Volkswagen is pre-emptively cutting the price of its upcoming mid-sized performance SUV.
The 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan R will start at $68,990 before on-road costs, down $1000 from the previously announced price.
Volkswagen has made the Harman Kardon sound system an option, priced – appropriately enough – at $1000.
It follows an identical move by Volkswagen Australia with the redesigned Golf R, with chip shortages forcing the company to move the sound system to the option list or risk blowing out waiting times for buyers.
The company says no such shortage has been flagged for the Tiguan R but it’s aware of the possibility.
“The majority of the more than 7000 expressions of interest and the 1000 paid deposits for our new R range have so far been for the Tiguan R,” said Michael Szaniecki, brand director for passenger vehicles.
“Harman Kardon Tiguan Rs are still being built, so too will be versions with the standard eight speaker audio system familiar from the rest of the Tiguan range.”
Like the Golf R hatch, the Tiguan R will launch locally in April but the company says the hotted-up mid-sized SUV “will not begin to be visible in showrooms until May or June along with Golf R wagons”.
The only other option, beyond the sound system, is a panoramic sunroof for $2000.
Also arriving soon is the updated Tiguan Allspace, which touches down in May.
Volkswagen says it’s “ensured the Allspace has extra specification to more than ameliorate the slight price premium over the five-seat Tiguan”.
While there are other three-row crossovers in this segment, the Tiguan R has essentially no direct competition.
Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 235kW of power and 420Nm of torque, sent to all four wheels through a 4Motion all-wheel drive system capable of shuffling power between not only the front and rear axles, but individual wheels on each axle.
A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is standard.
It’s the same engine and drivetrain offered in the Golf R, but doesn’t get a Drift Mode or special Nurburgring setup for its adaptive dampers in a nod to the fact this car will likely spend more time on the school run than a track attack.
It also represents a significant jump over the Tiguan 162TSI, already one of the more powerful SUVs in this segment, which produces 162kW and 350Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo petrol.
The Ford Escape and Mazda CX-5 both offer powerful turbocharged four-cylinder engines but have a less overtly sporting bent and lower outputs than the Tiguan R.
It won’t be the only R-branded SUV in the Volkswagen stable, with the T-Roc R due mid-2022 and the Touareg R following later in the year.
Standard equipment in the Tiguan R includes:
- 21-inch ‘Estoril’ alloy wheels
- Adaptive Chassis Control
- Performance brakes with blue brake callipers
- 9.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- Satellite navigation
- DAB digital radio
- 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro digital instrument cluster
- IQ.Light matrix LED headlights
- Head-up display
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- Keyless entry and start
- Power tailgate
- Tri-zone climate control
- 30-colour ambient lighting
- Nappa leather upholstery
- Power front seats with memory
- Semi-autonomous parking assist
- Travel Assist
- Tyre-pressure monitoring
Pricing
- 2022 Volkswagen Tiguan R: $68,990
Price excludes on-road costs.
Options:
- Harman Kardon sound system: $1000
- Panoramic sunroof: $2000
