Volkswagen Golf R 2010 Review

Volkswagen Golf R

What we liked
>> The price
>> The power
>> The performance

Not so much
>> It's so smooth it doesn't feel fast
>> The 2.0 turbo is effective but doesn't sound fast
>> Bodykit is more overt than GTI but doesn't look fast

Overall rating: 4.0/5.0
Engine and Drivetrain: 4.0/5.0
Price, Value, Practicality: 4.0/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
>> GTI fans never had it so good
Australians love hot hatches and, in particular, they love the Volkswagen Golf GTI. It's been our biggest-selling pocket rocket for the past six years -- and accounts for one in four Golf sales nationally. Globally, the GTI accounts for about for just 5 per cent of Golf sales.

Volkswagen has clearly noticed our appetite for small cars with big performance -- and put more options on the menu.

There are now a couple of tasty alternatives that cost a little less -- and a little more -- than the Golf GTI's price point of about $40,000. In June Volkswagen released the Golf GTD -- effectively a Golf GTI with a diesel engine -- which snuck in at $800 less than a Golf GTI. At the same time the German carmaker released the petrol-powered pinnacle of the Golf range -- Golf R.

It's more powerful, more fuel efficient and better equipped than the V6-engined R32 it replaces -- and yet has come in at $9500 less than before. Significantly, the Golf R starting price of $48,490 is also a little more than $9500 dearer than a regular Golf GTI. Given the difference in leasing costs between the two is likely to be as little as $20 a week, Golf GTI fans will have a dilemma on their hands.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
>> $9.5K cheaper
Now simply called Golf R, the hottest Golf is available in three-door and five-door forms, as before. And both body styles are still available with six-speed manual or six-speed twin clutch automated transmissions that Volkswagen calls DSG.

The three-door manual costs $48,490, the three-door DSG costs $50,990, the five-door manual costs $49,990 and the most popular version, the five-door DSG, costs $52,490. Dealer charges and registration fees need to be added to these prices.

As the flagship of the Golf line-up, the R version comes with the works -- although surprisingly, even a $50,000 Golf still does not have Bluetooth wireless telephone connectivity as standard (it's listed as an accessory). Given that Bluetooth is now standard on $15,000 hatchbacks this seems an unusual oversight.

Nevertheless, the Golf R has plenty of standard fare, including seven airbags, dual zone air-conditioning, and front and rear parking sensors.

The R version also gains bi-xenon headlights, a unique black grille, black mirrors, a front bumper with LED daytime running lights and larger grille openings, a rear bumper with inboard twin exhausts (a signature of the previous R Golf models), darkened tail-light clusters with LED lamps and 18-inch wheels.

Identical pattern 19-inch wheels are optional ($1300), as are navigation ($2500), premium sound ($1300) and a rear camera ($500).

Sports cloth seats are standard, while leather seats ($3300) and a sunroof ($1900) are optional.

Leather-covered, race-style Recaro sports seats are a $5300 option but don't include side airbags. Similar Recaro race-style seats that are optional in the Renault Clio Sport hot hatch are equipped with side airbags, so this is an odd omission by safety-conscious Volkswagen.

Adaptive chassis control (which gives drivers the option of comfort, normal and sports modes) is a $1500 option.

MECHANICAL
>> V6 is gone, but power and torque are up
Some Golf R purists may tut-tut at the proposition of giving up their glorious-sounding 3.2-litre V6 for a comparatively characterless 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. But fear not, Volkswagen hasn't let you down. The numbers tell the real story.

The boffins at VW have managed to extract more power and more torque from a smaller powerplant -- and delivered better performance... Oh, and a 28 per cent saving in fuel!

Quite frankly, all of this is nothing short of an engineering marvel.

The original Golf R32 (200 of which were sold in Australia from 2004 at a cost of $63,000) had 177kW of power and stopped the clocks at 6.6 seconds in the 0 to 100km/h sprint. The second generation Golf R32 that went on sale in 2006 had 184kW of power and stopped the clock at 6.2 seconds when equipped with DSG.

The latest generation Golf R has 188kW and Volkswagen claims it stops the clocks in 5.9 seconds. However, an independent test by the Carsales Network using satellite-based timing equipment returned four runs (two in each direction) of between 5.2 and 5.4 seconds (one person on board, full tank of fuel, 12 degrees outside temperature)!

This is quick in any language, although interestingly it didn't feel like it (see drive impressions).

Some Golf R enthusiasts may wonder why Australian models don't have the same 199kW peak power as the European model. We're told it's because Australia is a hot weather market and the quality of our fuel varies across the country (95 octane unleaded is the minimum required but 98 octane is recommended). Nevertheless, apparently the wick has still been turned up, with up to 1.2 bar of turbo boost pressure.

Incidentally, while much of the focus has been about engine power, torque has increased from 320Nm (at 2500-3000rpm) to 330Nm over a broader rev range (2400-5200rpm). That speaks to better driveability.

