Volkswagen Golf R
MODEL TESTED: Volkswagen Golf R 20 Years PRICE: £48,250 POWERTRAIN: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, 328bhp
WITH a starting price of £48, 250, the Golf is already at a £1, 255 price disadvantage against the Civic. It’s easy to bump up the Volkswagen’s price much further, too, and a host of extras lift the total of the car that you see here to £51,077.
Tech highlights
THE heart of the 20 Years is VW’s 2.0-litre turbocharged EA888 four-cylinder engine. With 328bhp, it’s 13bhp ahead of the standard R. Peak torque is the same 420Nm as in the Civic, but it arrives at 2,100rpm, 500rpm sooner than in the Honda. Tailing off at 5,500rpm, the peak torque lasts for 1,500rpm longer, too.
But while those stats catch the eye, it’s the changes to the turbo calibration and throttle valve opening, which VW says maintain boost pressure for a more immediate throttle response and will likely make a bigger difference on the road. Unlike the Civic, the Golf R comes exclusively with an automatic gearbox. Revised software gives a more pronounced thump on full-bore upshifts, but they’re no faster than the regular Golf R’s.
The chassis set-up remains unchanged, too. Drive is sent to all four wheels, with R-Performance Torque Vectoring able to split power between the front and rear axles, and individual rear wheels. Up to 100 per cent of the rear torque can be sent to the outside wheel to push the car out of a turn more effectively. Performance changes are rounded off by a two-tier spoiler similar to the item fitted to the Golf GTI Clubsport, which boosts rear downforce.
SAFETY:
The Golf range as a whole was reassessed by Euro NCAP in 2022 and scored five stars. We found the lane-keep assist system far too intrusive, though, tugging on the wheel constantly on narrow roads – very unnerving. We soon switched it off.
On road
THE Golf R is very rapid and refined on any road, but it isn’t as ultimately rewarding as the Type R.
AROUND TOWN:
At low speeds, the R is as easy to drive as any other Golf. The automatic gearbox and light steering make it relaxing in traffic, and with the adaptive dampers set to their softest, it’s as smooth as the more sensible models in the range.
A & B-ROADS:
What’s absolutely beyond doubt is just how effective the Golf R’s point-to-point pace can be in almost any weather conditions. On the slippery Welsh roads of our test route, the R’s fourwheel-drive traction comes into its own; on sections where the Civic could light up its tyres in second and even third gear, the VW launches forward with complete confidence and eye-widening speed.
Power hard out of a tight corner, and there’s a subtle rear bias to the powertrain, which can even require a small steering correction to stop the back axle from getting out of line. The VW is a car that, regardless of your skill level, allows you to go very fast straight away. Whether its ability to flatter an average driver is a good thing or not is down to your point of view, but while most motorists will be quicker in the Golf, the best drivers will be able to get more out of the Honda.
That inability to engage the keenest driver is a trait betrayed by a chassis that doesn’t have much in the way of adjustment. The steering is short on the feedback of its rival and has a dead zone around the straight ahead, while the Golf R’s extra mass means that there’s less agility in direction changes.
MOTORWAY:
Dynamic Chassis Control helps the Volkswagen’s high-speed comfort, and there’s a smooth ride at higher speeds. There’s less road noise with the Golf R than in the Civic, too.
“What’s absolutely beyond doubt is just how effective the Golf R’s point-to-point pace can be in almost any weather conditions”
Ownership
AS with the exterior, Volkswagen has kept the 20 Years’s cabin changes fairly subtle. Genuine carbon fibre is unique to this car – the lightweight material is used on the dashboard trims and the door inserts, giving the interior a motorsportinspired look. It does mean that the seats, and particularly the fake-carbon-effect panels fashioned from leather on the bolsters, grate somewhat alongside the real carbon.
The steering wheel is pleasant to hold, but the touch-sensitive keys on the wheel are easy to catch by accident when you’re driving enthusiastically. Among these keys is an ‘R’ button; this allows the driver to select one of the various driving modes without taking their hands off the steering wheel.
There’s lots of adjustment for the wheel and the seat, so it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position. The top of the dash has a higher line than the Type R’s, though, which means when the seat is set as low as possible in each, the Honda gives better visibility ahead. Cabin quality doesn’t quite reach Volkswagen’s previous highs, and the Honda’s interior feels better finished and sturdier.
Volkswagen offers a three-year warranty with the Golf R, although the 60,000-mile limit is 30,000 miles short of its rival’s, and there’s only one year of breakdown cover as standard.
STYLING: The Golf R has always exuded a subtle menace without being outlandish. The deep bumpers front and rear, with four tailpipes poking out the back, are the clearest hints that this is no ordinary Golf. Beyond the downforce-boosting rear spoiler, the 20 Years sets itself apart with subtle colour changes. Three exterior shades are offered; Pure White paint is combined with blue 19-inch alloy wheels and door mirrors, as is Deep Black Pearl. The wheels can be black if you prefer, and these are standard with the Lapiz Blue exterior paint. There is a subtle ‘20’ logo on the B-pillars, too.