- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
206kW, 380Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (98) 7.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Volkswagen Golf R new car review
In the beginning there was a simple premise for the hot hatch; a small car with a big heart and a clear focus on performance rather than comfort and convenience.
You only to have look back to the original Volkswagen Golf GTI, first introduced in 1974, to see where the formula was created.
Four decades later there are still hot hatches that prescribe to the no-frills but big thrills mantra, but the latest Volkswagen Golf R highlights how that same formula has evolved and been perfected.
The R is the latest addition, and flagship variant, in the newest seventh-generation Golf range and, like its predecessor, offers a legitimate, and more luxurious, alternative to the likes of the Subaru WRX STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution that have dominated the high-performance small car segment for the last decade on the strengths of their success in rallying.
What do you get?
Befitting its status at the top of the Golf family tree, the R is the most expensive model in the line up starting at $51,990 plus on-road costs when fitted with a six-speed manual transmission (which won’t be available in Australia until September 2014).
Until then, the only gearbox on offer at the moment is the six-speed dual-clutch automatic that adds an addition $2500 to the manufacturer’s list price.
Otherwise, the R comes fully loaded with a long list of standard features that includes sports seats with Alcantara side bolsters, keyless entry and push-button start, dual-zone climate control, a fully integrated 5.8-inch colour touchscreen with sat-nav, audio and vehicle dynamic controls as well as 19-inch alloy wheels, bigger brakes and a part-time all-wheel drive system.
In fact the only options available are a panoramic glass sunroof ($1850), leather trim ($3150) and a Driver Assistance Package ($1000) that adds radar cruise control with emergency braking but misses out on the automated parking in lesser models. All of which were fitted to our DSG-equipped test car, which elevates its sticker price to over $60k before on-road costs and pushes it into the same league as entry-level luxury sedans from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Lexus.
As far as safety gear, like all seventh-generation Golf variants, the R comes with a full complement of seven airbags, electronic driving aids, a reverse camera with front and rear parking sensors and a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.
What’s Inside?
As it is with every member of the latest Golf range, there is a distinct sense of luxury and quality well above any other small hatchbacks the moment you slide into the cabin.
The Golf R’s all-black interior trim looks classier than the heritage-inspired tartan in the GTI that sits below it, and the unique blue highlights in the instrument gauges and centre console (they’re red in the GTI) give it an ice cool ambience. It looks even better the moment you open the door at night too with its illuminated door sills and ambient lighting.
The sports seats are supportive when you need them in the corners and yet are comfortable over long distances, there’s a great driving position and good all-round vision. The instrument gauges are clear, the functions within the centre touchscreen are simple to operate and, although the chunky leather-wrapped steering wheel is littered with buttons for the audio, cruise control and multi-function digital display unit between the speedo and tacho they are well positioned and logical to use.
While the cabin doesn’t push any boundaries in terms of style, it raises the bar in the small car segment for fit and finish and the quality of materials used.
Its five-door body also makes it easy to use as an everyday driver, and there’s good storage both for commuting – with large door bins that include bottle holders, covered cupholders in the centre console and a binnacle ahead of the gearlever – as well as long trips, as there is enough room in the back, and rear air vents and cupholders, for the kids to travel in comfort.
Under the bonnet
The Golf R’s biggest assets, and where it generates its bragging rights, are hidden under its skin.
Its main differentiating factor from the GTI is that it has an exclusive all-wheel-drive transmission to better harness the additional power from its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine as well as maximise its handling capabilities.
The four-cylinder is based on the same engine in the Golf GTI but has a modified cylinder head, a bigger turbocharger, revised pistons and larger fuel injectors to help it extract its higher outputs of 206kW between 5100-6500rpm and 380Nm between 1800-5100rpm. In other markets, the Golf R is rated at 221kW but Volkswagen considers Australia a "hot weather climate" and detunes the peak power for durability.
Despite this, it doesn’t alter its performance, with Volkswagen claiming it can sprint to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds (0.7 seconds better than before) and achieve an average consumption of 7.1L/100km – an 18 per cent improvement. You’re more likely to see around the 10L/100km mark in real world conditions and - more if you tap into its performance more often.
On the road
It doesn’t matter what the situation – whether you’re cruising to work, carting the kids around or belting across a twisty section of back country black top – the Golf R is the car for all occasions.
With its adaptive suspension set to the softest Comfort setting, it soaks up all but the harshest bumps in the road, its steering is light and manoeuvrable enough to tackle the urban jungle and the DSG transmission shifts unobtrusively once on the move.
Despite its performance potential, the engine never feels highly strung and while its broad surge of pulling power comes on early in the rev range it doesn’t arrive with a rush when the turbo builds to maximum boost. Instead, it feels smooth and linear with little in the way of lag, but its synthesised exhaust note has an warble to it at low engine speeds that I think sounds odd and may not appeal to everyone.
At the other end of the driving spectrum, with the driving mode set to Race, the Golf R feels more like a baby supercar than a grown-up hot hatch. Utilising its upgraded Haldex all-wheel drive transmission and an electronically-controlled front differential, any sign of wheelspin is eliminated when you floor it away from a standstill and it then generates masses of grip and sits fairly flat through even the quickest bends.
It doesn’t have a very playful character as it approaches its limits, but goes about its business with a typically Teutonic ability that makes it one of the fastest and easiest to drive hot hatches available.
Verdict
The Golf R is the ultimate expression of a modern-day hot hatch; it isn’t all that affordable, but it blends accessible performance with everyday practicality and genuine luxury better than most cars this side of a six-figure price tag, and certainly sets new benchmarks among its rivals.
Volkswagen Golf R pricing and specifications
How much? From $54,490 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. 206kW/380 Nm
Fuel use: 7.1L/100km
Emissions: 164g CO2/km
What's it got? Seven airbags; Stability control; Reverse camera; Cruise control; Dual-zone climate control; Heated seats; CD/MP3 stereo; Satellite-navigation; Bluetooth; 19-inch alloys