Volkswagen's idea of a good time is to make one tool and use it for every job. They've been doing it for a really long time, so there's a method behind the madness. One decent example of this is comprised of these two test prototypes, the Tiguan R and Golf R.
Both of them are believed to have the same powertrain, a 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit that puts out 329 horsepower, at least in its European spec. Originally, the Tiguan R was supposed to get the 2.5-liter TFSI out of the RS3/RS Q3, but it appears they had a falling out with Audi.
The five-cylinder would have made more sense, considering the Tiguan is much larger and heavier than a Golf, even though they're often described as belonging to the compact class. I mean, them using the same 2-liter would be like BMW putting the engine from an M-badged car into a MINI. Wait, you're saying they do that?
Of the two cars, we're obviously going to lean toward the Golf R. Not only is it the lighter, more agile car, but we also think it looks better. The trunk spoiler and rocker panels appear bigger than on the outgoing model, while the black 20-inch wheels fully fill out the arches.
But the Tiguan R isn't bad either. Volkswagen is giving the whole model range a refresh, so the tech package will be better than it is right now. While crossovers are not ideal sports recreational vehicles, there is still a little bit of fun that can be had in a high-rider.
Sadly, while these models will debut in Europe by the end of the year, America is an entirely different story. The normal Golf 8 hatchback hasn't arrived yet, while the R model will have further delays, possibly even a power drop compared to the one in Germany. And the Tiguan R might not be offered at all, since it doesn't represent good value.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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