Photo: CarPix
Audi V6 engines used to be really dull in the 1990s, and they had a lot of them of varying displacements, not just 3.0. But the company's saving grace was the 2.5 TFSI five-cylinder. So are they going to just give that away for Volkswagen to use in the Tiguan R?
It would be great news, but probably only for the "people's car brand." A while back, we were the first to suggest that a Tiguan R prototype filmed on the Nurburgring was being powered by the engine found in the RS3 and TT RS.
It made sense, particularly as a 310 HP Tiguan with of base price of around €40,000 wouldn't have much appeal. Our latest spyshots show a similar built: trademark oval exhaust on a lowered Tiguan fitted with wide wheels.
But our carparazzi suggest this isn't an open and shut case. According to them, the fact that it's wearing Ingolstadt license plates (you'll have to take our word for it) suggests this is actually an Audi prototype, which might be used for the development of the RS Q3.
But we have a slight problem with that theory. You see, Audi already has several working prototypes of the all-new Q3 SUV. What's more, it's uncommon within VW Group to use mules based on another brand unless the two cars are identical in some major way.
It's not like we're hoping there's going to be a 2.5-liter version of the Tiguan R. Even if it is cheaper than the equivalent Q3, the difference will be tiny. The real pillar of our hunch is that the Golf R was also spotted using an RS3-like exhaust system recently.
While the five-cylinder turbo has won Engine of the Year awards since as long as we can remember, every RS model made after 2016 has a new version with all-aluminum construction and 400 HP.
We've seen a less powerful old RS Q3 with "Iron Gustav" under the hood that murdered a Porsche Macan in a drag race. So Tiguan or Q3, whatever comes out will be frighteningly fast for a small SUV.
It made sense, particularly as a 310 HP Tiguan with of base price of around €40,000 wouldn't have much appeal. Our latest spyshots show a similar built: trademark oval exhaust on a lowered Tiguan fitted with wide wheels.
But our carparazzi suggest this isn't an open and shut case. According to them, the fact that it's wearing Ingolstadt license plates (you'll have to take our word for it) suggests this is actually an Audi prototype, which might be used for the development of the RS Q3.
But we have a slight problem with that theory. You see, Audi already has several working prototypes of the all-new Q3 SUV. What's more, it's uncommon within VW Group to use mules based on another brand unless the two cars are identical in some major way.
It's not like we're hoping there's going to be a 2.5-liter version of the Tiguan R. Even if it is cheaper than the equivalent Q3, the difference will be tiny. The real pillar of our hunch is that the Golf R was also spotted using an RS3-like exhaust system recently.
While the five-cylinder turbo has won Engine of the Year awards since as long as we can remember, every RS model made after 2016 has a new version with all-aluminum construction and 400 HP.
We've seen a less powerful old RS Q3 with "Iron Gustav" under the hood that murdered a Porsche Macan in a drag race. So Tiguan or Q3, whatever comes out will be frighteningly fast for a small SUV.
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