Introduction

At its best, Volkswagen builds luxury vehicles without the premium pricing. Think of the original Touareg, the Passat of the late 1990s and early 2000s, and just about every Golf over the last 20 to 30 years.

Similarly, the recently redesigned Volkswagen Tiguan embraces a higher-end, pseudo-luxury vibe that was missing from its immediate predecessor. However, we had one sticking point with the brand’s latest iteration of its compact crossover SUV: the standard 201-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Simply put, the base engine lacked the responsiveness to maintain the Tiguan’s upscale-adjacent illusion.

However, Volkswagen piqued our interest when it announced plans to add a more powerful variant of its venerable EA888 2.0-liter turbo four to the Tiguan for 2026. Yet it wasn’t until we got to drive a Tiguan fitted with this 268-hp unit that the automaker had our full attention.

VW’s high-volume model finally packed the power to match its prestige. So, when we decided to add a third-generation Tiguan to our long-term fleet, we swiftly set our sights on grabbing one with the more potent powerplant.

For now, Volkswagen restricts this unit to the all-wheel-drive Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo. The top-line trim stickers for $44,560 and counts the high-output four among its lengthy list of standard features, which also comprises trim-specific items such as a 15.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with in-dash navigation (lesser Tiguans rely on a 12.9-inch unit sans navigation), a surround-view camera system, and heated, cooled, and massaging power-adjustable front seats. Not even the 2026 Audi Q5, which starts at $54,195, offers rub-down-ready seats. (The brand limits this luxury to the six-cylinder 2026 SQ5 in near-loaded $72,695 Prestige guise.)

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Taken together with its open-pore wood trim, plush leather appointments, tri-zone automatic climate control that supplants the dual-zone setup of other Tiguans, and spacious rear passenger compartment, our feature-laden Turbo’s Amber Brown interior projects an upscale ambiance and aesthetic that matches, or betters, those of several similarly sized luxury crossover SUVs, the Q5 included. The exterior fails to channel that same spirit, though, with its anonymous, blob-like form resembling the expected output of a large-language model prompted to “render a generic crossover SUV.”

While its design is about as forgettable as the plot of a Hallmark movie, the Avocado Green and contrasting black roof color scheme of our Turbo at least dollops on a dose of indelible elegance. That added $850 to the bottom line, and accessories such as an automatic-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink, rubber floor mats, a rear bumper protector, and a roadside-assistance kit contributed another $860, bringing the as-tested price to $46,270.

Our Turbo demonstrated its worth at the test track. There, it accelerated to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds and crossed the quarter-mile in 15.0. These times topped those of a low-output Tiguan we tested by 1.9 and 1.3 seconds, respectively.

With 258 pound-feet of torque—37 more than lesser all-wheel-drive Tiguans—available at a low 1900 rpm, our Volkswagen offered plenty of pull on the move too. Aided by its smooth and responsive eight-speed automatic transmission, our 4023-pound Tig ran from 30 to 50 mph in 3.3 seconds and 50 to 70 mph in 4.5.

In contrast, a Q5 we tested needed an additional 0.6 and 0.3 second to hit those same marks. This in spite of the fact that the equally powerful Audi churns out an even greater 295 pound-feet of torque while also employing a quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox.

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Though our Tiguan may be sufficiently swift, it is far from the Tiguan equivalent of a Golf GTI. Equipped with 20-inch Pirelli Scorpion Zero all-season tires, our green machine pulled an unremarkable 0.78 g on the skidpad. It needed a competitive, but unexceptional, 176 feet to stop from 70 mph.

We may opt to invest in stickier rubber in the coming miles, though we worry what impact that may have on the Tiguan’s already-firm ride and its fuel economy. The latter currently stands at 25 mpg over our first 4946 miles of testing.

In these early days, the Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo has impressed us with its approachable powertrain, upmarket attributes, and relative value. Does the new Tiguan mark a return to form for the brand? Or is Volkswagen putting Dior lipstick on a pig? We have 40,000 miles with our Tiguan Turbo to find out.

Months in Fleet: 2 months Current Mileage: 4946 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 25 mpg Fuel Tank Size: 15.6 gal
Observed Fuel Range: 390 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0