Volkswagen Golf R - TopCarNews

Key specifications
Image gallery
Media reviews
Auto Express
Auto Trader
Honest John
The Sun
The Sunday Times
Top Gear
What Car?
Safety rating
Eco rating
Similar cars
Buy a new or used Volkswagen Golf R
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Volkswagen Golf R on car subscription

Summary

The flagship of the eighth-generation (Mk8) Volkswagen Golf range, the Golf R is a five-door hot hatch and estate model.

Sitting above the standard Golf line-up and the performance Golf GTI model, the all-wheel drive Golf R sits at the top of the range – powered by a 315hp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission. This is over 70hp more than front-wheel drive alternatives like the Golf GTI and Hyundai i30 N, but this added power and grip comes at a price.

“It is a pricey machine these days”, Auto Express comments, alluding to the Golf R’s price tag that surpasses the £40k mark. Autocar recommends the Honda Civic Type R as it costs significantly less, and because it is more involving and adjustable on the road. What Car? offers up the Toyota GR Yaris instead for the same reasons.

Many reviews also criticise the confusing and rather annoying layout of the Golf R’s touchscreen controls, and often comment that, while there is nothing explicitly wrong with the car’s interior, it does not match the quality of the premium-badged rivals that it is priced against.

Though not as refined inside, the Golf R is slightly roomier than the likes of the Audi S3 and BMW M135i, and comes with a generous list of safety equipment and other on-board tech as standard – including launch control.

A model that divides opinion, the Sunday Times says that the Golf R would be “a deeply frustrating car to live with every day”, while Top Gear describes it as “the supreme hot hatch all-rounder – no sharp edges, and more rewarding than you might expect.”

As of May 2022, the Volkswagen Golf R holds an Expert Rating of 74%, based on 13 reviews published by UK media sources. This score is a couple of points lower than both the standard Golf model and the Golf GTI.

Golf R highlights

Fastest Golf you can buy
Comfortable cabin
More practical than some key rivals
Plenty of safety kit as standard

Golf R lowlights

Interior is nothing special
Confusing infotainment
Expensive to buy and run
Not as entertaining as best hot hatches

Key specifications

Body style: Medium hatchback
Engines: petrol
Price: From £42,190 on-road

Launched: Spring 2021Last updated: Summer 2021
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Volkswagen Golf R hatchback

Volkswagen Golf R estate

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express

Model reviewed: EstateScore: 8 / 10“No VW in the brand’s line-up quite nails the performance/practicality brief as well as the estate version of its core R model, the Golf. It’s not without fault, and is a pricey machine these days, but dynamically few can match it, while it offers the performance, image and all-round ability to back up its price tag. It’s a strong continuation of the Golf R Estate lineage.”
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Auto Trader

Model reviewed: HatchbackScore: 8 / 10“The Golf GTI may be a hot-hatch original but, in recent years, the four-wheel drive Volkswagen Golf R has introduced more power, performance and prestige to the package. This latest version may be the best yet. Leaving just one question for fans of hot VWs – Golf R or GTI Clubsport?”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: Score: 8 / 10“We admire this car’s speed, composure and new-found flair, all of which stand it out in the 4WD crowd. However, were it our hot hatch money, the £5000-cheaper Honda Civic Type R still offers more. More precision, more adjustability and greater involvement.”
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Car

Model reviewed: Score: 10 / 10“Quantifiably quicker and more sure-footed, the 316bhp jack-of-all-trades is first and foremost awesome on back roads. The new VW Golf R is less demanding than the GTI but every bit as fun.”
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: Hatchback rangeScore: 7.8 / 10“Hot hatchbacks became more popular than sports cars because they bring driving thrills and practicality, and that’s true of the Golf R. It’s based on the sensible Volkswagen Golf, which has plenty of space for four adults and a reasonably large boot.”
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Carwow

Model reviewed: Score: 9 / 10“A Volkswagen Golf that’s both incredibly intense and classily cultured at the same time. Shame the looks aren’t quite as subtle as they used to be, though.”
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Evo

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“Undercooked and irritating in equal measure, the Mk8 Golf R’s execution is found wanting, and it’s a loss for the class.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overview“With 320hp and 420Nm of torque, the fifth-generation Volkswagen Golf R can accelerate to 62mph in 4.7 seconds while top speed is limited to 155mph. An optional R-Performance package will increase the top speed to 168mph.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: HatchbackScore: 8.4 / 10“Top-dog Golf is a discreet supercar slayer”
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The Sun

Model reviewed: Hatchback“When you find a quiet stretch of road, the Volkswagen Golf R is extraordinary. Around town, it’s ordinary. Apart from those signature silver wing mirrors.”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: HatchbackScore: 5 / 10“This would be a deeply frustrating car to live with every day. It wouldn’t be so bad if the new Volkswagen Golf R was breathtaking to drive but it’s not. Every so often it feels a bit like the wonderful Golf R of old, but these are only fleeting glimpses in between all the times it lets you down.”
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Score: 8 / 10“The Volkswagen Golf R is the supreme hot hatch all-rounder. No sharp edges, and more rewarding than you might expect.”
Read review

What Car?

Model reviewed: Score: 8 / 10“Fast and more fun than its direct rivals, but the Volkswagen Golf R doesn’t come cheap and won’t thrill you quite like a Toyota GR Yaris or Honda Civic Type R.”
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Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 starsDate tested: December 2019
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 95%Child protection: 89%Vulnerable road users: 76%
Safety assist: 78%

The Volkswagen Golf R shares its Euro NCAP safety rating with the mainstream Golf range, which was awarded a five-star rating back in 2019.

As a high-spec model, the Golf R comes with plenty of active safety kit as standard, including such niceties as autonomous lane guidance, rear traffic alert and traffic sign recognition. The Golf R also comes with a three-year warranty.

Eco rating

No eco rating

As of May 2022, the Volkswagen Golf R has not been lab tested by Green NCAP. It’s unlikely to be a priority for the organisation, but if it is tested then we’ll post the results here.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Volkswagen Golf R has received

2021

Carwow Awards – Most Wanted Car

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Volkswagen Golf R on car subscription

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Keyword: Volkswagen Golf R