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Cars.com Finds the Tiguan SEL R-Line Powerful and Pleasant

2026 Volkswagen Tiguan Front View

The Tiguan compact crossover was completely redesigned for the 2025 model year. In addition to the new exterior, interior, and tech upgrades, a new top trim level was added. It includes the usual added features and upgraded materials, along with a significantly more powerful engine. Cars.com took the top-trim Tiguan for a spin, and Sisbarro Volkswagen summarizes what they found. 

2026 VW Tiguan Interior Dash Detail

Like other Tiguan models, the SEL R-Line has a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 under the hood. In this case, it is a very turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 producing 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. That is 67 more horsepower and 37 more lb-ft of torque than the rest of the Tiguan line. The engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, which sends power to all four wheels, as all SEL R-Line turbos have all-wheel drive.  

2026 VW Tiguan Interior Seat Detail

Volkswagen thinks of the Tiguan SEL R-Line as a logical next step for GTI owners who need more space. Cars.com is skeptical of that, but they do like the model. They may miss the GTI’s 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, as they felt the Tiguan’s gear changer lacked the snappy shifts found in the GTI. The power is definitely there, though. “ It moves the Tiguan smartly off the line, helps the SUV merge smoothly into traffic, and never feels like it’s hunting for the right gear to deliver the performance you want.” They just didn’t think the 8-speed downshifted quickly enough to give you the GTI feel, though using the Sport model did improve things.  

2026 VW Tiguan Steering Wheel Detail

It should be noted that, almost to a person, car reviewers love the GTI and thus have high expectations for anything considered the next step up. However, if the GTI owners or anyone else wants a nicer interior, the Tiguan SEL R-Line definitely delivers. They will find themselves surrounded by authentic walnut wood, quilted leather seats, and tri-zone climate control (rare for this class). There is a large 15-inch center touchscreen through which they can engage the 12-speaker, 700-watt Harman Kardon audio system. They will also find 30-color ambient lighting and the vehicle’s ability to park itself. Sure, this raises the cost by just under $6K over the SE R-Line, but in the words of Cars.com“…given everything that comes in the SEL R-Line Turbo, it isn’t much of an increase at all.” 

2026 Volkswagen Tiguan Door Detail

It helps that all this is on the redesigned Tiguan, which provides more space, a nicer dash layout, top-quality materials, and the return of physical buttons on the steering wheel instead of capacitive ones.  

2026 Volkswagen Tiguan Rear View

Overall, Cars.com states, “The new Tiguan is an outstanding choice if you’re shopping for a compact SUV. It has a fully competitive feature set and an improved multimedia system that Volkswagen has continually made better.” If the higher-powered model falls short of being a Tiguan GTI, that’s OK, as they didn’t call it that. But as they conclude, “As it sits, it’s more satisfying than lesser Tiguans for a reasonable price, and that’s pretty much what it needs to be.” 

Visit Sisbarro Volkswagen in Las Cruces to test drive the Tiguan SEL R-Line to get your own opinion of its fun factor.  

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​​The 2026 Volkswagen Taos Is Made for Drivers​

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2027 Volkswagen Atlas Front View

Volkswagen Debuts The All-New Atlas SUV

Since it first arrived on the scene for the 2018 model year, the Volkswagen Atlas has become a beloved three-row SUV for buyers who were looking for more than just another bland family vehicle. While 2021 saw significant updates for the sport utility, 2024 saw the Atlas become even better, with a new engine that offered more power and torque, along with more standard equipment and upgraded safety features. Introducing The All-New 2027 Volkswagen Atlas At this year’s New York International Auto Show, Volkswagen took the wraps off the all-new 2027 Atlas with the latest fifth-generation EA888 turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that delivers 13 more horsepower at 282 and 258 lb-ft of torque and gets paired with the current model’s fantastic and smart 8-speed automatic transmission. The legendary 4Motion all-wheel-drive system is available as an option across all trim levels, and Volkswagen says a hybrid model will arrive in a few years during a mid-cycle refresh. 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Driver's Wanted

Volkswagen Kicks off a New Chapter of its Drivers Wanted Campaign

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