Volkswagen Malaysia was on a roll earlier this year with the simultaneous introduction of several new models, including both variants of the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace - 1.4 TSI Highline and 2.0 TSI R-Line.

With a price difference of around RM 44k, what do you get over another and is it worth paying more for the 2.0 TSI R-Line? Let’s find out.

Is the Tiguan Allspace 1.4 TSI underpowered with 7 onboard?

Let’s get the numbers out of the way first, the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 1.4 TSI Highline is powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that makes 150 PS and 250 Nm of torque. 0-100 km/h takes 10.1 seconds as tested.

Powering the Tiguan R-Line is a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that makes 220 PS and 350 Nm of torque. 0-100 km/h takes 7.4 seconds as tested.

Back to the question, no. The Tiguan Allspace 1.4 TSI Highline actually feels lighter on its feet than the 2.0 TSI R-Line. The healthy serving of torque makes getting up to speed an ease. 

With 7 individuals onboard, the aforementioned torque is still sufficient to maintain respectable progress. It only struggles when you get to triple-digit speeds and you plan to overtake, then the smaller capacity engine characteristic becomes evident.

Which brings us onto the Tiguan R-Line. The larger 2.0-litre turbocharged engine pulls considerably stronger throughout the rev range and with the 4Motion AWD system, it puts power down even more effectively than the Tiguan Highline.

Also, the Tiguan R-Line gets a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission while the Tiguan Highline gets a 6-speeder. The additional ratio makes the Tiguan R-Line even more suited to highway driving and long-distance journeys.

What are the differences apart from the powertrain?

There’s the R-Line exterior styling for starters. The Tiguan R-Line gets sportier front and rear bumper design with larger 19-inch wheels wrapped with wider 255/45 section tyres.

Inside, there’s black headliner, R-Line sport seats, R-Line steering wheel, aluminium pedals, and a larger 9.2-inch Discover Pro infotainment system. Also, there’s adaptive dampers (DCC) with Driving Mode Selection, operated via a rotary dial below the gear selector.

Speaking of the DCC, the adaptive dampers does make a noticeable difference in ride comfort. Even with larger 19-inch wheels, the Tiguan R-Line rides with better composure in comfort mode compared to the Tiguan Highline.

What about fuel consumption?

In 50/50 highway and city driving, the Tiguan Allspace 1.4 TSI Highline returned 10.3-litre/100 km whereas the Tiguan Allspace 2.0 TSI R-Line averaged 11.1-litre/100 km.

Conclusion

The Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace 1.4 TSI Highline is sufficiently powerful for your daily runabouts. Filling up all 7 seats will undoubtedly hamper performance, but it would be stretch to call it underpowered.

The Tiguan Allspace 2.0 TSI R-Line is significantly quicker and has a slightly better ride quality. Although fuel economy does take a hit. If you travel frequently on highways or do regular long-distance journeys, then it’s worth paying more for the Tiguan R-Line.