Since its inception in the form of the Mark V R32 in 2006, the Golf R range has been something of a “Halo” car for many Volkswagen enthusiasts. Almost 10 years on and it is still a rare sight on Irish roads. Volkswagen has made a concerted effort to ensure that this trend changes for the latest Mark 7, by reducing its hefty price tag by a whopping €10k. Arguably it now looks its best, is cheaper to run, and packs more power than ever before – but, will the latest Golf R’s appeal manage to stretch beyond that of the enthusiast?
In the metal, the Golf R can only be described as subtly spectacular. In addition to the side skirts and rear spoiler found on the Golf GTI, the Golf R gets some unique detailing to set it apart from its sibling - including chrome mirrors, smoked LED lights, 19 inch ‘Cadiz’ alloy wheels, plus completely revised front and rear bumpers for dynamic reasons adding function and form.
To the non-enthusiast it is simply a nice looking Golf finished in Lapiz Blue. To the car enthusiast however, it is quite a different beast. The large air intakes at either side of the front bumper are there to help it breathe as much as possible, while the rear splitter that houses its chrome quad exhaust pipes is there to funnel air away as efficiently as possible.
Dynamically, the Golf R feels very different to a GTI. The Performance Pack Golf GTI packs an additional 20hp bringing it up to 230hp and has a limited slip differential to improve handling. The Golf R packs 300hp and the 4Motion (four wheel drive) system. While it is fitted with a modified version of the 2.0 TFSI 4 cylinder engine from the GTI, it also revs an additional 1100rpm higher than the GTI - giving even more grunt at the top end. What this translates into is a small family car that accelerates from 0-100kmh in 5.0 seconds and revs to 6500rpm. The DSG transmission means power delivery is instant, and it covers ground at a freakishly rapid pace. It feels every pony of its 300 horses.
The GTI however will always communicate to you when you are on the edge, but the Golf R’s 4Motion and lower stance enables you to exploit every inch of its performance. The car feels massively capable and is a joy to drive, but it lacks that element of feedback you get with the GTI.
So, is the Golf GTI Performance Pack the perfect compromise then? In my opinion, it is. It’s more than fast enough, and it’s fantastic to drive. While the Golf R is a massively impressive machine, I feel that only the real Golf enthusiast will get the most joy from what it offers.
Naturally, with all of this power comes the usual refinements and practicalities offered by the Volkswagen Golf. The Golf R, like the GTI, gets its own individual touches to set it apart. Like a standard Golf 7 it is impeccably finished inside - but with R embroidered sports seats and blue LED strip lights on the sills and around the instrument cluster. With its attractive new price tag of €43,060 (down from €51,060) comes a generous amount of specification including; 19 inch alloy wheels, 5.8 inch touch screen, Bluetooth, adaptive cruise control, climatronic air conditioning, sports suspension, R spec body kit, park distance control, chrome quad exhaust pipes, electronic differential, R spec interior and R specific automatic bi-xenon lights and LED rear cluster.
Economy is not bad either considering the performance level of this Golf, returning a claimed combined economy 6.9l/100km. If you drive it hard however, you are not likely to come close to this figure. Like all performance cars when pushed to their potential, they tend to be on the thirsty side and the Golf R is no different - but that is the nature of the beast. On the bright side, we can thank Volkswagen for its 159g/km of C02 and the Green Party for landing it in attractive Tax Band D for just €570 per annum.
The Golf R is an exceptional example of what a hot hatch can be, but will its new price tag prove enough to lure the curious? As an individual reluctant to hand the keys back, I certainly hope so.
