Remember that report from 2019 suggesting the Volkswagen Tiguan R would be released only in 2021? It seems the wait is too long for the folks at O.CT, with the Swiss tuner handing the 2,0-litre variant near-Golf R levels of power.

As standard, the Tiguan in 2,0-litre turbopetrol guise churns out 162 kW and 350 N.m of torque. But thanks to some tweaks made to its electronic control unit, the midsize SUV’s four-pot now sends 221 kW and 440 N.m to both axles via the Wolfsburg-based automaker’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive setup. That’s a mere 7 kW less than VW’s hottest hatchback (in SA-spec Golf 7 R form, anyway). However, the O.CT-tuned Tiguan boasts 40 N.m more than the R-badged Golf.

O.CT has yet to reveal the effect these upgrades have had on the Tiguan’s 0-100 km/h sprint time and top speed.

In addition, the company offers similar ECU modifications for 1,4-litre Tiguan variants. Uprated, the stock 110 kW/250 N.m model delivers 129 kW and 350 N.m to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Original article from Car