Review: Volkswagen Golf R

It sits lean and mean, this latest upgrade of the fastest VW Golf ever, with more horses squeezed under the bonnet — now it's 310hp on the full gallop, writes Brian Byrne.

My review car was 3-door but it is also available in 5-door, though for the life of me I don't know anyone who would want to ride in the back seats when the driver is leaning heavy in this one. Apart from sitting low to the ground on its wide 225 tyres, and the four tailpipes at the back, it is very unadorned. Not even a trace of a roof spoiler that would be considered de rigeur in most hot compact hatches. But you just know it is special.


Volkswagen has a deserved reputation in producing hot Golfs, the GTI being most famous over so many of the model's generations. Then there were the R32 years, 6-cylinder power for those who wanted more. This R is the natural successor there, though now using a pumped version of the 2.0 TSI petrol that powers the GTI.

Inside, there's not too much pushing the R in visual terms, apart from the letter incorporated in the seats trim. The style of dashboard and instruments is typical to the basic model now in what the company is describing as generation 7.5. That's not downplaying the interior — it's cleanly designed, with instruments that do well in combining analogue and digital advantages. Nothing gosh-wow, just what's needed to do the job properly.

The R has all the tech on board that you'd expect from any upper grade of even the standard Golf. Active cruise control, parking assists, lane departure warning, city emergency braking and more. But the core reason for this variant is massive power. And managing it. For that, the R comes with 4WD as standard, and also a Track mode which includes things like launch control for all systems blowing take-offs.

Few of us travel on a track to work, but the Golf R also turns out to be a very easy car to drive in normal motoring environments. You can even use an Eco mode to mollify your green conscience. On that, my review car came with the 7-speed dual clutch auto rather than the 6-speed manual. Which actually cuts the road tax by €200 a year over the manual. Over a 5-year ownership, that and the fuel savings of the auto would easily pay for the extra €1,800.

The boost of adrenalin by tapping the hot pedal smartly and getting close to the 4.6s stated acceleration to 100km/h is fun even on a dull motorway, especially if you want to slip smartly out into the outside lane in busy fast traffic. It also works a treat on the access ramp to the motorway, making it very simple to achieve a safe merge speed.

A solidly confident drive in all conditions, and the suspension working under pressure with none of that old hard 'sporty' feel. I enjoyed the car. Not realistic for most buyers of compact hatches, but for anyone owning a standard Golf, it can tickle the aspirational imagination from time to time.

PRICE: From €45,570, review car €47,370. EQUIPMENT: Everything needed. RATING: 4.7/5.