The new Volkswagen Tiguan R is here, but which models does it face?

Volkswagen is pressing ahead with its strategy of expanding the R vehicle division, a division that until recently had been represented only by the Golf R. Today the German brand has made sure to expand it quickly with models such as the T-Roc and the Arteon, to which the newly renovated Tiguan has just been added. The Volkswagen SUV is flexing its muscles with a new sporty variant that promises a lot, but the crowded segment it belongs to may bring it a few headaches.

With this in mind and despite the novelty promised by the new champion of Volkswagen, it is easy for it to run straight into strong and fierce competition. Indeed, it is not unreasonable to consider more options alongside the Tiguan R, a model that will have to go head to head with real heavyweights.

CUPRA Ateca: natural enemies

Within the Volkswagen Group itself we find a tough rival for the protagonist we are looking at today, the CUPRA Ateca. This variant derived from the SEAT Ateca shares many elements with the Tiguan R, which makes choosing between the two even harder.

Mechanically we find the same engine: a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that, in the Spanish car’s case, produces 300 CV. At this point the Tiguan takes a slight lead with 20 CV more, although we still do not know whether that will be reason enough to justify the price difference between these two models.

X3 M40i: a rival with a touch of spice

If there is one thing BMW is known for, it is building sporty and radical vehicles, traits that can also be attributed to its range of performance SUVs. Within this group we find the X3 M40i, a variant that serves as a prelude to the exuberant X3 M and that inevitably becomes a direct rival of the newly arrived Volkswagen Tiguan R.

To take on the new offering from the Wolfsburg company, BMW has turned to a six-cylinder inline engine capable of producing 360 CV, a figure that slightly exceeds that of the Tiguan. With this in mind, we have two models very evenly matched in terms of performance, but will they be close on price?

Mercedes-AMG GLC 43: an eye for an eye…

Mercedes-AMG was not going to miss the chance to develop a select group of sporty SUVs, and the GLC in its 43 variant is a clear example. Behind that badge we find a vehicle somewhat more modest in performance than its V8-powered siblings, but radical enough to make things difficult for the Tiguan R.

A turbocharged V6 is the engine chosen to bring this GLC 43 to life, a model that manages to produce a not-at-all-trivial 390 CV. In this way we get a vehicle that is probably more expensive than the Tiguan in exchange for better performance, but it will not be possible to determine a winner until we see both of them on the asphalt.

Volkswagen T-Roc R: a rival within the family?

Although they are two models of different sizes, we must not forget the presence of the T-Roc R within the Volkswagen family. This compact SUV arrived as the first high-performance offering in its segment, and it may well, without meaning to, become a rival to its bigger brother.

Both use the same engine, a 2.0-litre TFSI that, in the T-Roc’s case, produces 300 CV. But, considering the lighter weight of the T-Roc, we could be talking not only about a model cheaper than the Tiguan, but practically just as fast, given that the difference between the two is only 20 CV.

CUPRA Formentor: watch out for the newcomers

From a more crossover-oriented standpoint, CUPRA once again appears with a vehicle capable of tickling the Tiguan R’s ribs. We are referring to the new Formentor, a model that takes everything good about the new CUPRA León and applies it to a new formula that intrudes into both the hot hatchback segment and the sporty SUV segment.

Thanks to a PHEV variant, the CUPRA Formentor will also attack the Tiguan from two different flanks, but the R variant of the Formentor will go head to head with the Tiguan’s top-of-the-range model. This is a variant that, without any hybridisation whatsoever, delivers 310 CV thanks to a 2.0 TSI engine that also lurks under the bonnet of the German car.