Car Reviews
Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo – BENTLEY BOY
Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo
BENTLEY BOY
Okay, despite the headline – call it ‘literary license’ – VW’s new-for-’25 Tiguan, even in its SEL R-Line Turbo trim, ain’t a Bentley; it’s not even a Baby Bentley. But one glance at the SEL R-Line Turbo’s interior trim – with Varenna perforated leather, contrasting tones and genuine wood trim – and you’ll be thinking one member of the Tiguan interior team spent time in Bentley’s design studio – perhaps as an intern. Making tea. The interior treatment is exquisite, and hits well above the SEL R-Line Turbo’s $45K window sticker.
The balance of the Tiguan package is well south of the Bentley showroom, but then, neither are we on a Buick showroom. Receiving a substantial redesign for the 2025 model year, the Tiguan’s sheetmetal becomes a tad more generic, while its structure was lightened and the just-for-kids 3rd-row seating was eliminated. As a grandparent I saw the availability of a 3rd row as a win, but I’m not the keeper of sales statistics. What you end up with behind the 2nd row is a generous 34 cubic feet of stowage. And if the 2nd row is folded you then have 70 cubic feet for whatever you want to bring. And all of that is within an even two tons of curb weight.
Under the hood of lesser trims is a 2.0 liter turbocharged four delivering 201 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque. Up the ante to the 2026 SEL R-Line on my driveway and you’ll enjoy (ENJOY!) 268 horsepower from that same 2.0 liters, along with 258 lb-ft of torque. Propelling all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic, 60 arrives in well under 7 seconds; that’s versus 8.5 in the lower trims, both numbers courtesy of Car and Driver. But the bigger story is the ease in which this small SUV (as rated by the EPA) gets up to speed. When describing EVs I invariably use ‘sublime’ and/or ‘serene’. VW’s Tiguan SEL R-Line is both – again, should be ALL CAPS!
If there’s a hiccup in this salutation, it’s the efficiency – or lack thereof. With many hybrids in the segment delivering 40+ miles per gallon, the SEL R-Line offers a 22 City/28 Highway/25 Combined EPA estimate. In my combo of local errand running and an occasional 80+ miles per hour blast up the freeway, I saw 24.6. That – of course – isn’t bad, but it’s not 40. VW is late to the hybrid party, and while the people don’t absolutely need a plug-in, I’d think there would be handraisers for something closer to 40 than 20!
Beyond the Bentley-esque interior and BMW-like performance are road manners steeped in that uniquely Euro combo of comfort and control. On my weekly visit to Cars and Coffee in Great Falls, VA, the route from Highway 7 starts with Colvin Run Road, which turns into Walker Road – for reference, Mookie’s BBQ is at that corner. Colvin Run is but a couple of sweeping corners, but Walker Road is genuinely fun, if not behind a delivery van. My preferred ride is my personal Miata, but the Tiguan (and its power) were genuinely engaging, amazingly secure. Toyota’s RAV4 or Honda’s CR-V could navigate this same stretch of roadway at approximately the same speed, but you’d be frowning…not grinning.
The balance of the Tiguan offers a solid build, lustrous paint (VW labels the exterior paint Avacado Green, perfectly complemented by its Amber Brown leather interior), and genuine utility. I continue to find Volkswagen’s infotainment screen baffling, but the baffle probably diminishes if you buy it. And in profile the SEL R-Line’s wheel/tire combo looks undersized.
With base Tiguan trims beginning at just over $30K, there’s a real price bump if wanting to enjoy all the SEL R-Line offers. And as I’ve written previously, jump the $40K price point and you suddenly have a lot of choices. But if you want a dose of surprise-and-delight on your daily commute or while doing a weekend tour, consider the upmarket Tiguan. And – just for grins – attach a Bentley key fob when leaving it with the valet.
