Volkswagen Golf R review

Pros: Handling and stability are excellent, a practical car with lots of performance

Cons: Only a modest power increase, likely to remain a costly option

Volkswagen Golf R Design

While the Golf R remains covered in its camouflage ahead of its public reveal, this is a mid-cycle model update, so don’t expect many dramatic visual changes to the car’s appearance, though we do expect there to be new alloy wheels at least. The Golf R is further differentiated by blue brake calipers with the R logo, and it has quad exhausts at the rear.

Volkswagen Golf R Interior

All of the Volkswagen Golf range has already been updated, and many of these changes will likely make their way across to the Golf R. The most notable upgrade that Volkswagen is making to the Golf range is the installation of a larger 12.9-inch freestanding touchscreen display. In addition to hosting an improved and faster-reacting infotainment system, the touchscreen includes illuminated slider controls along its base for adjusting volume and climate control.

The 10.2-inch ‘Digital Cockpit Pro’ instruments will continue to be a standard fit item, and this display allows drivers to adjust and personalise the information presented to them. Furthermore, the appearance of the display changes per the selected driving mode.

These days, the Golf R is only available with an automatic gearbox. With the advent of shift-by-wire technology, the drive selector is a much smaller stubby toggle rather than a conventional shifter. The upside is that it frees up more space between the front seats. Volkswagen still fits small paddles to the back of the steering wheel for drivers who prefer to override the auto.

There remains a decent amount of space throughout the Golf R’s cabin. Rear passenger legroom and headroom are average for the segment, while both outer rear seats contain ISOFIX mounting points for child seats. One can also be installed in the front passenger seat, making it a versatile family car if needed. Sadly, Volkswagen doesn’t offer the more practical estate version of the Golf R in Ireland, and this is unlikely to change when this updated version goes on sale later this year.

Volkswagen Golf R Performance & Drive

The outgoing Golf R had a peak power output of 320hp from its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. While there aren’t any significant hardware changes to the engine, the power output has been increased to 333hp while maintaining the same 420Nm maximum torque output as before.

Some keener driving enthusiasts may rue the lack of a manual gearbox option in this eighth-generation Golf R. Few people chose the manual anyway, and the cost of developing and homologating such an option became unviable. Nonetheless, the DSG system works impressively well, delivering gear shifts smoothly in normal driving conditions and with more speed when pushing the car harder.

Volkswagen wants to make the drive as involving as possible, and in the Special and Drift modes that come as part of the Performance Pack, the automatic upshifts are deactivated, meaning that drivers can use the paddles on the back of the wheel to shift gears manually. There are still some instances where the system will prevent you from downshifting if the revs are too high of course. Generally, it’s a favourable setup for more dynamic driving. In other modes, the gearbox will revert to automatic operation after a short period if the paddles aren’t used.

Our car was equipped with the DCC adaptive dampers that provide a greater depth of setup and adjustability. It is worth playing around with the suspension settings as they can significantly enhance the car’s handling. The Performance Pack has additional driving modes, including a Special mode optimised for the Nürburgring race circuit. Interestingly, the suspension is softened in this setting to give it better compliance over harsher bumps, undulations and surface changes that typically occur at the famous German track. With the ride being softer, the tyres can maintain more consistent contact with the surface, thus improving grip and traction out of corners.

It’s on tricky roads where the Golf R arguably does its finest work. The all-wheel-drive transmission can shuffle power to the corners that need it most. Fire it through some trickier bends, and you can better appreciate how the system works, enabling drivers to exploit the healthy amount of grip available. The steering has a nicely weighted feel, and even with drive going to the front axle at times, there is a reasonable amount of feedback on what the nose of the car is doing. Ultimately, there’s more grip than power, so it still feels very planted even as you press on.

The engine pulls hard, and only once you reach loftier speeds on a German autobahn will it start to feel the power is tapering off. In the R mode, the engine keeps the turbocharger spooled up so that when you get back on the power, there is more of it on hand instantly. The four-cylinder engine will never be a match for the sonorous five-cylinder unit that Audi uses in the RS 3, but with the optional Akrapovic exhaust fitted, the Golf R has a nicer tone than the stock system.

Carzone Verdict

The Volkswagen Golf R is incredibly versatile. Not only is it a very comfortable car for commuting every day, but it also manages to be a rapid hot hatch that comes alive over a more challenging ribbon of tarmac. However, it is set to remain one of the more costly hot hatches on the market. To some, that will add an air of exclusivity, while others may see the Golf GTI Clubsport - with almost the same amount of power and a front-wheel-drive setup - as a more attractive proposition.