Volkswagen Tiguan R 2021 UK first drive

The Volkswagen Volkswagen Tiguan R is what happens when Volkswagen  applies Mk8 VW Golf R fundamentals to its big-selling medium-sized SUV. 

The 316bhp 2.0-litre motor, seven-speed DSG gearbox, go-faster interior and, yes, the same effective R-Performance Torque Vectoring driveline: all transferred to something roughly 200kg heavier and whose centre-of-gravity is quite a bit higher than the machine it was originally intended for.  

You can even have a titanium Akrapovic exhaust, to go with the standard-fit 21in wheels, just to remove any doubt that this particular Tiguan is quite a different proposition to its pragmatic rangemates, and a fully fledged R product. But even if you don't have any extras, it's fair to say this car is still the most ambitious Volkswagen SUV since the R50 Volkswagen Touareg of 2008 – the extra-butch one with the 5.0-litre V10 twin-turbo diesel.

As for price, the Tiguan R costs around £46,000, and so in like-for-like specification, is £6000 or so more for it than its Golf R cousin. Yes, the R is quite expensive relative to the broader Tiguan range, which starts at less than £25,000. However, £46,000 is still less than you would pay for the entry-level, 242bhp Porsche Macan, which might well be the benchmark in this particular niche but is comfortably outperformed by the Volkswagen on paper, and isn't so generously equipped as standard.

That the Tiguan R can, with the help of a launch-control programme, fire itself to 62mph in less than five seconds also makes it quicker than the new Mercedes-AMG GLB 35 – probably its closest rival in character and concept, along with the BMW X2 M35i. The outlier in this clique is Audi’s RS Q3, which with five cylinders and 396bhp is considerably more exotic than the VW, but also costs more than £53,000 even in basic form.    

Apart from the weight-gain, the other key – and obvious – difference between this car and the Golf R is the fact that, on its extended MQB platform, the Tiguan R really does feel much more commodious inside. But even among its crossover peers, the Tiguan has always been spacious, and our test car's optional panoramic roof only adds to the cabin's breezy atmos. It feels a large car even at a standstill.

However, despite the new digital displays, it also feels a little dated inside, going as the Tiguan does off an older version of Volkswagen’s interior-design manual. And while the cabin has plenty of sporting R touches, there’s no escaping the thoroughly unsporting architecture, either. Despite their SUV status, several rivals still manage to cosset their occupants, while the Tiguan is laid out for practicality above all else and there's nothing the R treament can do about that. The driving position is therefore conspicuously upright, being commanding but not very engaging, and where the GLB 35 or Macan owner will find themselves feeling hunkered-down behind the dashboard to some extent, that's not the case in the Volkswagen.