Photo: SB-Medien
The Golf R has never been the most aggressive hot hatch on the market, but it always had interesting equipment and features. This also appears to be true for the all-new 2021 Golf R, recently photographed in detail by our spies.
As you can probably tell, the Golf R prototype is sitting in the same car park as the Tiguan facelift, but the carparazzi were much more interested in the details on this bad boy. For example, they captured the directional snow tires on 18-inch wheels, obviously not the setup you'll buy the car with.
The exterior of the prototype is littered with small sporty touches. For example, the R has much more professional-looking brakes with extra pistons and ventilated rotors. Aggression has also been introduced to the bodywork via the air intakes in the bumper, the black side skirts, or the twin trunk lid spoilers. This is no Civic Type R, but VW buyers value a bit of restraint.
At the back, we spot the trademark quad exhaust pipes, which don't yet have the production caps installed. It's possible that VW will offer two distinct versions in Europe, "regular" and R Performance.
As for the engine, it's obviously still going to be a 2.0 TSI turbo unit with an output of between 315 and 329 horsepower. A manual might be available, but this prototype is rocking the tiny new DSG shifter.
Speaking of which, we have to explain what's going on inside. The R keeps the all-digital layout of the normal Golf 8 and adds touches like a flat-bottomed steering wheel, Alcantara inserts, and some new bucket seats. These have integrated headrests, thick bolsters, and fake carbon leather inserts, all features some buyers might not like. Yeah, that means they're probably an expensive option.
Since the R model needs to handle way more precise than a regular Golf, we expect it's going to take a little longer to develop. A debut towards the end of 2020 is thus likely.
The exterior of the prototype is littered with small sporty touches. For example, the R has much more professional-looking brakes with extra pistons and ventilated rotors. Aggression has also been introduced to the bodywork via the air intakes in the bumper, the black side skirts, or the twin trunk lid spoilers. This is no Civic Type R, but VW buyers value a bit of restraint.
At the back, we spot the trademark quad exhaust pipes, which don't yet have the production caps installed. It's possible that VW will offer two distinct versions in Europe, "regular" and R Performance.
As for the engine, it's obviously still going to be a 2.0 TSI turbo unit with an output of between 315 and 329 horsepower. A manual might be available, but this prototype is rocking the tiny new DSG shifter.
Speaking of which, we have to explain what's going on inside. The R keeps the all-digital layout of the normal Golf 8 and adds touches like a flat-bottomed steering wheel, Alcantara inserts, and some new bucket seats. These have integrated headrests, thick bolsters, and fake carbon leather inserts, all features some buyers might not like. Yeah, that means they're probably an expensive option.
Since the R model needs to handle way more precise than a regular Golf, we expect it's going to take a little longer to develop. A debut towards the end of 2020 is thus likely.
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