Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line. New arrival. Management Fleet

crankandpiston.com welcomes the latest member of its long term fleet, a Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line

And the Tiguan makes four.

We’re no strangers to long-term Volkswagen test drives at crankandpiston, and our brand new mid-sized SUV continues a train that began way back with the new mk7 Golf. A train that’s also included a new generation Golf GTI and the mid-sized Passat saloon. Whilst this could easily be misread as favouritism, there are several reasons why we like VW long termers, ably demonstrated by the Tiguan itself.

Practicality, for one. Like the now departed Passat, our new mid-sized SUV may seem an unusual choice in the supercar, performance-focused world of crankandpiston, but with a boot offering up to 1510 litres of space, massive amounts of head and legroom, an updated and easy-to-use infotainment system, Vienna leather sports seats (as part of our test model’s R-Line trim level) and a panoramic sunroof, the Tiguan makes the prospect of hauling digital equipment, crew and the accompanying Red Bull cans that much easier.

That’s not to say though that our new Tiguan doesn’t some of the grunt proffered by the GTI. Powered as it is by a 2-litre TSI four cylinder unit that kicks out 200bhp, our new family hauler will hit 0-100kph in a shade over eight seconds. Having already been under our wing for a few weeks now, we’ve also had the chance to put the MacPherson strut suspension and six-speed Tiptronic gearbox to the test with some impromptu hooning. But we’ll dive deeper into that next month.

Which brings us to the most pressing point on our Candy White R-Line test model: looks. Like our former Golf, the Tiguan’s aesthetics are bold yet subtle, those familiar VW carved headlights and prominent front grille finding the balance nicely between elegant and menacing. With a few R-Line badges on the headrests and rear bumpers come ‘Mallory’-design 19-inch alloys and silver aluminium detailing about the bumpers, roofrails, and down the flanks. It’s another tick in the box.

The Tiguan then may well be the fourth long-term Volkswagen to have rolled through our doors in the past year. But bearing all that in mind, can you really blame us?

– FULL GALLERY OF SHOTS AVAILABLE HERE – CLICK –