FORECOURT
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R
THE KNOWLEDGE Volkswagen Golf R
Price (as tested): £42,300 Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol Power: 316bhp Torque: 420Nm Max speed: 155mph O-60mph: 4.5 seconds MPG (combined): 36.2 Emissions: 177g/km CO2
Power
The R’s 2.0-litre engine pumps out 316bhp and 420Nm of torque, giving a 0-60 mph of 4,5 seconds.
The new hatchback arrives on a wave of expectation – Jack Evans discovers if it’s still an all-weather warrior. WHAT IS IT? The previous VW Golf R earned itself a serious reputation with its all-weather ability, supercar-beating performance and everyday practicality. Underpinned by the latest eighthgeneration Golf platform, the new R has a crushing amount of expectation on its shoulders. WHAT’S NEW? There’ve been some serious reworkings of the fundamentals. It also has the latest Golf’s tech-heavy cabin, and its exterior boasts all the style touches of the new-gen hatchback. Added performance tweaks help differentiate it from the rest of the range as well. WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET? The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine is fundamentally the same unit that powered the older R but with more oomph, taking the new R from 0-60mph sooner. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE? The Golf R is now quicker than anyone reasonably needs a car to be on the public road. It’ll outpace many far more flamboyant – and expensive – cars, with a level of performance that’s nothing short of revolutionary. It’s backed by an all-wheel-drive system that keeps you on the straight and narrow or clinging on through the bends. The most notable addition is torque vectoring, which allows power to be split between the rear wheels for the first time, rather than just the front and back axle. It means the car will tighten its line far more easily than before when turning in. It’s properly impressive and wonderfully easy to exploit – this isn’t a car you need to ‘learn’ to get the best from. HOW DOES IT LOOK? The previous Golf R was a masterclass in understated design and it’s the same here. Sure, you still have the quad exhaust pipes that have become a Volkswagen R hallmark, but apart from that there’s not an awful lot to show just how quickly this car will go. It sits considerably lower than the regular car, while ‘our’ car’s 18-inch diamond-turned alloy wheels gave it a slightly more premium edge, but this is one under-the-radar car. WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE? We’ve already experienced the regular Golf’s interior and found it to be an extremely tech-
28 | CarDealerMag.co.uk