Fuel consumption has been slashed from 10.9L/100km to 8.7L/100km. Of course, if you explore the engine's potential, consumption increases markedly.

The fastest production Golf ever built also has the biggest brakes ever fitted to VW's most popular hatchback: 345mm diameter front discs are only 5mm smaller than the front discs on the 2.5-tonne R50 Touareg performance 4WD (310mm rear discs on Golf R).

Of course the biggest difference between the Golf R and the GTI is the fact it's all-wheel drive.

As we noted in our international launch coverage of the Golf R Volkswagen's 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system came in for special attention in the R. The changes were designed to make the system more 'pro-active', as opposed to the R32's 'reactive' system. The system no longer requires any wheelspin to kick into action, and almost 100 per cent of the car's drive can now be sent to the rear wheels.

In its latest guise the Golf weighs 1500kg.

PACKAGING
>> Golf practicality standard
A roomy cabin and a big boot make the Golf R a practical choice. No doubt this will help get some discretionary purchases over the line with anyone who needs the tick of approval from their Significant Other. That Volkswagen can take such a successful package and turn it into a performance car must make some rivals sick with envy.

For those who'd like a recap, the front seats are not only comfortable and roomy, there's also plenty of adjustment (front, back and up, down). Ample reach and height adjustment of the steering wheel makes finding the perfect seating position a snack.

The back seat has almost as much head- and knee-room as a Ford Falcon and yet the Golf will fit into a much tighter parking space.

The boot is generously sized, although boot capacity is down from 350 litres on the regular Golf to 275 litres on the R model to make way for the all-wheel-drive system's rear differential under the cargo floor.

SAFETY
>> Seven airbags and a strong body equate to five-star safety
As with all latest generation Volkswagen Golf hatches, the Golf R comes with seven airbags and five-star safety. Front, side and curtain airbags are joined by an airbag for the driver's knee area under the steering wheel.

Another significant change to the Golf R which affects its on-road performance comes in the form of the ACC system with its 'Sport' function. Once this mode is selected, the computer-controlled system resets damper settings at the appropriate rate.

COMPETITORS

The STi and Evo are of course highly capable vehicles. They have more power and torque than the Golf R (Subaru WRX STI 221kW/407Nm, Mitsubishi Evo X 217kW/366Nm) but they also weigh a little more.

Apart from the Golf R, only the Mitsubishi is available with a twin-clutch automated gearbox (the STi is a manual-only proposition). But they can all sprint from 0 to 100km/h in the low to mid 5 second bracket.

Side-by-side the Golf R may barely be a fraction of a second behind the Japanese hot hatches in outright pace, but the Volkswagen has much better levels of comfort and everyday drive-ability.

There is one other rival to consider, due in Australian showrooms later this year: the updated version of Renault's Megane RS hatch.

Its 2.0-litre turbo engine has 184kW and 340Nm but it is a three-door, six-speed manual, front-drive only proposition. And it's 0 to 100km/h claim is slower, at 6.1 seconds. Nevertheless it will be one to watch.

ON THE ROAD
>> Smooth is fast
Much like the regular Volkswagen Golf GTI gets on the job without much fuss, anyone expecting a thump in the back from the Golf R may be disappointed. Indeed, the Golf R's acceleration is so smooth that we bolted on a satellite-based timing device to find out just how fast the Golf R really is.

My driving partner and I placed bets after having driven the Golf R for more than an hour or so. I guessed it would stop the clocks somewhere in the high 5 to low 6 second bracket. He initially agreed, but thought with me out of the passenger seat it might do a high 5. Gee, thanks.

So, I stood on the side of the empty remote flat road in freezing conditions while my colleague set about doing this scientific experiment. And after two runs (one in each direction to account for incline and decline and wind direction) he thought there must have been a mistake... So he repeated the test... The results: four passes between 5.2 and 5.4 seconds each.

As we've said earlier this was at low altitude, 12 degrees and no breeze. In other words: ideal conditions. We tried it later in the day in slightly hotter conditions (16 degrees) after three-quarters of the fuel tank had been emptied, and got a 5.4 second time with no troubles. We were both stunned.

Mid-5.0sec 0-100km/h times are impressively quick and yet both of us would have bet our lives the car was slower than this. Put it down to the smoothness of the turbo engine's power delivery and the smoothness of the DSG gearchanges. Remarkable...

Everything else gets a tick, too. The steering is nicely weighted, there is ample grip -- wet or dry -- and the massive brakes never seem to give up.

It's also surprisingly comfortable over bumps, although we were in a car equipped with active suspension. After a while we could pick the difference between the three settings, and figure it is a worthwhile option if you can afford it.

Overall the Golf R is an impressive piece of kit which left me and my colleague scratching our heads, wondering how VW does it for the money. There is still half the year remaining, but I'd like to bet this will end up as favourite for the various performance bargain of the year awards.

The Golf R may not feel like a razor sharp instrument, but that's only because you can't feel the blade.

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