R-Line gets feral good looks without the thunder and price of the R, reports Damien O’Carroll.
Ever wanted something like a Volkswagen Golf R and all the standard kit that comes with it, but aren’t all that keen on all that power and performance? Or, more likely, the hefty price tag?
Well, you are in luck, because for just $43,390 you can now have a Golf R-Line that packs most of the equipment and looks of the feral R, but without the frantic 220kW/440Nm turbo engine or AWD system.
Instead you have to make do with the standard Golf Highline’s 110kW/250Nm petrol four that does a damn good job of hauling it along.
Topping the standard Golf range the R-Line cops most of the sexy exterior add-ons that the full-fat Golf R boasts including a body kit, rear spoiler, 18-inch alloys, trapezoidal exhausts and LED taillights.
As well as the more aggressive exterior look, the R-Line also gets sports suspension, sports seats, rear privacy glass and shift paddles on steering wheel on top of all the standard equipment of the Highline.
Not all that long ago Volkswagen shook up the small hatch market by drastically dropping the Golf’s price and setting it up as the segment leader in terms of equipment and value for money, but it doesn’t quite have it all its own way anymore.
The recently-released Holden Astra is a massively good car that is both extremely well-equipped and sharply priced, while others in the segment have also upped their standard spec while sharpening the pricing.
But while the Golf’s lead has been eroded, its superb class-leading handling has not.
The confident, planted feel that it has in virtually every situation; the eager, razor-sharp turn in; the beautifully weighted, chatty steering and, of course, that brilliantly responsive chassis that VW have always set up to feel like the Golf is wanting to cock an inside rear wheel under aggressive cornering.
The R-Line’s 110kW engine may not pack the wallop of the R’s 220kW engine, but it packs more than enough grunt to have no small amount of fun on a winding back road with.
While the competition have caught up to Volkswagen’s aggressive pricing, at $44K the Golf R-Line is still an impressive amount of car for the money. A comfortable and beautifully built interior, those extra-sharp looks thanks to the R-Line add-ons, the eager, flexible engine and that sublime handling all conspire to still keep the Golf at the head of the pack.
Not by as much as it used to be, but it still manages to hang on by the skin of its searingly yellow teeth. For now at least.|
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Specifications:
Body type Hatch
Drive FWD
Engine type Inline four-cylinder turbo petrol
Engine capacity 1.4-litres
Max power 110kW @ 5000rpm
Max torque 250Nm @ 1500rpm
l/100km (Combined) 5.4
C02 emissions 125g/km
Boot capacity 380 litres
Spare tyre Space saver
ANCAP rating 5 star
Price $43,390
