Volkswagen has revealed its facelifted Golf R, arriving with sharper styling, more power and available as both a hatchback and estate.
In case you need reminding, the R is the most potent Golf available to lease, sitting above the GTI and the GTE plug-in hybrid.
It does battle with other grin-inducers like the Audi S3, BMW M135i and the Honda Civic Type R.
The latest model comes with all-wheel drive and R-Performance Torque Vectoring, DCC adaptive chassis control, and also now enjoys an upgraded interior and fresh infotainment system.
There’s a small boost in power - up 13 PS to 333 PS - by way of a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine as well as 420 Nm of torque. It means the VW Golf R hatchback will rocket from 0-62 mph in 4.6 seconds while the R Estate takes a shade longer at 4.8 seconds.
Top speed of 155 mph can be upped to 168 mph with the optional R-Performance package. And that R-Performance kit also unlocks a larger roof spoiler and two additional drive modes for when you want to unleash your inner hooligan on the track - ‘Drift’ and ‘Special’. The Special mode has been specifically adapted to the conditions on Germany’s infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife race track while punching the ‘Drift’ button can help you go sideways in a cloud of tyre smoke with a smile plastered across your face.
Looks wise, there’s a redesigned front end with LED Plus headlights, an illuminated VW badge and air curtains in the bumper, as well as the new LED tail light clusters.
The exterior design is improved further with the Golf R Black Edition, which gets darker VW badges and R logos, black brake callipers, darkened LED Matrix headlights, 19-inch ‘Estoril’ alloys, and black tailpipe trims.
The cabin features a 10.9-inch infotainment display with ChatGPT artificial intelligence integration for the voice assistant, as well as an enhanced Digital Cockpit Pro as standard. Sports seats are a given, with black Nappa leather available as an option.
And if you want maximum practicality, you need to lease the VW Golf R Estate, which gets a van-like luggage area of 1,642 litres with the rear seats folded flat.
A VW spokesperson tells us: “Volkswagen R as a premium performance brand has already been offering special models for more than two decades. With their equipment for enhanced performance combined with expressive design, they generate enthusiasm all over the world in Volkswagen fans. The Golf R’s success story began in 2002 with the legendary Golf R32 – it and its four successors to date have sold well over 250,000 units.”
UK specs and prices will be announced shortly
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