Volkswagen Golf R 2010 Review - International

Not so much
>> No more V6 soundtrack
>> Smaller gap to the GTI
>> Adaptive suspension not standard

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.0/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.0/5.0

About our ratings

Around the slick ice circuit set-up in the Austrian ski village in Ellmau, the new Volkswagen Golf R drifts perfectly thanks to a combination of great chassis balance, studded tyres and power. It's an ideal demonstration of the new turbocharged Golf R at its dynamic best.

It's also a demonstration of skill and balance from the driver... which is not me. My chauffer is multiple German rally champion and former Dakar competitor, Dieter Depping. His ability to hold the R in such an aggressive slide on the icy surface was the highlight of the recent international launch of the latest high performance Golf.

But driving on a specially created ice track is not truly indicative of the types of conditions most Australian drivers will encounter in the Golf R. Fortunately, the launch program included a reasonably extensive road drive (from Munich to Ellmau) that allowed the Carsales Network to get a more realistic insight into the new model.

The most obvious mechanical change on the Golf R compared to the R32 it replaces is the engine. As fuel consumption and emissions regulations tighten around the world, VW needed to act to keep the R legal but without sacrificing performance. The engineers succeeded because the new 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine not only has more power and torque but it also sips less fuel, and consequently is cleaner to boot.

But by losing the V6 the Golf R is not only closer than ever before to the GTI, but it also loses one of its most defining characteristics -- a wonderful six-cylinder soundtrack. So has Volkswagen done enough with the rest of the car to make the Golf R a more compelling product than the already impressive GTI?

In terms of style and comfort upgrades the standard kit on the R takes the Golf GTI and turns up the heat. Included in the spec are Bi-Xenon headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, 'Talladega' style 18-inch alloy wheels, a unique bumper design and the compulsory 'R' badging.

Inside, Volkswagen Individual (the department responsible for the German brand's R-Line models) adds heated sports seats trimmed in a mix of black and grey fabric, leather wrapped steering wheel, stainless steel pedals, aluminium door plates, MP3 compatible audio system with AUX input and 'Climatronic' dual-zone air-conditioning. There are more 'R' logos blazoned across most surfaces too.

Volkswagen Australia has confirmed it will offer the Golf R in one trim level but with a number of options available. They will include leather seats, racing-style seats, sunroof, 19-inch alloy wheels and reversing camera.

Unfortunately another optional extra will be the Adaptive Chassis Control suspension system. The technology continually alters the suspension damping depending on the road condition to produce the optimum balance of road-holding and passenger comfort in the 'Normal' mode. But the driver can also choose a 'Sport' or 'Comfort' mode to further improve the performance of the car. The ACC system also has an effect on the steering characteristics for each mode.

Volkswagen's decision not to fit the ACC as standard on the Golf R does detract somewhat from its position as the halo model of the Golf range. It also reduces the gap between the R and GTI as the two now share the same engine configuration; even if it's not the same engine.

As far as pricing is concerned, VW Australia has only said the car will sit between the GTI and outgoing R32. That implies a slight price reduction, but don't expect it to be too far from the R32 starting price of $55,490 in order to leave enough space between the GTI and the R.

Full pricing and Australian specifications will be released when the car is launched here in June or July.

The direct-injection engine is the same unit found under the bonnet of the Audi S3 and is capable of pumping out 199kW at 6000rpm. However, due to concerns at VW HQ in Germany over the hotter Australian climate, the cars that make it to Australia will only produce 188kW. Torque will be unchanged though, with the Golf R packing 350Nm between 2500-5000rpm.

Those figures represent an increase of 4kW and 30Nm over the R32. But it's the fuel economy figure that makes the biggest impact. VW claims an improvement of 21 per cent over the R32, thanks to the smaller engine.

R32 economy was pegged at 10.8L/100km for the manual and 9.8 for the DSG-equipped model. The new car reduces those figures to 8.5 and 8.4 for the respective transmissions. And for the environmentally conscious, the new Golf R manual only emits 199g/km of CO2; by comparison, the R32 manual was pumping out 259.

It's not just the engine that comes in for treatment though, with the R-Line engineers giving the rest of the car the once-over as well.

Volkswagen's 4MOTION all-wheel drive system came in for special attention. The changes were designed to make the system more 'pro-active', as opposed to the R32's 'reactive' system. In mechanical terms that meant changing the centre differential so that it no longer requires any difference between the front and rear axle speeds to activate.

This is thanks to the addition of an electric pump that builds oil pressure for the centre diff and a control module. These two components work together to calculate the ideal drive to send to the rear wheels via the multi-plate clutch. Not only does that mean better traction, because the system no longer requires any wheelspin to kick into action, but almost 100 per cent of the car's drive can now be sent to the rear wheels.

Another significant change to the performance comes in the form of a new stability control system that includes a 'Sport' function. Once this mode is selected, the computer-controlled system delays the activation of the safety nannies to allow the driver more freedom.

Both the six-speed manual and six-speed double-clutch DSG transmissions are carried over from the R32.

