Gratuitously powered for the people
Volkswagen’s unassuming 292-horsepower hot hatch will leave you giggling like a schoolgirl
As someone who has been licensed to operate a motor vehicle for more than four decades and who has driven a couple of thousand cars and trucks over that time period, I try to approach each new test with some semblance of maturity as well as Spock-like logic.
Unfortunately, I fail miserably sometimes, especially with certain performance cars, which can turn me into an eight-year-old kid on Christmas Day.
A product of age, environment, experiences and warped judgment, I have a particular fondness for hot hatchbacks that stretches back to the early ’80s and the VW Rabbit GTI and Toyota Corolla GT-S. Any chance I get to drive a modern pocket rocket (sadly, they are not as plentiful as they once were) invariably puts a goofy grin on my face. Thus the return of Volkswagen’s Golf R leaves me giggling like a schoolgirl.
For me, it’s the uber-GTI. To a friend of mine who shares a similar weakness for hot hatches and likes channelling Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel, it’s a “GTI cranked up to 11.”
What’s the fuss about? Well, for the uninitiated, the four-door R is the ultra model of VW’s ubiquitous Golf lineup, the most potent model ever to be sold in North America. Now with 292 horsepower, the 2016 Golf R has 36 hp more than the previous limited-edition version, which was last sold as a 2013 model.
Under the hood is a more advanced version of the turbocharged and direct-injected EA888 TSI 2.0-litre four-cylinder that’s found in the GTI. Maximum torque has been increased to 280 pound-feet, available from 1,800 to 5,500 rpm.
To attain this output, VW says the EA888 2.0 L was subjected to a “motorsports-style development program,” meaning modifications to or redesigns of the cylinder head, pistons, high-pressure injection system and turbocharger. The result, VW says, is one of the most powerful four-cylinder production engines in the world.
As with the previous R, power is transferred to the road via 4Motion all-wheel drive, this latest version complete with a Haldex coupling. In the ride and handling department, there’s a new sport suspension, progressive variable-ratio steering, stability control system (ESC Sport) and Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive damping system.
Powertrain 101 tutorial over, all of the above features are wrapped in a deceptively understated hatchback body that to the untrained eye appears to be a slightly lowered and modified GTI.
If it wasn’t for the bright, signature R-colour Lapiz Blue paint job, a few discreetly placed R badges and the dinner plate-sized disc brakes behind a stylish set of five-spoke alloy rims, few would suspect the havoc that’s unleashed at the first injudicious prod of the gas pedal.
The GTI is quick; the R is fast. Not scary fast, as in a Porsche 911 Turbo S kind of way, just regular fast, as in 5.8 seconds to hit 100 kilometres per hour and a mere 3.3 seconds to accelerate to 120 km/h from 80 (both figures recorded during the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada’s TestFest in late October). And that’s with the car equipped with the standard six-speed manual transmission (as is the tester); with the six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic, the zero-to-100 time should drop by a couple tenths of a second.
As addictive as putting pedal to the metal can be, even more impressive is the absolute ease with which the hatchback can be driven, whether hooning around a racetrack, a twisty bit of back road or just puttering around town in traffic. Plunk your butt into the supremely comfortable and well-bolstered driver’s seat and take a hard look at the instruments, buttons, controls and shifter. Everything is logically laid out and properly placed. The electric power-assist steering is ideally weighted. The shifter falls easily to hand and gear actuation is light and bolt-action precise. Clutch take-up is equally exact, which goes a long way to making even Joe Average feel like a hero.
Handling is tailored through the DCC adaptive damping system. There’s also the driving mode selection feature and its four programs, which work in conjunction with DCC: Comfort, Normal, Individual and Race. All are specifically tuned for the R, but Race, though designed for hot laps, is what lights the VW’s fuse.
In Race, the sport suspension’s damping is firmed up and engine response gets decidedly sportier. (For Rs with the DSG transmission, shift points are delayed for more intense acceleration.) On truly chewed-up roads, however, Race will shake the fillings from your teeth, mandating a switch into Normal or even Comfort.
Grip is limpet-like, thanks to the wide Continental winter rubber and the car’s 4Motion permanent all-wheel drive. When just noodling around under low load or when coasting, the front wheels are driven and the rear wheels are decoupled, aiding fuel economy. Punch the gas, though, and 4Motion is activated before any real wheelspin occurs.
In addition to the Haldex coupling, there are four electronic differential locks that are a function of the electronic stability control system. The system briefly brakes a slipping wheel, enabling drive power to be seamlessly transferred to the wheel on the opposite side.
With the interior ergonomics already covered, the cabin itself is worthy of the R’s $40,000 price tag. The sport seats are swathed in Nappa leather, as is the three-spoke R sport steering wheel. The dashboard and door feature a carbon fibre-like design and ambient lighting is integrated in the doorsill kickplates.
Already fully featured, the tester came optioned with a $2,015 Technology package that includes adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor and lane assist, Discover Pro eight-inch touch-screen radio, Front Assist (a.k.a. autonomous emergency braking), front and rear Park Distance Control and satellite navigation. It’s worth the coin.
The combination of all-wheel drive, high-output turbocharged four-cylinder engine and hatchback body make the Golf R a rare bird now that Subaru’s hatch version of the WRX STI has been dropped. Ford’s Focus ST is front drive only and not up to the horsepower challenge. Ditto the Mazdaspeed3, which has been absent from the Mazda3’s lineup for the past few years.
The closest competitor I can think of is Mercedes’ GLA 45 AMG 4Matic quasi-crossover. And while significantly more powerful, it is also $10,000 more expensive. Come springtime, however, Ford has promised its AWD Focus RS with a 350-hp 2.3-L EcoBoost four-cylinder. (The eagerly anticipated Honda Civic Type R — 306 hp in Euro trim — is front-wheel drive.)
So here’s my take on the Golf R: While $40,000 is expensive for a Volkswagen, it’s a bargain when it comes to something with sports-car performance. And the R is a four-season sports car, just one wrapped in a pragmatic four-door hatchback body.