HELL, MICH. — The best cars of the 1980s had “TURBO” sprawled across the back. Whether it was a Lotus Esprit or a Dodge Shadow; a Porsche 911 or a Renault 5, if you saw “turbo” on the back, you knew you were in for a good time. VW is taking a similar, albeit slightly more subtle approach with the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan Turbo.
At this point, you’re probably thinking, “am I crazy, or did the new Tiguan just come out?” You’re not crazy — it feels like just yesterday, but the third-generation Tiguan went on sale this past spring, and we hopped behind the wheel not long after. It’s an impressive effort in a cutthroat segment, combining the Volkswagen hallmarks with the usual headline-grabbing fluff; more screen, more tech, more refinement, more practicality, and so on. But VW is wasting no time tinkering with the already winning formula, starting by adding a bunch more power for 2026. Enter the Tiguan Turbo.
And now you’re probably thinking, “am I crazy, or was the Tiguan always turbo?” You’re still not crazy — it’s always been boosted in some way, shape, or form. This latest Tiggy is powered by the latest “Evo5” version of Volkswagen’s long-running “EA888” 2.0-litre turbo-four. It puts out 201 horsepower and 227 pound-feet of torque in stock form, which is already a solid improvement over the old one.
Well, VW found some extra horsepower and torque in some couch cushions, and tossed them towards this new-for-2026 model. Compared to the “base” version rocking the same engine, the Turbo appropriately has a bigger turbo, stronger connecting rods and pistons that are also oil-cooled, a different crankshaft, and the usual software tweaks. The end result is a healthy 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic and Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive.
It’s interesting to see Volkswagen take a gas-first approach with the Tiguan lineup. You’d think, given the success of the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 hybrids, not to mention the Mazda CX-50 and Subaru Forester finally getting in on the game, the Tiguan would follow suit with some sort of hybridization. But VW says buyers simply wanted more power, so they’re simply giving people what they wanted. It’s that simple. What a novel concept.
It’s also rare that something in this segment chased sportiness and did a decent job at it. The Mazda CX-5 Turbo and this Tiggy are probably the only other two you could remotely consider fun-to-drive. The extra power here is the cherry on top of an already delicious sundae; the third-generation Tiguan is lighter than the one that came before, and it feels surprisingly nimble and playful on the Michigan backroads going through Hell. Although the steering is completely numb, it’s responsive and builds weight nicely through a corner. The Tiguan Turbo even gets upgraded, ventilated brakes on the rear axle.
Settle down and the Tiguan Turbo is a pleasant companion. Ride quality is excellent, even on our tester’s optional 20-inch wheels. Wind and road noise are well-hushed, too. Even fuel economy promises to be half-decent, at least on paper — Volkswagen says the Tiguan Turbo will do as low as 9.5 L/100 kilometers combined, and it happily drinks regular.
The Tiguan Turbo keeps all the updates we saw with this third-gen Tiguan. That is to say, it’s very nice. The layout is vaguely Porsche-ish, with the way the wood trim runs up the sides of the dash. Fit-and-finish feels excellent, and Volkswagen offers some classy two-tone interior colour combinations. Tech is handled by a 12.9- or 15-inch touchscreen jutting out the dash, plus a 10.25-inch digital gauge cluster.
There’s still a bit of a learning curve to it, but once you take the time to learn it and set up your shortcuts, it’ll become second nature. Volkswagen walked back their heavy-handed approach to haptic feedback controls; the steering wheel has real buttons now (along with paddle shifters, an exclusive add-on for the Turbo) and the multi-function knob on the centre console defaulting to volume is a boon for usability.
Look, if Porsche can slap a “turbo” badge onto a Taycan, VW can do it with the 2026 Volkswagen Tiguan Turbo. It takes everything we dig about the regular Tiguan, and adds more power into the mix while still letting you fill the tank with regular. The Tiguan Turbo is in dealers now, but priced at $48,995 to start.
