New details of Volkswagen GTI TCR and Golf R leaked

Fresh details and a new pic of the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf GTI have been leaked online in the build-up to its launch at the 2020 Geneva motor show in March.

The single image of what's believed to be a rear shot of the 2021 Golf GTI TCR was followed just hours later by what looks like an official VW presentation slide that details the power output of the full performance Golf line-up, including the flagship R model.

According to Instagram user Cochespias, who only last week posted a pic of the facelifted 2020 Tiguan, the standard Golf GTI will come with 180kW – the same amount of power as the outgoing GTI Performance model.

The latter has been the standard Golf GTI in Australia since the Golf 7.5's release, and the 180kW/370Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine will continue to power our new GTI, which will be released alongside the mainstream Golf 8 hatch range Down Under late this year.

The Golf GTI TCR, meanwhile, is said to push out 221kW – 9kW more than the current model (the Australian launch of which has been delayed until July), while the turbo-diesel Golf GTD will offer 147kW and the plug-in hybrid Golf GTE a GTI-matching 180kW.

Even the power figure for the flagship all-wheel drive Golf R has been detailed at 245kW – which is somewhat down on the 300kW reported elsewhere, although a more powerful Golf R Plus is expected to follow. The Mk8 Golf R is expected to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

The single image posted by WilcoBlok, is thought to show the TCR version on account of its large rear wing and diffuser.

The image also previews the ninja throwing-star rims that the TCR could sport. The same wheels were also spotted on recent spy shots of the fast VW hatch winter testing.

We already know that, like the rest of the Golf 8 range, the new GTI and R will be based around developments of their predecessors' MQB chassis architecture and EA888 turbo four.

The plug-in GTE will once again combine a 1.4-litre turbo four-cylinder with a lithium battery, possibly with a power density of around 13kWh.

For 2020, the electrified hatch will boast a pure-electric range of at least 70km and should be capable of cruising up to 140km/h before the petrol engine kicks in.

For the Golf GTI and R models, both a six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions will be available in Europe, although the former DIY cog-swapper might not make it Down Under.

It’s expected Volkswagen will begin teasing both the 2021 Golf GTI and GTD in the build-up to the Geneva show.