Volkswagen has applied the 'R' treatment to its family-orientated Tiguan. Has it been a success? We've been finding out.

PROS:

+ Strong engine

+ Fun to drive for an SUV

+ Same great Tiguan practicality

CONS:

- Feels firm at times

- Golf R even more fun...

- ...and a fair bit cheaper

Verdict: UK car buyers love two things: hot hatches and SUVs. So, the Volkswagen Tiguan R should be popular and deserves credit for being one of the best of its kind. Mind you, we can't help feeling more people will be better served with a standard R-Line Tiguan or Golf R.

2021 Volkswagen Tiguan R review: the five-minute read

The Volkswagen Tiguan R is by no means the first performance SUV, but it is the first time that Volkswagen has gotten serious with its Tiguan – its best selling model.

However, the Tiguan has sold well until now because it offers brilliant space and practicality plus a premium feel for sensible money, so does giving it hot hatch characteristics and hiking the price really make sense?

That price hike and performance boost puts the Tiguan R against some strong competition, too. Sharp SUVs like the Porsche Macan, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, BMW X3 and Audi Q5 in their spicier forms.

The Tiguan R does look the part. Lovely 21-inch alloy wheels, a unique R body kit, quad tailpipes and a boot spoiler sounds a bit Halfords written down, but the pictures above show it works quite well.

Inside it has been given the full R treatment too. Figure-hugging sports seats in blue tartan pattern, fake carbon fibre dash trim, a sports steering wheel with R badging and shiny sports pedals are the order of the day. Truth be told, it's not quite up to Porsche, Audi or BMW on the quality front, but it's not far behind.

It is disappointing that VW still doesn't throw in its upgraded Discover Pro infotainment system, though, with its larger 9.2-inch screen. You do still get a bright and responsive 8-inch one, plus Bluetooth, DAB radio, built-in sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android auto. The R also gets VW's bigger set of digital driver's dials which is a nice touch.

And of course, you get all the usual Tiguan space and practicality, so great space for four adults, sliding and reclining rear seats and big, square boot that'll handle anything a family can throw at it or in it. Here, the Tiguan is as good as or better than its competition.

The Tiguan R is essentially a Golf R that rides a little higher. As such, it gets the same turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine producing 320hp and 420nm of torque, good for 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds and a limited 155mph top speed. All-wheel-drive is standard, and so too is a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

Those last features make the Tiguan R very easy to drive fast. Its gearbox is responsive, its AWD puts the engine's considerable grunt down very cleanly and with its meaty, precise steering you'll have plenty of confidence pushing the R hard in corners. Guess what? It leans more than a Golf R – funny that. But VW has made the R one of the tidiest SUVs to drive quickly at this price point, only really bettered by the Macan for cornering prowess.

With its good visibility, decent turning circle and sensors and cameras, driving the R in town is just as easy as in any other Tiguan, although its firm, lower riding suspension is felt more often over sharp bumps. On the motorway, the engine quietens down and comfort improves, and we managed a fairly respectable 30mpg.

So, if you are prepared to accept the cornering compromises an SUV brings, the Tiguan R is one of the best of its kind, even if a Macan is top of the tree. If you just want the look, buy a sporty R-Line trim Tiguan. And if you want the best blend of performance and practicality, go for a Golf R.

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Extended read…

2021 Volkswagen Tiguan R interior and infotainment

The Volkswagen Tiguan R's interior is the same basic one as any other Tiguan, which is a very good thing.

Nothing moves, nothing squeaks, all the switches feel substantial and there are lovely piano black and chrome trim accents about the place that brings a classy look and feel. True, BMW, Audi and Porsche SUVs do feel slightly plusher inside, but the margins aren't huge.

Inside the R stands out from other Tiguans with a pair of lovely cloth and Alcantara sports seats with integrated headrests that get blue tartan detailing – which looks better than it sounds. There's also a sports steering wheel with more blue, shiny sports pedals and unique R badging plus R graphics on the infotainment system.

It is disappointing that VW still doesn't throw in its upgraded Discover Pro infotainment system, though, with its larger 9.2-inch screen. You do still get a bright and responsive 8-inch one, plus Bluetooth, DAB radio, built-in sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android auto. The R also gets VW's bigger set of digital driver's dials which is a nice touch.

The standard stereo system is good enough that it seems silly to spend the extra on the upgraded Harman Kardon one.

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2021 Volkswagen Tiguan R practicality and boot space

Part of the reason people like performance SUVs is that they retain much of their practicality – you'll still want it to be able to handle the everyday stuff like carting people and luggage about.

The Tiguan has always been very good at doing just that, and hence the R is too. You'll fit four tall adults inside without much fuss, and even three adults across the back won't complain too much on longer trips.

The R boot's is 520 litres in size, which will easily handle the weekly shop or a week away with the kids without much problem. Push the R's rear seats all the way forward and this grows to 615 litres, or you can fold down the rear seats for those trips to the tip. The rear seats split in a handy 40:20:40 configuration.

The R also gets spacious door bins front and back, plus a decent glovebox, two cupholders between the front seats and a useful cubby at the base of the dashboard.

2021 Volkswagen Tiguan R engine

VW's 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is found across the VW Group in VWs, Skodas, Seats, Audis, you name it.

Here it produces 320hp and 420nm of torque, which via the car's standard all-wheel-drive and seven-speed automatic gearbox means 0-62mph in just 4.9 seconds – although we managed to go a couple of tenths faster than that. That's a little bit slower than a Golf R, but you'll not notice on the road.

It's an engine of two personalities, proving savage in the right driving mode, yet also quiet and smooth when you just want to cruise. We struggle to manage more than 30mpg, although given its performance that should be seen as fairly good.

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2021 Volkswagen Tiguan R driving

By their very nature, SUVs struggle to provide as much driver enjoyment as their lower hatchback counterparts, but of the ones that do the best job of it, the Tiguan is up there.

The R's all-wheel-drive and dual-clutch automatic gearbox make it very easy to drive fast. Its gearbox is responsive, its AWD puts the engine's considerable grunt down very cleanly and with its meaty, precise steering you'll have plenty of confidence pushing the R hard in corners. Clever torque vectoring that brakes inside wheels to turn the car in more sharp helps here too.

As with all performance cars these days there are various, driving modes that either makes things more comfortable or aggressive depending on what mood you're in. The Tiguan gets lowered suspension and adaptive dampers as standard, which are firmed up in its Race mode, although you can configure the steering, engine and gearbox and suspension separately if you want.

All dialled up, the Tiguan leans more than a Golf R – funny that. But VW has made the R one of the tidiest SUVs to drive quickly at this price point, only really bettered by the Macan for cornering prowess.

With its good visibility, decent turning circle and sensors and cameras, driving the R in town is just as easy as in any other Tiguan, although its firm, lower riding suspension is felt more often over sharp bumps. On the motorway, the engine quietens down and comfort improves, plus VW's very good advanced adaptive cruise control with lane keep comes as standard.

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