Following the launch of the new-generation Volkswagen Tiguan this October, Volkswagen Middle East has introduced R-Line packages for their compact SUV, catering to customers who appreciate a racier look.
Volkswagen has done well with the Tiguan -– sales of more than 2.8 million examples globally since its 2007 launch is reflective of that –- but there’s no denying it was getting long in the tooth against a horde of fresher rivals. Consider this: there are now three times as many contenders in the compact crossover segment as there were when the first Tiguan debuted. It was clearly time for a change, and the second-gen Tiguan, which goes on sale in our market from September onwards, represents exactly that. It genuinely is an ‘all-new’ vehicle, using as its basis the hugely-flexible MQB architecture that underpins everything from the latest VW Golf to the third-gen Audi TT.
Volkswagen have revealed the all-new 2016 Tiguan, which made its official debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.
A comparo is the best way for an automotive publication to lose advertisers. That’s why you never see a clear winner in so-called comparos by local magazines, with lots of pretty photos to sell copies, no figures to back up any conclusions and three-way ties to make everybody happy. We’ve rarely picked a winner in our previous comparos either, but that’s because most of them were not proper straight-up comparos. We decided to do a serious comparison test this time though, if only to answer certain recurring questions once and for all. And the category we decided to tackle is the hotly-contested compact crossover segment.
We held off on testing the latest Volkswagen Tiguan because nothing much had changed in the big refresh of 2012. Aside from a new face and tail lamps, there’s absolutely no difference from the older model. However, while the old tester we drove was an “R-Line” model, this new one is a slightly different version.
Volkswagen Middle East showed off three new models at the 2011 Dubai Motor Show, destined for showrooms in the UAE and other GCC countries. The first one is the facelifted 2012 VW Tiguan, which has already been on sale for the past month. The second is the VW Scirocco R joining the VW Golf R, finally making its local debut after two years since its European intro. And the third is the VW Amarok, the Argentinian-built pickup that seemingly targets both the poseur-class and the working-class crowds.
As part of our fresh look at VW’s line-up, we’ve picked up a 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TSI Sport&Style R-Line 4MOTION DSG. A facelift of this model has already been revealed, but it won’t differ much from this tester, aside from a new face. The ridiculously-long name also hints at several specifications, although all of it is not marked out with badges on the body.
Volkswagen as released new images of the upcoming facelifted 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan. The model hasn’t received any new exterior changes since its debut way back in 2007, and this redesign can be treated as a mid-cycle refresh.
Volkswagen has just released a more aggressive-looking Tiguan model in Europe called the Volkswagen Tiguan R Line. It does not get any engine upgrades but it does add some flavour to the dull design.