quarter of 2018 at the earliest.