What Is The Volkswagen Tiguan R-Line, And Is It Worth It?
The 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan SUV’s R-Line is mostly an appearance package, though it goes a bit deeper than that by adding unique features with more than just aesthetic value. The R-Line comes in two variants for 2020: the Tiguan SE R-Line Black and the SEL Premium R-Line, the latter of which I recently drove. From least to most expensive, the Tiguan’s trim levels for 2020 are S, SE, SE R-Line Black, SEL and SEL Premium R-Line. So of the two R-Line trim levels, what do you get over their nearest-priced non-R-Line trims?
Related: 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan Review: All-Around Greatness
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Shop the 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan near you
To start, the R-Line appearance package adds unique front and rear bumpers with stylized air inlets up front, wheel arch extensions around the wheel openings, and 20-inch wheels within those openings, in addition to R-Line side skirts and exterior badging. It’s a subtle but slightly racy addition to the regular Tiguan.
But wait, there’s more.
The SE R-Line Black changes it up with black 20-inch wheels, black-accented front and rear bumpers, and black badging. Plus, for the $31,315 starting price (prices include destination) and front-wheel drive, the Tiguan SE R-Line Black comes with a panoramic sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, foglights and black ceiling upholstery (headliner) versus the regular SE. That’s $3,200 more than the SE trim, and VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive adds $1,300 to both.
The other R-Line is the SEL Premium R-Line. Starting at $39,815 (or $5,250 more than an SEL with AWD), the SEL Premium R-Line is the top trim level that adds a heap of features compared with the SEL:
- Standard AWD
- LED projector headlights, which earn the Tiguan an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick award versus the regular halogen reflector headlights
- Power-folding door mirrors with puddle lights
- Ambient lighting
- Heated wiper park
- Leather upholstery
- Leather-wrapped steering wheel (the SEL has a vinyl-wrapped wheel)
- Power driver’s seat with memory (the SEL has a power seat but no memory)
- Hands-free power liftgate (kick-to-open functionality)
- Fender premium stereo
- 360-degree overhead camera system
Is It Worth It?
If the R-Line were purely an appearance package, there’s nothing I could say that could convince you it’s worth it or not — beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all. But because the R-Line is tied to functional features, I feel comfortable saying the SEL Premium R-Line offers a reasonable amount of extra content for the money.
I like the top SEL Premium R-Line because it’s the only Tiguan trim to qualify for a Top Safety Pick Award from IIHS thanks to those LED headlights. The 360-degree camera system makes parking easier, too, and the nicer leather seating surfaces with memory driver’s seat would go well in my household, where three drivers share the same car; it’s the only way to get a memory driver’s seat in the Tiguan. One note: It’s unfortunate the base headlights perform poorly in IIHS testing and that the LEDs are only available on the top trim, because less than 300 of roughly 8,200 new 2020 Tiguans in Cars.com’s national inventory are SEL Premium R-Line models. The updated 2021 Tiguan will feature standard LED headlights, but it has yet to reach dealerships, and IIHS has not published test results for those lights as of this writing.
But if your budget can swing it, the Tiguan’s top trim is a compelling choice. Further evidence: It was just such a version that took the top spot in our compact SUV comparison against six other small SUVs, besting the Honda CR-V, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4.
More From Cars.com:
- Pricier 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan Ups Standard Safety Tech, Shortens Warranty
- 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan: 9 Things We Like and 5 We Don’t
- 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan MPG: Our Real-World Testing Results
- Volkswagen Ups Tech, Safety Features for 2020
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