The rumor mill is churning in the Volkswagen world today. It’s no secret that the Tiguan is a hot-selling SUV for the German automaker. It’s also no secret that VW is keen to offer a broader range of performance machines. And lastly, it’s no secret that an amped-up Tiguan R is coming soon, possibly bringing upwards of 330 bhp (246 kilowatts) to the table. 

Enter the rumour for a Tiguan GTI, as reported by CarBuzz. The news comes from a conversation with Hein Schafer, whose official title is senior vice president for product marketing and strategy for the company’s USA division. In short, he reportedly said the company was always looking to find new options for engine efficiency and more horsepower. As such, more Tiguan variants are expected.

Is this a smoking gun for a Tiguan GTI? Not hardly, but that’s why this is a rumour. What’s interesting here, however, is that Schafer didn’t appear to shut the door on such an idea. Furthermore, the Tiguan R prototypes we’ve literally seen for years clearly indicate that VW sees value in upping its performance chops for SUV buyers.

If the rumour should be true, the next question is when might the Tiguan GTI arrive? VW recently confirmed a mid-cycle Tiguan refresh is coming for the 2021 model year, which should debut this summer. Plugging in a GTI model for 2022 could keep the Tiguan on the minds of buyers.

That is, provided the rumour is true.

Gallery: Volkswagen Tiguan spy photos

Photo by: CarPix