02 Vw Eurovan Gls-2.8l-76k-automatic-pwr Windows-roof Racks-18 Wheels on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Volkswagen adding R-Line trim to Touareg, Tiguan for 2014

Volkswagen introduced its aggressive R-Line appearance package on the CC and Beetle last year, but later this year, this treatment will also be applied to VW's crossovers, the Tiguan and Touareg. Both sporty-looking utility vehicles will be unveiled next week at the Detroit Auto Show.
The 2014 Tiguan R-Line comes standard with bi-xenon headlights and LED daytime running lights, and the package adds 19-inch wheels, grey fender extensions, body-color side skirts and a liftgate spoiler. Inside, the R-Line adds a flat-bottom sport steering wheel with paddle shifters, a black headliner and numerous metallic trim accents such as the stainless scuff plates, the aluminum pedals and metallic finish on the instrument and door panels. The Tiguan R-Line will be offered in front- and all-wheel drive configurations.
As for the 2014 Touareg R-Line (shown above), this model gets an ever more distinctive look with an aggressive front fascia, 20-inch wheels and dual oval-shaped exhaust outlets in addition to the painted side skirts and LED taillights. Similar metallic interior trim pieces found inside the Tiguan R-Line will also make their way into the Touareg as well as gloss black accents on the instrument panel and center stack.

Volkswagen Tiguan and Touareg take the R-Line

Volkswagen's Detroit Auto Show presence is big on utility this year, with the CrossBlue three-row concept vehicle occupying the lion's share of the limelight, both literally and figuratively. But that isn't stopping Volkswagen from lavishing attention on its already established crossover and sport utility vehicles with new R-Line derivatives. The Tiguan and its big brother Touareg are getting a host of look-faster items to increase their sporting appeal.
On the outside, the Tiguan R-Line receives handsome 19-inch alloys peering out from beneath fender extensions, premium lighting (bi-Xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lamps), along with matching side skirts and a liftgate spoiler. On the inside, sportier accommodations include aluminum trim and a flat-bottom steering wheel with paddle shifters. As with other R-Line models, there are no powertrain modifications to go with the more aggressive visuals (that being the province of R standalone performance models like the R32), though the suspension has been firmed up an unspecified amount. The Tiguan R-Line will be available in front- or all-wheel drive configuration.

2015 Volkswagen GTI: Introduction [w/video]

If you've ever met me, listened to me on the podcast, or come to know me through my writing during the last five years at Autoblog, the following phrase should not surprise you: I freaking love the Volkswagen GTI. I've long said that the GTI is the perfect daily driver for the everyday enthusiast – a car that offers as much practicality as it does performance, served up in a semi-premium, attractive package. I've preached the GTI's story to anyone who would listen, and I've managed to convince several people to actually go out and buy one (those folks later telling me they're super happy with their cars, by the way). As for this new, seventh-generation GTI, I'll offer a little backstory. In 2013, Volkswagen flew me to Germany to attend the Frankfurt Motor Show, where I also got to drive a number of the company's products, including the CrossBlue crossover concept. While waiting for my turn to pilot the CrossBlue in an airport hangar, one of the German PR folks directed my attention to a white, four-door GTI sitting outside, and said I was free to have my way with it for, oh, 20 minutes... on an empty runway... in the rain. This was my first experience with the new GTI, in a fairly loaded spec, with all the performance goodies. Needless to say, I loved it. But my other big belief about the GTI is that this car is truly perfect in its base form. The sixth-generation car was a blast without any dynamic controls or performance whats-its, and while those things certainly help make this new hot Golf a more enthusiastic package than ever, in my eyes, they aren't completely necessary. That's why, when it came time to order a long-term car, I took control of the options. The end result is the carbon steel gray GTI you see here, in four-door S (base) spec, with a six-speed manual transmission. Yes, I did outfit our car with the only two options available to S shoppers (aside from the $1,495 performance pack) – the $995 lighting package and $695 driver assistance pack – but other than that, it's a no-nonsense hot hatch. No sunroof. No leather. No fully power-adjustable seats. No navigation. No dual-zone climate control. No automatic headlights. No upgraded audio. The bottom line is that our long-term GTI comes in with an as-tested price of $27,895, including the $820 destination charge. That's right: a $28,000 GTI. What our car does have is everything you'd want in a GTI.