The Tiguan R-Line: VW's newest launch

With the launch of the sporty Tiguan R-Line, Volkswagen India enters the small but growing premium SUV space

Published: Apr 15, 2025 04:11:34 PM IST

Ashish Gupta, brand director, Volkswagen India. Image: Courtesy VW India

In a bid to cater to the hi-end SUV buyer, Volkswagen has put its best foot forward with the launch of a sportier version of the Tiguan. Christened Tiguan R-Line, the car is aimed at a performance-oriented buyer who cares more about speed and power and less about the sticker price.

Priced at Rs 48.99 lakh, VW clearly has a niche positioning in mind for the car. “With the launch of the all-new Tiguan R-line today, we are entering an exciting phase for Volkswagen in India, a phase that embodies the future of premium mobility from Volkswagen,” said Ashish Gupta, brand director Volkswagen India.

The positioning of the Tiguan R-Line further buttresses the fact that VW has gradually moved to serving a smaller section of the Indian market, but making sure it caters to SUV buyers, the only part of the Indian car market that has grown in the last five years. Gone are the days when VW aimed to cater to the mass market with models like the Vento and Jetta or even the higher end Passat.

The company has over the years restricted its presence in India to the Tiguan, Taigun (both SUVs) and Virtus (a sedan). Monthly sales are between 3,000 and 4,000 units, with the German automaker selling 3,537 cars in March 2025. Group company Skoda Auto takes care of the mass market, with the Kylaq, Kushaq and Slavic while Audi is positioned at the premium end.

Also read: Why the luxury car market is zipping in India

While it remains to be seen how many units the Tiguan R sells, the car comes packed with features: A 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine, 204 bhp and 320 Nm of peak torque is likely to make it among the most powerful in its segment. Add to this a long list of ADAS features—adaptive cruise control, front assist, park assist, driver drowsiness monitor to name a few—that are now becoming standard the world over for cars in this price range.

For now, VW plans on importing the car as a completely built unit (CBU) and will ship it to buyers starting April 23 with no stated plans to launch a diesel version of the SUV.