The Volkswagen Golf R goes under the hands of ABT to take on the Focus RS and Civic Type R with its 350 CV

The compact segment knows no limits, as the brands working with the acclaimed hot hatchbacks demonstrate. This designation is used to refer to illustrious models such as the Volkswagen Golf R, the most radical variant of the compact from Wolfsburg, which is capable of delivering the same power that a Ferrari 348 TB offered in its day. However, companies like ABT have wanted to go further with Volkswagen’s favourite son, with the aim of enabling it to chase down two of its main rivals, the Ford Focus RS and the Honda Civic Type R, but will it manage it?

We should remember that ABT is known for bringing out a much more irreverent and spicy character from the most exclusive models of the Volkswagen Group, so this Golf R was not going to be an exception. To offer an even more attractive package, the engineers and designers of the German tuner have also taken the opportunity to accentuate the aesthetic side of Volkswagen’s compact.

At first we find wheels with a specific design that can be fitted in 18, 19 or 20 inches. At the same time, certain areas finished in gloss black also stand out, seeking to emphasise and accentuate the sportiness that emanates from Volkswagen’s compact after passing through ABT’s hands.

On the other hand, we must also make special mention of the new suspension that the Golf R incorporates, which allows it to lower its ride height. With this premise, we are left not only with a more attractive vehicle, but also one capable of offering more precise dynamic behaviour, an essential requirement for managing the power it is able to reach thanks to the modifications carried out by ABT.

We should remember that the Volkswagen Golf R uses the well-known 2.0 TSI, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine capable of producing 300 CV and 400 Nm of torque as standard. However, thanks to the German tuner’s expertise in modifying engines, the compact is now able to offer 350 CV and 440 Nm of torque, figures that catapult it to compete more directly with some of the most powerful models in the segment.

In this way ABT has once again played with one of Volkswagen’s pampered children to make its performance increase even further. It is true that the tuner has not declared either the 0-100 time or the top speed, but we can infer that both figures will have improved substantially -and proportionally- given the increase in power to which the Golf R has been subjected.

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackVolkswagen Golf28 versions · from 24,450 €