At your feet, the Volkswagen Golf R 2021

We won’t deny that, after the presentation and test drive of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the arrival just a few days later of the new Volkswagen Golf R sends heart rates, or the hype, as the young folks would say, through the roof because, even allowing for the differences between the two configurations, the common thread linking them, which is none other than being nothing more and nothing less than a Volkswagen Golf, the benchmark among compacts, makes the more R variant, which could well stand for radical, the most extreme and exciting to drive.

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And so this Volkswagen Golf R 2021 comes more powerful than ever and, according to the manufacturer’s description, more playful too because, thanks to the 2.0 TSI engine which in this car now produces 320 CV, 10 more than the one it replaces, torque rises to 420 Nm, 20 more than before, all directed to the four wheels through the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system, which manages a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox to catapult it from 0 to 100 in just 4.6 seconds and reach a top speed of up to 270 km/h, in those equipped with the R-Performance package.

One more turn of the screw… or two

But what stands out or what new features does the R of the eighth generation of the Volkswagen Golf bring, well, among others:

• aluminium subframe that adds lightness to the whole
• adaptive suspension, lowered by 2 cm and 3 kg lighter than the standard Golf, with stiffer dampers and a thicker anti-roll bar, and 10% stiffer
• front tyres with greater negative camber
• brakes with larger-diameter and wider discs and specific, more powerful calipers
• variable-ratio power steering
• electronic differential lock
• torque distribution control via R-Performance Torque Vectoring
• 4 driving modes (Comfort, Sport, Individual and Race, which in turn offers 2 specific configurations: Special, aimed at reducing lap times on track, and Drift, which allows greater rear-axle slip)
• specific kit with the new distinctive emblem of the Volkswagen R products

Now, what does this mean or how does it manifest itself? Well, theory tells us that it makes for a car even more effective than before, and that alone is a lot, so much so that a reduction of no less than 17 seconds is announced when running the long layout of the Nürburgring circuit, along with a more exciting drive depending on the two new submenus on the control dial.

In any case, the interior is no less exciting and, while one of the merits of the standard equipment on the new Volkswagen Golf that we enjoyed during its test at the Jarama circuit was the inclusion of semi-bucket seats, the new Volkswagen Golf R, in addition to seats with similar ergonomics, sports the R badge in combination with the high-quality, premium materials that run throughout the interior, creating an atmosphere that feels as sporty as it is high quality, with the dashboard as the centrepiece and which you feel the moment you grip the new and exclusive steering wheel.

Sales and pricing of the new Volkswagen Golf R

In fact, although it is already possible to place a reservation for the first units, which are expected to arrive at the end of this very month of November, the price of the Volkswagen Golf R has not yet been announced, although, according to our forecasts, it should sit at around 50,000 euros, bearing in mind that, by way of reference, the RRP of the current Volkswagen Golf GTI starts at 42,290 euros and that the previous R did likewise from 41,430, while the GTI of the same generation, MkVII, started at 38,060 €.

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackVolkswagen Golf28 versions · from 24,450 €