Suspension is based on the same McPherson strut front/multi-link rear configuration used on the rest of the Golf 6 range, but is beefed-up to cope with the extra performance of the R. This means a 25mm lower ride height as well as upgraded springs, dampers and stabiliser bars to keep the car stuck to the road.

Another performance upgrade comes in the form of bigger brakes. The R employs internally ventilated discs at each corner clamped by black calipers complete with R logos. The front the discs measure 345mm and at the rear 310mm.

Transferring all these changes to the road are 225/40 tyres wrapped around 18-inch alloy wheels. As noted above, 19-inch wheels and rubber will be optional.

The two small strips of DRLs sit in the new Golf R-specific front bumper that is designed to visually separate the model from the rest of the Golf range. The most dramatic change is the large centre opening flanked by two smaller square intakes -- it's a significant departure from the rest of the Golf range, that only have a single lower grille opening.

At the rear the Golf R stands out with its LED taillights and new rear bumper that incorporates a diffuser and twin exhaust pipes.

Inside the Golf R looks much like a regular Golf, save for the sporty seats.

Boot space is compromised because of the all-wheel drive system but is still capable of swallowing 350-litres of luggage with the rear seats up.

For more on the Golf 6 range's mechanical and packaging refinements check out our local launch of the range or our coverage of the international launch of the GTI.

See the above link for more details on the Golf 6 safety story.

No other hot hatch sits in the $50,000 range, so on terms of both performance and price the Golf R sits in a middle ground. It lies in a grey area somewhere between $35,000-plus hot hatches like the Golf GTI and Ford Focus XR5 and $60,000-plus performance cars like the Subaru Impreza STI and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.

The Golf GTI is the most obvious competitor and it's not hard to imagine buyers cross-shopping the siblings. But with not only more money but an extra 33kW and 70Nm, there is enough of a difference between the pair to leave VW dealers comfortable.

One of the closest rivals on performance and price will be the MINI John Cooper Works. Although front-wheel drive, the turbocharged hatch starts at $48,800, so with the inevitable myriad MINI options the price will sit on par with the Golf R.

But perhaps the closest rival of all will be the Golf R's cousin with the four-ringed badge, the Audi S3. Under the skin these two cars share much running gear, including the same engine and all-wheel drive system. And in terms of build quality and interior comfort Volkswagen has closed the gap to Audi considerably in recent years.

That means the extra asking price for the S3 (a starting price of $66,500 for the three-door and $68,400 for the five-door) could make the Golf R attractive in the current economic climate.

The wailing V6 engine screamed like a banshee and made the car one of the best sounding cars on the market. In fact, dollar-for-decibel it was probably the best, in the same league as the BMW M3 and Ferrari 430. It was THAT good.

So with that in mind the first thing I'm paying attention to as we head out of Munich Airport on the drive to Ellmau is the exhaust note of the new R. The retention of the twin pipes helps to retain some of that glorious noise, but it now lacks the same piercing roar.

That's the bad news. The good news is the rest of the new Golf R is better in every other respect than the R32. Indeed, like the rest of the Mk6 Golf range it's not a case of a small number of big improvements over the old model, but rather a lot of fine enhancements that add up to something really significant.

The Golf R is certainly quick enough. Standing on the throttle on a stretch of unrestricted autobahn, the new engine has no trouble propelling the car to 200km/h in short order. Although you can't do those speeds on Australia roads it not only underlines the strength of the new engine -- it also suggests the Golf R will feel at home on a racetrack.

Our test car was fitted with ACC and we used the cruise down the autobahn to experiment with the various settings. There was a noticeable difference between the 'Sport' and 'Comfort' modes. The former improved the responsiveness of the steering, but it also stiffened the car up significantly and is probably best used for those willing to cop a few sharp jolts to the back... Or a racetrack.

Peeling off the autobahn and on to the snaking roads up to the Austrian ski slopes, the Golf R feels even more at home. Driving through the various towns that scatter the landscape gives us a chance to get a feel for the R in an urban environment.

One positive is the change to the latest iteration of VW's DSG automated manual dual-clutch transmission that all-but-eradicates the initial hesitation on take-off. This is a bugbear of ours and a fault that has plagued this form of transmission in the past. (Although we spent most of our time in the DSG, a brief run in the manual confirmed that the 'traditional' VW gearbox remains a highly capable unit with a good action, nice feel and light clutch).

The roads in and round Ellmau weren't well suited to high performance driving so it was difficult to gauge just how much better the handling is without the weighty V6 sitting under the bonnet. But we did get enough of a chance to know that it is definitely improved. In addition the steering is brilliant, well weighted, direct and provides plenty of feedback.

Brakes were strong throughout the day and the pedal feel was good.

With the Australian examples of the car getting [slightly] detuned engines we'll reserve our full judgment on the Golf R until we sample it on local roads. But based on our initial Austrian drive it is clear that VW has made the Golf R a better car than the R32 in every respect... Except one -- that glorious engine noise.

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