2025 Volkswagen Golf R Review

Man of Many

2 days ago

High Point Low Point Verdict Vehicle Dynamics Management (VDM) system and R-Performance Torque Vectoring makes it genuinely fun to drive. 2.0-litre TSI (EA888 evo4) engine loves to rev, and has more power (245 kW). Some interior materials (plastics) don't make it feel like $70k worth of luxury hatchback. Plastic doors in something this expensive? Really? Still the best executive express for the money. While the market moves towards small SUVs the Golf R reminds us why the flagship premium hot hatch is still the leader in the segment.
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Ten years ago, I bought myself a used 2010 Volkswagen Golf GTI. It was one of the quickest P-plate legal cars you could buy at the time, and it was the car that taught me how to change oil and wiper blades. Things spiralled, and it eventually became a project, much to the dismay of my parents, whose driveway it sat on. With the car on jackstands, I taught myself how to pull the engine, upgrade the turbo, intercooler, suspension, and even a thing or two about engine software management.
It was in those few years that I learnt how a car worked, and I wouldn't be the same automotive writer I am today had I not spent hours of my life lying on my back under that Golf GTI in my parents' driveway.
What I'm trying to say is that I'm a Volkswagen nut, but also their biggest critic. That brings me to the new Golf R MK8.5, which arrives more than a decade after my humble GTI hit the production line in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen hosted a group of media for a drive through the New South Wales Central West from Orange to the Blue Mountains and then Sydney Motorsport Park. Here, I learnt all about the new Golf R, and today, I'm going to share everything that you need to know about the executive express.
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
How Much is the Volkswagen Golf R?
The 2025 Volkswagen Golf R is priced from AUD$70,990 before on-road costs in Australia, while the blacked-out Golf R Black Edition is priced from AUD$72,490 before on-road costs. If you want a little more theatre, the Warmenau Package (AUD$6,500) can be optioned and comes with an Akrapovič titanium exhaust and real carbon décor.
Here's how the line-up looks in Australia:
2025 Golf R MK8.5 – from $70,990 plus on-road costs
2025 Golf R Black Edition – from $72,490 plus on-road costs Warmenau Package +$6,500 Panoramic Sunroof +$1,900
That's right, our Australian-delivered vehicles are highly specified from the factory with features like a Harman Kardon 480W 8+1 speaker system, Nappa leather seats with heating & ventilation (front), and a Head-up display (windscreen projection). The only option available is the Panoramic Sunroof ($1,900).
Colour options for the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R are Pure White, Lapiz Blue (Premium Metallic), and Grenadilla Black (Metallic).
Here's how the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R stacks up against its key rivals:
Model Power 0–100 km/h Drivetrain Price (AUD) VW Golf R MK8.5 245kW / 420Nm 4.6 sec AWD $70,990 Audi S3 Sportback 245kW / 420Nm 4.7 sec AWD $78,800 Toyota GR Corolla GTS 221kW / 370Nm 5.3 sec AWD $67,990–$70,490 Honda Civic Type R 235kW / 420Nm 5.7 sec FWD $74,100 Driveaway BMW M135i xDrive 233kW / 450Nm 4.9 sec AWD $83,600 Mercedes-AMG A35 4MATIC 225kW / 400Nm 4.7 sec AWD $89,700
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2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
What's the Interior Like?
I was shocked to find capacitive touch buttons on the steering wheel! While the new Volkswagen Golf GTI has steered away from this, the Golf R has retained them. I found this odd because Andreas Mindt, VW Head of Design, was recently asked about this and said 'We will never, ever make this mistake any more. On the steering wheel, we will have physical buttons. No guessing any more,' in an interview with Autocar in March.
Besides that giant 12.9-inch infotainment display, the rest of the interior will look very familiar to those who have spent time in the MK8 R. You get heated and ventilated front seats finished in Nappa leather with blue decorative stitching and three-position memory. We spent more than four hours in the car during the drive route and they were perfectly comfortable.
Materials are only okay, and generally shared with the Golf GTI (even the base model) in key areas. Everything in your eyeline is wrapped in some form of fabric or leather, which is something I can't say for other brands. However, things start to get very scratchy and plastic the further down you look in the cabin. The biggest offender is the door, which is almost entirely plastic. You grab the door handle to shut the car every time you get i,n and it doesn't feel particularly luxurious when you do.
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
I don't remember the rear seats being quite so cramped, but you could pretty comfortably jump from a board meeting to lunch and back with four adults on board. I'm not sure that I'd want to take a ride in the back seats for longer than 2 hours, although the rear centre armrest with cupholders and two rear (45W fast-charging) USB-C ports and AC vents would help make the trip a little more comfortable.
Storage has always been a strong suit of Volkswagen Golfs, and the R continues this trend with 60/40 split folding rear seats with pass-through and a total of 341 litres of boot capacity (seats up) and 1,197 litres with the seats down.
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
The 12.9-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto dominates the cabin, and it houses the vast majority of your controls. This is complemented by a 10.2-inch digital cluster with custom views and a head-up display.
