Our spy photographers have captured images of a Tiguan R prototype in the snowy wilds of Sweden. Here’s what you need to know…

SUVs with credible performance are becoming increasingly popular. The standard Tiguan has been selling strongly in South Africa and there may very well be a case to be made for a performance-orientated Tiguan R.

These latest spy images show a Tiguan R prototype testing with very little camouflage which is an indication that a production model is not too far off. The Tiguan R prototype reportedly previews the facelifted Tiguan which is also expected soon. As you would expect, the Tiguan R will feature a sportier bumper with larger air intakes and a quad exhaust system will set this derivative apart from the rest of the range.

It was previously thought that the Tiguan R will use the same turbocharged 2.5-litre, 5-cylinder engine from the Audi RS3 but there'sa strong chance that the Tiguan R will employ the same engine that powers the current Golf R which is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 228 kW and 400 Nm and mated with a DSG transmission in conjunction with 4Motion all-wheel drive. Acceleration from zero to 100 kph is expected to come in under 6 seconds…

While we wait for the official details for the facelifted Tiguan to be revealed, the Tiguan R will be on its heels. We will keep you updated as soon as we learn more…

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