For some drivers, the modern mainstream performance vehicles don’t have the same spirit as their predecessors. Others, however, see today’s models as more powerful, faster, and more agile machines. Regardless of what your opinion is though, we all have to admit that shared platforms in the automotive industry opened the way for more vehicles to get performance versions.
One very good example is the Volkswagen Tiguan R, which shares its underpinnings and mechanicals with the Golf R. The two go-fast cars from Wolfsburg meet in a new drag race, which should help those of you looking for a sporty VW decide which body style better suits them.
Gallery: Volkswagen Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition
As mentioned above, both cars have the same 2.0-liter turbocharged TSI engine good for 315 horsepower (235 kilowatts) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque. Both the Golf R and Tiguan R channel the power to all four wheels via Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system and a DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The Golf has slightly bigger brakes and probably weighs a little less than the Tiguan, which gives it some advantage on the starting line. You don’t have to be a drag specialist to predict that the hatchback will most likely beat the SUV but in this video, the driver of the Tiguan gets a late start and gives the trophy to the Golf right from the very beginning.
Still, if you take a closer look at the results of the quarter-mile race, you’ll see the Golf is just 0.6 seconds faster. We don’t want to speculate, but if the Tiguan had a better start, the race would have been much closer. Nevertheless, we doubt the heavier Tiguan R has a chance of beating the Golf R but it is still a very decent performer on the drag strip.
