This isn’t the first time we catch VW testing the range-topping Tiguan R but apparently this prototype isn’t one of VW’s test cars.

Back in August we showed you a video with the very same car doing some laps at the Nurburgring and allowing its fat oval tailpipes betray its secret, one that has a soundtrack only a five-cylinder engine can produce.

When you combine the Ingolstadt plates with the five-pot soundtrack, it’s easy to see why we think that this Tiguan is nothing more than a test mule for the next Audi RS Q3.

The rather lovely 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine is expected to retain its 400hp power output, once it lands under the bonnet of the Audi RS Q3. Judging by the effect it had in the RS3 and TT RS, the next RS Q3 is expected to offer supercar-like straight-line performance in a family-friendly SUV package and that’s always good news in our books.

As for the VW Tiguan R, recent reports suggest that the project is still ongoing but we’ll have to wait a few more months to see if it’ll also have Audi’s five-cylinder engine or opt for the Golf R’s 2.0-liter turbo unit.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops

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