2024 Volkswagen Golf R
Starting at $46.000 est
00:00 Exterior
02:45 Interior
08:08 Trunk and engine
08:42 Special outro
HIGHS
Mighty turbo-four power, highly entertaining to drive, hatchback practicality.
LOWS
Knob-less infotainment and HVAC controls annoy, expensive entry fee, drift mode should should be crazier.
VERDICT
The 315-hp Golf R offers a lot of bang, but not for the buck; it's strayed from the Golf's core tenet of affordability in the quest for exceptional performance.
Overview
Some cars do a great job of getting you to your destination, but only a great car will make you eager to leave as soon as you get there. That's the Volkswagen Golf R for you. A 315-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine deploys spectacular urgency to all four wheels. It makes just as much power and torque as the front-wheel-drive Honda Civic Type R, but it has a smoother and quieter maturity about it. That is, until you enable the rear-bias Drift mode. Even when driving normally, it's easy to feel as connected to the Golf R as the LED unibrow across its front fascia. Its tidy, densely packed hatchback body offers plenty of head-, leg-, and cargo room, but it's knob-less infotainment system makes us yearn for what knobs and hard buttons do with just a simple twist or push.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
Golf R: $46,000 (est)
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Under the Golf R's hood is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder that makes 315 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque-up from 288 horsepower and 280 pound-feet in the last-generation R. The engine pairs with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The standard 4Motion all-wheel-drive system features a rear differential that can actively distribute torque between the left and right rear wheels for improved handling. The Golf R's selectable drive modes (Comfort, Sport, Race, Special, Drift, and Individual) can be activated by pressing an "R" button on the steering wheel. We've sampled the hatch's Drift mode, which proved entertaining on slick surfaces, but it won't replace a rear-drive muscle car's fun factor. Every model comes with a sport exhaust system, variable-ratio steering, and larger front disc brakes than before. It also rides on a set of 19-inch wheels shod with summer performance tires. During our first drive in Germany, the Golf R showed off the quickness and relentlessness of its strong engine, reactive dual-clutch automatic, and intelligent all-wheel-drive system. The version we drove was equipped with the optional Performance package that adds two more drive modes, including the entertaining Drift mode that allows some tail-sliding antics. At our test track, our Golf R test car with the seven-speed automatic transmission blasted to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds, while the six-speed manual slows things down to a still-snappy 4.9 seconds.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The EPA estimates the most efficient version of the Golf R is the one with the dual-clutch automatic transmission, which earned ratings of 23 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. Going with the manual transmission drops those numbers to 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway, a worthy tradeoff in our opinion for the more engaging six-speed stick. We haven't had a chance to run it on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, but when we do we'll update this story with details. For more information about the Golf R's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The Golf R mimics the GTI's new cabin design, which provides a sportier aesthetic than the last-generation Golf. Both have a thick-rimmed steering wheel with touch-sensitive controls that operate a 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster with configurable layouts. Unlike the GTI, the Golf R isn't available with plaid seat inserts, but it does boast bolstered front seats wrapped in nappa leather. These exclusive buckets have blue and carbon-look accents in the side sections as well as a blue "R" logo in the backrest. The other interior features include ambient lighting with 30 colors, stainless-steel pedals, and more carbon-look trim on the dashboard. The new Golf R also has impressive cargo space and a comfortable back seat.
Read more: www.caranddriver.com/volkswag...
10 июл 2024
