Let's say you want a practical, desirable and powerful hatchback but the letters GTI
aren't quite good enough for you... then what about R.....
This is the new Golf R and it's the most powerful version of Volkswagen small family hatchbck
yet.
Under the bonnet is a two-litre turbo engine with 296bhp and it's mated to VW's latest
4Motion all-wheel-drive system.
So you are wondering how quick it gets to sixty...
right...
well it's that quick...
In case you were wondering that was just 4.9 seconds.
That's Porsche fast.
From a Golf...
A Golf that can still do around 40 miles per gallon.
Now I should point out that some highly tuned four-cylinder engines can feel a little bit
slow at the lower end of the rev range and then you get this sudden rush of power as
the turbo comes on boost.
But you don't get that problem with this engine.
It just pulls hard all the time -- it basically feels like you have a 4.0-litre V8 not at
2.0-litre with just four cylinders.
Admittedly, the Golf R doesn't quite sound as good as a V8 but the noise from the quad
tailpipes is still very pleasing epecially when the car is in race mode.
Other upgrades are a chrome bar in the grille, a smattering of R badges and some unique 19-inch
alloy wheels.
Inside you get piano black shiny trim on the dash, body hugging sports seats, blue instrument
needles and a steeringwheel with the letter R on it and some.
Other than that its Golf business as usual...
The R has the same special variable steering rack as the GTI which can go from lock to
lock in just two turns as opposed to 3 on the normal car and this makes it feel very
responsive.
The R also gets uprated suspension and brakes even over the GTI.
There's also a system which brakes both inside wheels slightly when cornering for added stability.
And we mustn't forget the all-wheel drive system which can send almost all of the engines
power to the rear wheels when the fronts start to slip.
And this makes the car mighty.
On an unfamiliar road there will be few cars you'll be quicker in than this.
But if it's a track car you're after...
well you may want to look elsewhere.
When our colleagues at Auto Express timed the Golf R round their test track it was actually
slower than the SEAT Leon Cupra.
It was also slower than the Golf GTI with performance pack, the added 93kg weight of
the all-wheel drive system hampered its agility in high speed corners apparently.
And while you can turn the stability control completely off in the Golf R, don't expect
any serious sideways action in the dry.
If that's your bag - get a BMW M135i.
There is something you should know.
Due to the all wheel drive system being under the boot the load volume is smaller than the
normal Golfs and GTIs for that matter by 40 litres and the load heights slightly higher
too.
Well
Finally there's the price.
The Golf R is similar money to the Audi S3 which is pretty much the same car only posher.
The big problem is that it's about 17 per cent more expensive than the GTI.
Is the R worth the extra?
For most people no it won't be, but for those who want the ultimate golf -- yes it is.
To decide for yourself watch our review of the GTI here and don't forget to click on
our logo to subscribe to the carbuyer youtube channel...