Volkswagen's Golf R-Line is now in Cat A

Those who lamented the fact that Volkswagen's luminous Golf 8 was unfairly forced into having a Category B COE when it debuted can now thoroughly rejoice: The entire range has officially returned to Category A (for cars with engines no larger than 1,600cc and their power output capped at 130bhp).

Following the Golf Life earlier in April this year, Volkswagen Singapore has announced that the range-topping R-Line for the model is now also on sale with the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine pushing out 129bhp, and 200Nm of torque. The Golf R-Line's engine, like the rest of the lineup previously, was tuned to 148bhp and 250Nm in the past. 

The Golf R-Line follows in the footsteps of the Golf Life in being eligible for a Category A COE

Like the Golf Life, the 129bhp Golf R-Line still gets Volkwagen's eTSI mild hybrid powertrain, which sees a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood. This power unit features Active Cylinder Management, which can deactivate two of the cylinders when coasting for better efficiency. On the whole, the 48V mild hybrid system also promises both lower fuel consumption and better moving-off performance.

Otherwise, the extra goodies received by the Golf R-Line do differentiate it quite a fair bit from the Golf Life - starting with its looks.

As with the Golf GTI and Golf R, the R-Line variant first greets you with a LED light strip across its front grille. Instead of the 17-inch rims on the Life and Life Plus, 18-inch 'Bergamo' wheels show up here. Turn the hazard lights on, and you’ll notice the dynamic indicators in the rear light clusters too. The car also wears a specific 'R-Line' radiator grille, design front and rear bumpers, and side skirts.

Immediately setting the R-Line apart are a LED strip across its grille, variant-specific body kit, as well as its 18-inch wheels

The difference continues within the R-Line's darker cabin, which has Carbon Grey decorative inserts on the dash and front door panels. This is the sportier variant of the Golf, and thus receives sports seats with integrated head restraints, which offer lumbar adjustment, and are wrapped in a mixture of 'Sardegna' fabric and Art Velour microfleece upholstery.

In addition, the car comes with its own R-Line sports steering wheel, which has paddle shifters, and trades the physical buttons on the Life and Life Plus for capacitive touch-sensitive ones on the Golf GTI and Golf R.

As the top-of-the-line trim, the R-Line also bumps up digital real estate, and is equipped with Volkswagen's 10-inch 'Discover Pro' infotainment system, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Here, occupants can also enjoy a seven-speaker sound system. An extra safety feature the Golf R-Line boasts over the two lower trims is its Exit Warning System.

The R-Line's cabin has a more brooding atmosphere thanks to the Carbon Grey decorative inserts on the  dash and front door panels. Meanwhile, it also gets sports seats, and a sports steering wheel with paddle shifters

But perhaps more importantly for keener drivers, the model further differentiates itself out on the road with its lowered sports suspension and progressive steering ratio. Lighter in feel at lower speeds, the steering stiffens up and is said to become more direct and responsive out when picking up speed.

The 129bhp Golf R-Line is now on sale in Singapore, and is launching with a retail price of $188,900 as of press time.