VW Golf R price and specs revealed
The most powerful Golf yet - the Golf R - is available to order now. Price from £29,900
The Volkswagen Golf R – the most powerful production Golf ever – is now available to order, with its price starting from £29,900. That’s slightly less than the mechanically similar Audi S3, which costs £30,640.
The sub-£30k price tag is for a three-door R with a manual box, but prices rise to £31,970 for the five-door car fitted with a six-speed DSG unit.
The Golf R is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing 296bhp, delivered through a part-time four-wheel-drive system. Nearly 100 per cent of the power can be transferred to the rear wheels.
Go for the manual gearbox and the Golf R can sprint from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds, while a DSG-equipped car can do it in 4.9 seconds. The DSG is slightly more efficient, too, boasting fuel economy of 40.9mpg and CO2 emissions of 165g/km.
Compared with the standard Golf, the R rides 20mm lower, gets firmer suspension, quicker steering and a stability-control system that can be completely switched off.
Opt for DCC chassis control and you get a new, stiffer Race mode for track driving. This mode also sharpens throttle response and makes the shifts of the optional DSG gearbox more aggressive.
Like the GTI, the Golf R has progressive steering that reduces the amount of steering lock you need to apply. The R only needs 2.1 turns lock-to-lock, rather than 2.75 for a regular Golf.
The brakes have been upgraded, and feature 340mm front and 310mm rear discs, while the calipers are painted black and feature an R badge.
Three or five-door models are available on the new Golf R. All get special 18-inch alloys – 19-inch rims are optional – and retuned sports suspension that's 20mm lower than a standard Golf and 5mm lower than a GTI. The Golf R also gets a unique bodykit, redesigned lights and quad exhausts. Buyers will have the choice of eight exterior colours, with the Lapis Blue Metallic in the pictures being made specially for the car.
The interior features sports seats upholstered in cloth and Alcantara, blue lighting and there are plenty of R badges scattered around the cabin. As it’s the range-topper, the Golf R gets the full suite of driver assistance systems as the regular Golf.
First UK deliveries of the Volkswagen Golf R begin in February.
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