Volkswagen Tiguan: The premium SUV segment bled profusely yesterday as Volkswagen India launched the extremely stylish Tiguan R-Line; with the gush of German engineering and European design flair provided as standard, at a price which has shaken rivals to reconsider their stance.
In a heavily scripted launch event in Mumbai, company officials emphasized the expression “dhansu” (which translates to ‘impressive’ in English) several times to describe the car’s looks – a colloquialism that neatly sums up the Tiguan R-Line’s bold persona and value.
Volkswagen Tiguan Design Although: Euro Chic with Sporty Chic Strokes
But we all got a sense for that now that the covers have come off, because it is very clear that the Tiguan R‐Line is a significant departure from the look of the standard car.
Its front fascia is chiseled with a new bumper that holds large air intakes surrounded by gloss black trim, a honeycomb patterned grille with unique R-Line badging, and a pair of matrix LED headlamps which when lit illuminates light bars that link to the VW badge – a light design signature that guarantees recognition even in the dark.
From the side the R-Line is characterized by sporty side skirts, gloss black window surrounds (as opposed to the typical chrome) and 19-inch “Valencia” alloy wheels, newly designed and machined in two-tone finish, with black painted inlays.
alto the wheel design fills the arches better and the standard sports suspension drops the car by 10mm making the stance lower and more planted without sacrificing ground clearance which is needed for our road conditions.
The R-Line specific details of the rear design include a strikingly shaped roof spoiler, a newly designed rear bumper with integrated diffuser and the darkened LED tail lights, which round off the rear of the vehicle. The chromed and performance-inspired twin exhaust outlets emphasize the car’s dynamic stance.
Available in five colour options, including the eye-catching Nightshade Blue and Kings Red Metallic, the Tiguan R-Line also looks stunning in the tailer-made, Oryx White Pearl, a high-quality, three-layer pearlescent finish with subtle colour shift in the varying lighting conditions, which emphasises the vehicle’s sculptured body lines.
Cabin Atmosphere Premium Materials With A Sporting Atmosphere
The R-Line treatment carries on inside, too, with a cabin that combines premium appointments with sporting pretensions. The dash also keeps with VW’s penchant for a broad, horizontal theme and architecturally precise detail, here accented by brushed aluminum trim bits with discreet R-Line badges and contrasting stitching on commonly touched surfaces.
Standout details are the sports seats in the front that come with integrated headrests, large side bolster, and “Carbon Flag” microfiber inserts for better grip during corner carving and an attractive appearance.
The perforated leather portions feature complementary red-stitched pieces which also match on door panels, steering wheel and gearshifter – leading to complete visual continuity inside the car.
The flat-bottomed multifunction steering wheel covered in perforated leather and featuring bold R-Line badging exudes sporty attributes and sits comfortably in the hand.
Back behind the wheel, the Digital Cockpit Pro provides configurable 10.25-inch instrumentation with R-Line specific graphics and its a display view where performance data can be the center of attention.
And it’s not all show without any go either – the rear seating has made provision for the rear passengers with plenty of legroom, reclining backrests, and its own set of climate control vents.
Light is abundant in the cabin thanks to the panoramic sunroof – pairing with the black interior for an ambient contrast between light and darkness.
Powertrain -Performance Meets Efficiency-
Power for the Tiguan R-Line is provided by Volkswagen’s highly efficient 2.0-liter TSI turbocharged petrol engine, tuned to produce 190hp and 320 Nm of torque – an additional 15hp over the standard model – thanks to an upgrade in engine mapping and the modifications made to the cooling units.
This powerful engine is mated to a 7-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission with Tiptronic and Sport modes and paddle shifters on the steering wheel for drivers who prefer to shift gears manually.
It reaches an impressive level of performance with a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.7sec and thanks to the standard 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system, it can be applied no matter the road.
Equally impressive are the driving dynamics and the standard sport suspension, with stiffer dampening and recalibrated springs that limit body roll through corners OK without ruining the ride quality – something you’d not want for our roads.
Its progressive steering is far more direct and offers a good level of assistance for all driving situations, without being too aggressive.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about these performance improvements is that they don’t come at the expense of efficiency, with the Tiguan R-Line supposedly able to do 13.5 km/l on the combined cycle – not bad numbers for a car of these dynamic and segment placement.
Integration of technology: It’s all (connected) technology is (intuitively) integrated.
Volkswagen includes a healthy selection of technology in the Tiguan R-Line that makes life easier and more capable. The highlight is the 10-inch Discover Pro navigation with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, gesture control and natural voice recognition in which commands can be spoken conversationally.
Experience rich, concert-like sound5Fill your vehicle with the power of modern technology thanks to the Harman Kardon premium sound system, which delivers 12 speakers placed perfectly, while a 480-watt amplifier gets the most sounds out of the music, audiobook or podcast you love to play – all while using acoustics to enhance the experience for all passengers.
The three-zone automatic climate control can set the driver, front passenger, and rear passengers at different temperatures, so everyone travels in comfort.
Safety tech is a high point, with seven airbags, ESC, HDC, and driver fatigue detection all fitted as standard. The IQ. The DRIVE assistance package brings together adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring and autonomous emergency braking – systems that help reduce driver fatigue on long trips while improving safety in many real-world situations.
Market Positioning & The Unexpected Price Point
What’s most surprising with the Tiguan R-Line, though, is the cost – its a lot more practical and better to look at, and given how much work the designers and engineers have done, it shouldn’t cost what it does! When priced at ₹35.99 lakh (ex-showroom), the R-Line attracts a reasonable ₹3 lakh premium over the standard Tiguan Elegance despite a slew of enhancements and a far more exclusive status.
This competitive pricing is an indication that Volkswagen is hell-bent on catapulting the Tiguan into mainstream territory against more seasoned rivals, such as the Jeep Compass, the Hyundai Tucson and even the Citroen C5 Aircross.
The move seems to be carefully planned to focus its European engineering as being accessible rather than aspirational- this might slightly change the brand’s perception in the Indian marketplace.
“We have a car which offers pure European performance, design and quality and with the latest announcement on the price, we believe that we have secured it for our customers in India to make our aspirational carline a reality in India,” said Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, at the price announcement. “The introduction of the Tiguan is in -line with our commitment to bringing exciting, creative and distinctive products to India.”
Volkswagen Tiguan Initial Market Response
Initial feedback from dealers indicates this is already proving hugely popular with potential customers, including reports of record interest and pre-booking enquiries.
Despite more units being allocated for the Indian market, the waiting period for the SUV has already extended up to 2-3 months, signifying strong demand for the R-Line’s unique proposition of a sporty appeal, premium features and competitive pricing.
This enthusiasm seems to resonate particularly strongly with young professionals who desire the badge kudos of a European brand – without paying a traditional German brand premium (which the marque justifiably did in the past) – and while the Tiguan R-Line may not turn badge snobs into Volkswagen convert, it may open up new areas of opportunity for conquest sales beyond the core of European enthusiast and current Asian badge customers.
As the compact SUV segment grows at earth shattering speed, the new Tiguan R-Line’s attention grabbing combination of unique “dhansu” styling, great road manners and generous amounts of bang for a surprisingly attractive price has the potential to shake up competitive hierarchies in a market segment which, as more and more yuppie mob make it their lifestyle statement, becomes ever-more central to a manufacturer’s total strategy and profitability.