Review – Volkswagen Golf R (2025) – One last party on gasoline
A hefty price for the ultimate Golf experience
Let’s face it: the updated Golf R is definitely not cheap. The Dutch tax system punishes powerful gasoline cars mercilessly. Due to additional taxes, the total price of the updated Golf R rises to just under 82,000 euros, while without those taxes it would cost “only” 44,277 euros. You pay an additional 27,000 euros in BPM taxes alone purely because it has a lively gasoline engine. So the Golf R is hefty in price, but then you have the strongest and fastest Golf ever built by Volkswagen.
Under the hood: more power than ever
Under the hood of the updated Golf R is the familiar 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder TSI with variable valve timing. Volkswagen’s engineers have honed it even further, so it now produces 333 hp and a solid 420 Nm of torque. Shifting is always via a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission. Is it a shame you don’t get to shift gears yourself? Perhaps, but the DSG does it so quickly and smoothly that you soon forget that. Moreover, there is plenty of driving pleasure on other fronts in this car.
270 km/h in “a Golf”
In the Netherlands, you get the Performance package as standard on the Golf R, which removes the speed limiter and allows you to cruise up to 270 km/h. Will it really reach that? Count on yes. Check out the YouTube video above or the Insta-reel below. 270 km/h in a hatchback, that’s still special! The sprint from 0 to 100 km/h – also seen in the Insta-reel video below – now takes just 4.6 seconds. Launch control has also received an upgrade, with red traffic lights coming on one by one on the digital instrument cluster, just like on the race track.
Sporty styling that stands out
The design of the Golf R has also been sharpened. The front end features a redesigned bumper with substantial air intakes that provide fresh air to the brakes and oil cooler. A subtle light strip connects the LED headlights, while a blue accent above the light strip, the familiar R logo as well as an illuminated Volkswagen logo provide additional R appearance. The rear? Four (optional) shiny Akrapovič exhaust pipes and a spoiler that screams “just keep driving behind me.” You also get mirrors with matte chrome finish, 19-inch forged Warmenau wheels(add a few hundred euros, always do) and blue R brake calipers. Of course, the typical Lapiz Blue paint is also back in the mix – although that color will cost you another hefty 1,090 euros extra.
Inside: a sporty, high-tech interior
The interior is sleek and high-tech. The new nearly 33-inch screen is the centerpiece of the dashboard and also displays details specially reserved for the R version, including an image of the redesigned Golf R itself. Behind the wheel, you get another screen that displays the classic tachometer with a special R theme. The sport seats have integrated headrests and you’ll find blue details everywhere. The touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel have been modified so that you don’t accidentally activate functions, as sometimes happened with the previous model.
He is driving he?
At the Lausitzring in East Germany – a track somewhere between Berlin and Dresden – we got to put the Golf R through its paces and push it to the limit. As you read above, it shoots like a rocket in a straight line, but it can do much more: thanks to 4Motion all-wheel drive and R Performance Torque Vectoring technology, it also feels more than at home in the corners. Thanks to torque vectoring, the car steers itself through corners as if it were on rails. That typical “like driving on rails” feeling. Understeer? You won’t notice any.
Driving modes for every type of rider
Via different driving modes, you can adjust the car completely to your own taste: Comfort for the daily commute, Sport for a bit more spice, and Race if you really want to go wild. But with the Performance package, you also get the Nürburgring and Drift modes. In Nürburgring mode, the suspension is a little smoother, so that you can blast over bumpy asphalt without a clatter. And then Drift mode: it turns you into a true drift king. With a flick of the wrist you can simply let the rear of the Golf break free in the corners. Those who are in a frugal mood can now also choose an Eco mode.
More than a racer?
A regular Volkswagen Golf is a practical choice: ideal for taking the family on vacation or for your daily drives to work. But can you do that with the Golf R? Yes, it can. The R can be a beast of a car, but only if you want it to be. Thanks to its adaptive suspension, it is also suitable for long distances and daily drives – without rattling your tooth fillings out. In this respect, the updated Golf R is truly an all-rounder.
But of course, you buy a Golf R primarily to have fun. The previous Golf R was already no pushover with its 320 hp, but the updated R goes even harder. With 333 hp, it is the most powerful Golf that Volkswagen has ever put on the road. If you want to enjoy a Golf R as it was meant to be – with that unadulterated sound, that intense experience and tons of horsepower – this is your chance.
In the video below, we tell you more about the updated Golf R: