Peter Anderson enters his favorite type of car, a hatchback. This one is a lightweight Volkswagen Golf R-Line hatchback for the kind of money one would buy a GTI for.
What we like
Nice to drive
The addition of the R-Line is cool
Looks great
2023 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line
Imagine this nightmare scenario. You missed the launch of the Mark 8 Golf and you show up at your local Volkswagen dealer with cash to buy a Golf GTI. Who wouldn't want a Golf GTI? Whoever is tough. You're pleased with yourself for ponying up forty-plus thousand dollars, and seconds into your visit, you discover that the GTI is way out of your league, financially speaking.
VW's product planners had envisioned something very similar, and like many other car companies, they had realized the power of sporty branding on not-so-sporty cars. M Sport, AMG package, S Line, N Line, the list goes on. The Volkswagen R is emblematic of its sportiest variants (although the Golf is the king of the GTI badge), so the carefully crafted R-Line package will cater to those who can't – or don't want to – make the financial leap to a GTI.
How much does a Volkswagen Golf cost in Australia?
The R-Line is the third and final car in the mainstream Golf range before things get even more interesting with the Golf GTI and even more interesting with the Golf R. Priced at $41,690 before on-road costs, it has broken the $40K mark in recent years; the kind of money used to buy you a Golf GTI.
Of course, the Golf isn't alone, but where it once fit perfectly with Korean and Japanese brands, like the Polo, VW has managed to break into the ever-shrinking high-end hatchback market.
The R-Line ships with 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and start, 'performance' LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, reversing camera, front, and rear parking sensors, three-zone climate control, 10-inch media touchscreen, satellite navigation, charging cordless phones, space-saving backups.
The R-Line adds a styling package inside and out, a pair of excellent bucket-style front seats, a choice of driving modes, and some cool color options – like 30 for the ambient cabin lighting.
Its specification is largely based on the Golf Life, with some sportier additions, but it also has suspension tweaks to make it more fun to drive. The car has the optional Sound & Vision package, but you can also add a panoramic sunroof and choose paint options at varying prices.
Important details of the 2023 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line
The price is $41,690 plus travel costs
The color of the test car is Atlantic Blue
Sound & Vision Package Option – $1650
- Nine-speaker Harman Kardon stereo with subwoofer
- Head-up display
Metallic paint – $700
The price as tested was $44,040 plus travel costs
Drive away price $44,490 (through 12/31/23)
Hyundai i30 N Line Rivals | Kia Cerato GT | Mazda 3 G25 Astina
Let's start with the most disappointing part of the hatchback experience, at least in this segment – boot space. The Golf equips itself well with 374 liters of space in a tidy space that's easy to load. When you remove the 60/40 split fold, you have the 1230L, which is also quite good and can handle a moderate Swedish flat pack purchase. Excuse me.
Into the back seat and it's not bad, at least for my 180cm behind my driving position. The fabric trim seems sturdy enough and the seats themselves are comfortable. The large rear window lets in plenty of light and you get an armrest with two cup holders, two USB-C ports, and bottle holders in the doors. Considering many hatchbacks don't even have armrests, this isn't a bad thing, but then again this is a forty grand plus car.
The Golf and Golf Life seats are ditched when you tick the R-Line box, and replaced by R-style seats that look great and are very comfortable. They hold you up well and only very tall or large people might not like them; the first because of the lack of an adjustable headrest, and the second because of the comfortable support.
Volkswagen's switch-style gear shifter means the console is roomy enough for two cup holders and the wireless charging pad is within easy reach. You don't have to negotiate a traditional shifter, which sometimes involves a bit of 'writing'. The bottle holders in the doors are quite large and the center console holder with the armrest above it is also a good size.
It's a beautiful view from the driver's seat, and there's only the thick C-pillar to contend with. Even though the touch screen is large, it doesn't dominate the room. The fact that so many controls are baked into the software means there are very few buttons, which seems to be something car companies are leaning toward. As usual, most of the cabin materials are quite nice, and in some cases almost luxurious.
20 23 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line
Seat Five
The Seat 374L boot volume is up
1230L folding seat
Length 4284mm
Width 1789mm
Height 1456mm
Wheelbase 2636mm
Like most VW Group cars, the Golf's media system includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, features on Golf Life and up. The system on the Golf is slightly better than the old system and is more adept at holding a CarPlay connection.
The DAB+ selection screen is understandable, which makes a nice change, plus there's standard AM/FM and Bluetooth streaming. There's also built-in satellite navigation that communicates with the digital instrument cluster and optional head-up display.
Luckily, it's also a large 10-inch display that's mostly easy to use. So many functions are crammed into the display that you have to tweak the temperature controls more than you'd like. Lots of cars are like this and it's annoying. The second generation Peugeot 308 had almost no physical controls, but interior designers quickly saw the light for the 3008 and other models by adding them back.
The software system is easy enough to navigate when you're sitting still and not on the move, with plenty of color options to suit your mood.
In addition to the standard digital dashboard, the car has a Sound & Vision package that adds a comprehensive head-up display and a nine-speaker, 480-watt Harmon Kardon-branded system. Is it worth $1600? Maybe not, but the heads-up display is great.
