EDITOR'S PICKS - Volkswagen's R-Line - Your Entry to High-End European Performance and Styling

Looking to change your current ride to a premium German marque? If you’ve been wanting to upgrade to a 'Conti' car to gain access to European levels of brand prestige, automotive tech, build quality and finish then you can consider Volkswagen’s (VW) range of R-Line variants.

R-Line models sit at the higher end of VW’s range of models and typically come with exclusive premium features and sports styling. VW has been offering R-Line editions for years as the response from VW fans for these specially upgraded models has always been positive and enthusiastic.

Beyond the prestige of the R-Line badging, these models typically come with bigger wheels, special body kits as well as better performance. With their affordable price-point, these R-Line models are a great entry point for drivers who want a car with the high-end features that are usually found in premium European cars.

NETT Price: $128,900

With the Golf Variant R-Line 1.4 TSI, you get the same 1.4-litre turbocharged engine as the Golf Highline that puts out 125ps of power and 200Nm of torque but with nearly double the amount of boot space. In the Golf hatch, boot space is at 380 litres while the R-Line version of the Golf Variant offers 605 litres of boot space. Fold the rear seats down, and boot space goes up to 1,620 litres!

You also get the sporty R-Line body kit that includes R-Line bumpers, special radiator grille, side sill extensions, a spoiler on the roof edge and a glossy black diffuser.

All this for only $11,000 more than the Golf Highline 1.4 TSI.

NETT Price: $198,900

The Tiguan R-Line 2.0 TSI Black Edition may cost $45,000 more than the Tiguan Highline 1.4 TSI version, but you’ll be getting the same smile-inducing power of the Golf GTI. Compared to the Tiguan Highline 1.4 TSI, this engine upgrade gets you 220 PS of power (versus 150 PS) and 350 Nm of torque (versus 250 Nm), so you’ll be getting a lot more ‘oomph’ with this R-Line 2.0 Tiguan. So much so that your 0-100km/h acceleration drops from 9.2 seconds down to 6.5 seconds.

And besides the beefed-up R-Line exterior styling, you’ll also be getting 19” wheels (as opposed to 18” in the Highline version). Plus you’ll get a whole host of other features like driver profile selection, electronically adjustable front seats with memory function, Area View (all-around camera system that provides a bird’s-eye view of the area around the Tiguan) and Adaptive Cruise Control.

The R-Line Tiguan is 200kg heavier than the Golf GTI, but it clocks in the same timing of 6.5 seconds for the 0-100km/h acceleration sprint. It may cost $29,000 more than the GTI, but the difference is that you’ll be getting much more boot space; the Golf offers 380 litres while the Tiguan gets you 615 litres (1,655 litres when the rear seats are folded flat).

NETT Price: $181,900

The Passat Variant R-Line 2.0 TSI is interesting in that you’ll be getting a lot of the top-of-the-line features that are found in the Passat Exclusiveline 2.0 TSI, but you’ll be paying $1,000 less.

Just as with the Passat Exclusiveline 2.0 TSI sedan, you’ll get Active Info Display, Head-up Display and Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) with driving profile selection but with 19” wheels instead of 18” and that coveted R-Line body styling.

Another big difference is that the estate R-Line offers so much more boot space. The Passat Variant offers 650 litres of boot space (versus 586 litres) and 1,780 litres when the rear seats are folded flat (compared to a max of 1,152 litres in the sedan version).

Book a test drive with VW’s range of R-Line models now!

*All information accurate as at 13 March 2019

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