VW’s Hot Tiguan R Is Coming But With What Engine?

The VW Tiguan R is set to join the recently revealed T-Roc R as the second high-performance SUV to wear the R moniker in the brand’s history.

This isn’t the first time we spot the range-topping R version of the Tiguan wearing no camouflage at all; in fact we keep seeing these test cars running around with no disguise since 2016, and we hope that VW will finally come out and just launch it already.

With that said, the test car pictured here appears to share the same body kit and alloy wheels with the regular R-Line models, so if you expected something model-specific it appears you are out of luck. The only actual telltale between the Tiguan R and a Tiguan fitted with the R-Line pack at this point is the quad exhaust tips.

What we still can’t tell for sure is what kind of powertrain is VW going to use for the Tiguan R; at first we were certain that the fastest of the Tiguans is going to get the same 296hp turbo 2.0-liter TFSI powertrain with the Golf R but then we spotted another test car that was clearly powered by a five-cylinder turbo engine (with that unmistakable soundtrack), most likely Audi’s 2.5-liter unit.

Given that the smaller T-Roc R is powered by the turbocharged 2.0-liter EA888 unit, complete with 296hp (300PS) and 295lb-ft (400Nm) of torque, one can only wonder if VW is going to use the same engine again for the bigger Tiguan R.

The quad exhausts look like they were lifted straight from the Golf R, so the possibility of getting a five-cylinder Tiguan R appears slimmer than ever. Still, we wouldn’t be surprised if VW decided to boost the 2.0-liter engine’s output with a few more horses, just to give the Tiguan R the edge over its smaller sibling.

Expect to see the VW Tiguan R getting revealed sometime over the next few months, with a public debut probably at the Franfurt Motor Show this September.

Image Credits: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien for CarScoops