The Golf was originally tested in 2019, but Volkswagen's latest safety upgrades mean it meets 2022 safety criteria while maintaining its five-star ANCAP rating. This rating applies to all new variants made from November 2022 and on sale from February 2023.
It scored well with 88 percent for adult occupant protection, 87 percent for child protection, 74 percent for vulnerable road user protection, and 76 percent for safety assistance systems.
The Golf's safety list gets a slight upgrade for 2023 with the addition of a ninth airbag – a front-center airbag to help prevent head impacts from side impacts. This applies to front, front side, and curtain airbags, as well as rear side airbags.
You also get the usual ABS, stability, and traction control, lane centering, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, occupant protection system, reversing camera, driver attention detection, safe exit warning, front AEB, cross traffic alert rear, and automatic high beams.
The semi-autonomous Travel Assist is well calibrated for the most part, and polite rather than forceful. But it's not very smart if you manage to get your hands on the wheel, because you have to keep pushing it to remind it you're there.
Volkswagen offers a five-year/unlimited kilometer warranty on its range, which is in line with almost everyone these days.
You can pay as you go for servicing and over three services pay $1751 or $3356 over five years, both of which are high as the segment goes. You can save most by paying up front, with three years dropping to $1550 and five years to $2650, which is a pretty healthy savings over pay-as-you-go. Over $500 per service is still a bit steep, but here we are.
Annual insurance costs $1680 based on comparative quotes for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
202 3 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line at a glance
Guarantee Five years, unlimited kilometers
Service interval 12 months or 15,000km
Service fee $1550 (3 year prepaid)
$2650 (5 year prepaid)
$1751 (3 year postpaid)
$3356 (5 year postpaid)
We have a slight downside to the Golf's claimed fuel figure of 5.8L/100km, whereas previously it was only 7.2L/100km, to be fair to the Golf, which is mostly city and suburban driving, I don't see any reason why that figure it won't improve with a mix of highway and city.
Even so, you will cover a distance of almost 700 km on a fill of 95 octane fuel even with those figures.
Fuel Usage Fuel Statistics
Fuel cons. (claimed) 5.8L/100km
Fuel cons. (on test) 7.2L/100km
Premium unleaded 95 octane fuel type
Fuel tank size 50L
despite the R badge adorning the grille and rump, this isn't an extremely warm hatchback. It's not even as focused as the GTI, which can now be very comfortable in Comfort mode.
But the suspension changes are useful. Using larger 18-inch wheels means the ride is a little firmer, but doesn't feel noisier than the Life I drove not long after this Golf was launched. The usual complaints about concrete or rough surfaces also apply, but there is a bit of rubber under the R-Line, so that's to be expected.
I always get too excited about driving hatchbacks because many of the cars I drive aren't, and SUVs dominate our market. The Golf feels very light on the feet, my wife and I smiled the entire time we had it, and it's a car we'd each recommend taking for solo trips. I guess it's the kind of car we had in our youth, not requiring quite a push of the accelerator to get moving, and generally being a great deal of fun without all that weight under you.
The steering is well-weighted and, on the R-Line, has a progressive rack, meaning less lock is required to fire into a corner than would be needed on a regular car. This also means you don't always have responsiveness when you don't want it to. This feature is also shared with the GTI, in case you were wondering. Even the size of the steering wheel itself is just right.
So we come to VW's much-loved 1.4-litre turbo four petrol engine. You can find it best in the Tiguan Allspace, which hauls a seven-seat SUV quite well. As a result, the much lighter Golf has more power, 110kW and 250Nm rising quite quickly.
Driving the front wheels, the Golf R-Line doesn't have the six- or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission commonly found in other Volkswagen applications, but instead an eight-speed torque converter. So there's no more backtracking and less hesitation at parking speeds, especially compared to a seven-speed.
Important details 202 3 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line
1.4-liter four-cylinder turbo petrol engine
Power 110kW @ 5000rpm
Torque 250Nm @ 1500–4000rpm
Drive Type Front wheel drive
Transmission 8-speed torque converter automatic
Power to weight ratio 79.8kW/t
Weight (tare) 1379kg
Spare tire type Space saver
Tow rating 1500kg braked
660kg unbraked
Turns a 10.9m circle
If you're not interested in a sportier suspension or nicer seats, the R-Line probably isn't worth the Golf Life as there's not much else that matters beyond these things. But if you like a car with more attention than the immaculately handled Golf Life, it's worth it. And let's be honest, you're probably buying a hatchback because you don't want a high-end SUV, so you might as well go for it.
If you need more space in the trunk, it's a bit annoying that you can no longer fit the wagon into the R-Line (or screaming R).
If the Golf is the right car for you, start with Volkswagen's website and its stock finder. Both the website and a Volkswagen Australia spokesperson confirmed there is plenty of stock available across the Golf range, so if the R-Line is a little richer for your tastes, the Golf 110TSI Life is available in plenty.
I quite like the R-Line and for me it's the car, but for the less emotional buyer Life is the place to go, with most of the good stuff of the R-Line but in a more comfortable package.
When you're ready to buy, you can visit Drive.com.au/cars-for-sale or visit the VW website or dealer. If you are a bit tall or wide, make sure you sit comfortably in the R-Line seat. And don't let the dealer ignore these concerns because if you don't like the front seats, ownership will be a real hassle.
