We’ve gotten a chance to play with the 315-horsepower new Golf R on ice and think that it’s probably the best hot hatch that you’ll be able to buy. The hot hatch looks like some properly good fun, but Volkswagen left one big question unanswered. How much will the thing cost? Volkswagen has announced that the price for the new Golf R is $US43,645 ($58,371).
Now, that’s a steep price to pay for a Volkswagen. However, the marque notes that the Golf R comes in only one trim and that $US43,645 ($58,371) price gets you a fully-loaded car with a six-speed manual transmission. And you get a lot of goodies for the price.
As we explained in our First Drive, the Golf R ditches Haldex-based all-wheel-drive for a Twin Clutch setup.
Instead of a clutch that sends power to the rear axle to be distributed by the open diff (with input from the brakes) you get two clutches in the rear, one for each of the axle shafts. In VW’s setup, that means you can send up to 50 per cent of engine power to the rear axle and, depending on what you’re trying to do, you can send some, or even all of that power to either one of the rear wheels. If you want to go around a corner fast, putting some extra sauce on that rear outside wheel helps push you, like paddling a canoe.
What you get is a car that can get really sideways whether on tarmac or ice.
You get more than just a fancy AWD system and a drift mode for the price, too. The Golf R also has LED headlights, a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrument display, a 10-inch infotainment screen, in-car Wi-Fi and more.
I love its finer touches like the illuminated door handles and the ambient lighting. All seats in the car are heated, too.
The Golf R is expected to hit dealerships this fall. At least on paper, it sounds like you get a lot of hot hatch for the money. The price increase is also only about $US2,000 ($2,675) over the last Golf R. I’d love to get behind the wheel of this thing and see how sideways it can get on a track.