Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line at autoX Awards: Best Cars of 2025 Ranked

Volkswagen’s flagship SUV in India, the Tiguan, received a generational update this year. The new-gen Tiguan comes with extensive upgrades both inside and out. Interestingly, Volkswagen chose to introduce it in vibrant colours and the sporty R-Line trim. The Tiguan has been one of VW’s most successful SUVs globally, with its last-generation model achieving reasonable sales numbers in India.

The core changes stem from a completely new design language, a focus on improving interior quality and feel, and an upgraded feature set. While the previous Tiguan featured sharp shoulders, a square stance, and defined lines, the new model marks a radical departure. The exterior now boasts softer, more fluid surfaces, along with redesigned front and rear ends. The lighting, which has always been a highlight of the Tiguan, has been further enhanced in this version.

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The most significant transformation, however, is inside. The solid but industrial look of the old model is gone, replaced with a flowing dash featuring integrated lighting elements, a massive touchscreen, a customisable rotary stalk in the center console, and a new gearshift now relocated to the steering column. The only minor drawback is that the interior comes exclusively in black and grey – a combination I personally like, but one that may not appeal to all Indian buyers.

With my experience driving the previous Tiguan, I expected strong performance in terms of handling and power delivery, especially with the all-wheel-drive system, and the new model delivered. The stiff suspension, precise steering, and agile handling allowed it to clock an impressive lap time of 1:10.5 on the track, placing it 11th – just a few tenths of a second shy of making it to the top ten list. It certainly doesn’t lack performance.

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Where the Tiguan lost points was in design – the new design is polarising, and many jurors found it difficult to connect with. Additionally, despite being well-equipped, it lacks certain key features such as electric seat adjustment, keyless entry, and ventilated seats. Ultimately, the main factor affecting its overall score was its high price. Imported as a CBU, the Tiguan faces higher taxes, making it more expensive than its competitors, which impacted its overall tally despite being a fun-to-drive SUV.