A new Golf generation used to be a pretty big thing for Volkswagen - apart from the short-lived Mark VI, that is - but it looks like all the commotion around the ID.3 managed to take some pressure off it.
Could that be why the Wolfsburg company allowed a completely naked Golf R to stretch its legs on the legendary German circuit near Nurburg? Probably not, but it sure makes for a nice departure from the usual secrecy surrounding unreleased models that can sometimes reach paranoid levels.
To be fair, it's not like Volkswagen is launching an all-new model here. We've seen the Mark VIII Golf and its GTI version already, so the R isn't really going to take anyone by surprise. Just add a slightly different front spoiler (that, somehow, looks less aggressive - or it could be the white paint job), the classic twin double exhausts, and a redesigned trunk lid spoiler, and there you have it: the all-new Golf R.
It's what you can't see that actually sets it apart from the GTI. Starting with the engine, the 2.5-liter five-cylinder rumor sadly died out, leaving the R with a 2.0-liter turbo that pushes out 333 hp. Can you ask more from a 2.0-liter engine? Well, you could, but then you'd be getting dangerously close to Mercedes-AMG A45 S territory.
The other important differentiator from the GTI is the all-wheel-drive system the R traditionally gets. When installed on a vehicle that's otherwise rear-wheel-driven, AWD can sometimes be frowned upon, but nobody will ever doubt its utility as an upgrade to a front-wheel-drive setup.
It's obviously hard to judge the new hot hatch's performance based on the Nordschleife footage, but we can notice the subdued sound of its exhaust. It's not bland by any means, yet it lacks the cackles and pops that other brands (not going to name them, but they know who they are) are famous for. We kind of like that: the Golf R is shaping up as the gentleman's hot hatch. You know, if gentlemen ever drove hot hatches.
The interior, which has been spied before, looks like it might be one of the R's strongest selling points. The usual VW levels of quality are to be expected, which means buyers can expect near-premium materials and build quality combined with a digital instrument cluster and a pretty big central display for everything infotainment-related.
The 2021 Volkswagen Golf R should make its debut sometime during the very few remaining months of this year. Rumors say the model's eight generation cold also bring a Golf R Variant (station wagon) for the first time, but whether that holds any truth remains to be seen.
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