What's the news?
Volkswagen is adding the desirable R-Line specification to two of its newest SUV-crossovers, in the form of the T-Roc and Tiguan Allspace. First deliveries of these sporty-looking models should commence in the summer.
These R-Line models enjoy full exterior body styling, incorporating a body-coloured roof spoiler, side skirts, bespoke bumpers and badging, as well as attractive Suzuka alloys - they're 19-inch items on the T-Roc R-Line vehicles, and 20s on the Tiguan Allspace R-Lines. Inside, both enjoy black headlining and flat-bottomed, multifunction, leather R-Line steering wheels, R-Line door sills and metallic finish pedals (aluminium on the T-Roc, stainless steel on the Tiguan).
The T-Roc R-Line gets Carbon Flag upholstery, front footwell illumination, front LED reading lights, grey decorative inserts on the dash and door cards, and R-Line carpet mats. The Tiguan Allspace R-Line, meanwhile, has Race cloth upholstery with San Remo microfibre inserts, aluminium-look decorative inserts and the R-Line logo on the front-seat backrests, while outside it has a Piano Black front air intake and rear diffuser. Both R-Line newcomers enjoy sports suspension as standard, while - on the Tiguan - Dynamic Chassis Control can, for an extra cost, be optionally added.
Volkswagen has confirmed R-Line is available on four T-Roc models and five Tiguan Allspaces, although for the T-Roc three of these are petrols and therefore not likely to be huge sellers here in Ireland. But, for the record, R-Line T-Rocs come with the 1.5 TSI Evo petrol with 150hp and front-wheel drive (FWD), with a choice of either six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG gearboxes, the 190hp 2.0 TSI petrol with 4Motion and DSG only, and - of most interest to us - the 150hp 2.0 TDI diesel, which has 4Motion all-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission.
Moving to the Tiguan Allspace, all R-Line models are diesels and all of them use the tried and tested 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged unit mentioned above. So there's a 150hp R-Line variant, split into four: manual and FWD; manual and 4Motion; DSG and FWD; and DSG and 4Motion. Finally, the halo Tiguan Allspace R-Line is a 190hp TDI, with DSG and 4Motion only.
Anything else?
We don't know Irish prices as yet, but as R-Line is the range-topping specification for both the T-Roc and the Tiguan Allspace, the smaller crossover in R-Line spec will likely start in the mid-€30,000 ballpark, with the bigger machine another €10,000 beyond that - and the 190hp Tiguan Allspace R-Line is highly likely to cost around €50,000 basic.