VW is extending the range of its facelifted Golf
family in Europe with the addition of the high-performance ‘R’, entry level 1.0
TSI, and 2.0 TDI 4MOTION models. They
too come with LED tail lights and the new Composition Color infotainment system
as standard.
Available in both hatchback and Variant (station
wagon) flavors, the Golf R benefits from a 10 PS and 20 Nm boost, pushing the 2.0-liter turbo four’s output to 310 PS and 400 Nm. VW says the ‘R’ hatch can hit 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds. In
Germany, you can pre-order the Golf R with a manual gearbox from € 40,675, and
the Golf R Variant with a DSG from € 44,800.
At the other end of the spectrum, the base 1.0-liter
model, will cost you a little less than half of that at € 17,850 for less than a
third of the power at 85 PS. On the bright side, the turbocharged
direct-injection petrol engine that is used here for the first time consumes
just 4.8 l/100 km on average on the Euro driving cycle, the equivalent of 49 mpg
US / 58.9 mph UK.
Slotting somewhere between the two is the new 2.0
TDI 4MOTION that pairs a 150 PS diesel to an all-wheel drive system. It
can be had as both a hatch, priced from € 29,600, and a Variant, from € 30,750.
