GTI badged Volkswagen Tiguan happening after all?

With a fully-fledged R model set to arrive soon as the new flagship version of the facelift Volkswagen Tiguan range, a new report from the United States has alleged that an interim model between it and the top-spec ‘conventional’ TSI could potentially come to market as the Tiguan GTI.

Although nothing has yet been set in stone, Volkswagen America’s Senior Vice-President for Product Marketing and Strategy, Hein Schafer, in an interview with carbuzz.com, said the prospect of a fast but efficient model within the Tiguan range becoming a reality could very well happen.

“I think we’re always looking at finding ways and means of finding more fuel-efficient engine options and, yes, with more horsepower. So I think the answer is ‘yes’,“ South African born Schafer told the online publication.

If proven to be true, it will contradict comments made by Volkswagen boss Herbert Diess, who told Britain’s Autocar three years ago that no plans are in place for a performance SUV, and that the hallowed moniker would never be expanded beyond the up!, Polo and Golf.

“I think with the three, we have now, we are set. GTI for us is ‘the’ hot hatch: a sporty car, classless, with potential for everyday use and accessible for many. It should be this car – a hot hatch,“ Diess said.

With the Tiguan R allegedly not being earmarked for North America, chances are that the GTI, like the Atlas, could become a market specific model, although it could also adopt the GLI designation currently used on a performance version of the Jetta. Leading up to the updated Tiguan‘s reveal later this year, expect more details to be revealed within the coming the months.

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