The range-topping Volkswagen Golf R has gained a slight performance boost, small exterior tweaks and a few interior upgrades, including the introduction of a newer infotainment system.
To start, the Golf R has inherited the exterior tweaks recently given to the standard Golf line-up, including a slimmer grille, 3D LED headlights and an illuminated Volkswagen badge. Its manufacturer has also re-sculpted the front and rear bumpers, introducing larger air intakes. The car now sits on lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels which are reportedly better equipped to handle thermal stress of high speed braking.
The hot hatch is powered by the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and seven-speed automatic gearbox pairing, but with a small power boost. The Golf R now offers an output of 333hp – an increase of 13hp – and that shaves a tenth of a second of the car’s 0-62mph sprint time, which now stands at 4.6 seconds. This is a full second faster than the recently unveiled Golf GTI Clubsport, which uses the same engine.
Top speed is electronically limited at 155mph, though this can be boosted to 167mph if you opt for the optional ‘Performance Package’. Volkswagen has also revisited the engine’s coolant technology and tweaked the ignition to provide a slightly louder engine soundtrack.
Inside, the Golf R has also been given a larger 13-inch infotainment display that juts out of the centre of the dashboard – a system that comes with Chat GPT AI as a built-in voice assistant feature. The optional Performance package also adds an improved G-metre (which calculates peak and mean acceleration) and GPS lap timer.
As part of this facelift announcement, Volkswagen has also unveiled a new Golf R Black Edition, which offers a bit more over the Golf R besides its glossy black exterior finish. The model comes with darkened IQ matrix LED headlights and a bigger roof spoiler.
That sums up this mild model update. The refreshed Golf R will go on sale in Germany next month, and the UK soon after, with UK pricing and specifications yet to be confirmed.
The Volkswagen Golf R currently holds a New Car Expert Rating of A with a score of 70%. This score is a couple of points lower than both the standard Golf model and the Golf GTI.