There are a handful of shortcut buttons on the top of the display to access drive modes, parking systems, safety, vehicle settings, and the main menu. Then, a second row is used at the bottom to shortcut your recirculation, A/C, climate, and seat cooling and heating. Finally, below this are your slide controls to adjust temperature and volume, and lower in the cabin near the air vents, more hard buttons for safety, parking, climate, and drive modes.
Your headlight controls are positioned on a panel on the right-hand side of the cabin behind the steering wheel, but you're probably never going to touch them.
There are two USB-C ports in the front, two in the rear, and a wireless charging dock that couldn't fit my iPhone 16 Pro Max with a case on it.
Other important features include LED lighting with 30 selectable colours, LED footwell lighting (colour-selectable), reading lights (front and rear, LED), LED vanity mirrors (driver + passenger), and three-zone automatic air conditioning. Yeah, it's pretty well equipped for a hatchback!
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
How Does the Volkswagen Golf R Drive?
Specification Detail Engine Type 2.0-litre TSI (EA888 evo4) Configuration Inline 4-cylinder, turbocharged Fuel System Direct injection Fuel Type (Recommended) 95 RON unleaded Engine Position Front transverse Cubic Capacity 1984 cc Maximum Power 245 kW @ 6500 rpm Maximum Torque 420 Nm Emission Standard EU6 Transmission 7-speed DSG (wet dual-clutch) Driven Wheels 4MOTION all-wheel drive Torque Vectoring Yes – R-Performance Torque Vectoring
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The Volkswagen Golf R has always been the executive express, lauded for its straight line speed and smart looks, but with the adoption of EVs, everything is quick these days, and you can get an MG4 XPower for AUD$59,990 that accelerates from 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds.
Knowing this, the new Golf R adds R-Performance Torque Vectoring to its 4MOTION all-wheel drive system. This is a tricky rear differential that can send 50 per cent of power to the rear differential and then 100 per cent of that to the outside wheel to help reduce understeer and improve traction and corner exit, similar to the latest-generation Audi RS 3. Most importantly, it makes the car more capable, which is the German word for fun.
I've spent time behind the wheel of some pretty serious metal recently, including the Lamborghini Revuelto and Aston Martin Vanquish, and the Golf R is right up there in terms of capability on the road. You'd have to be in a pretty special Porsche to get away from this on a twisty road.
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
The secret sauce lies in the Golf R's Vehicle Dynamics Management (VDM) system, which is a closed-loop control system that uses real-time data from sensors to manage the Chassis (adaptive damping), Steering, 4MOTION all-wheel drive, and R-Performance Torque Vectoring rear differential.
You don't know that it's working while driving (it's not something that you can feel), but you know it's working when you point the Golf R into a bend and it glues itself to the tarmac and shoves you out of the bend with serious force.
It works with the drive modes to adjust things like the Adaptive Chassis Control (DCC), steering feel, throttle mapping, gear shift logic, exhaust sound, and the torque vectoring and AWD logic.
Here's a list of the drive modes in the new MK8.5 Golf R and what they do:
Comfort : Softer suspension, lighter steering, smoother throttle and gear shifts for daily driving
: Softer suspension, lighter steering, smoother throttle and gear shifts for daily driving Sport : Sharper throttle response, firmer damping, sharper gear shifts for spirited street driving
: Sharper throttle response, firmer damping, sharper gear shifts for spirited street driving Race : Stiffer damping, weightier steering, minimal traction control for track use
: Stiffer damping, weightier steering, minimal traction control for track use Special : Nürburgring-tuned setup with softer damping over bumps (my favourite)
: Nürburgring-tuned setup with softer damping over bumps (my favourite) Drift : Sends more torque to the rear outside wheel to enable controlled oversteer
: Sends more torque to the rear outside wheel to enable controlled oversteer Individual: Lets you mix settings (e.g. Comfort suspension + Race throttle)
So the software is pretty good, but what about the basics? The progressive steering does struggle with feel on centre, but gets better once weighted up. The pedals are tuned well, with a firm brake that never faded on the twisty mountain roads, and the transmission is a 7-speed DSG (wet dual-clutch) that's been retuned and can now comfortably claim the title as 'baby PDK' because of its accuracy and speed.
Of course, power from the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged EA888 evo4 engine is always there, and it likes to rev, producing 245kW @ 6,500rpm and 420Nm with a very flat curve. 0-100km/h is dispatched in 4.6 seconds, which isn't blistering by today's standards, but if you find the new GTI a tad lacklustre in this regard, the R will give you the fizz you're looking for.
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
How Safe is the Volkswagen Golf R?
The Volkswagen Golf R hasn't specifically been tested by ANCAP, but it carries across the 5-Star Safety rating from the Volkswagen Golf, which was originally rated by ANCAP in 2019 and assessed against 2022 rating criteria. All updated Golf MK8 variants built from November 2022 and on sale from February 2023 carry this rating.
Here's how the Volkswagen Golf scored in ANCAP tests:
Adult Occupant Protection 88% – 33.66 out of 38
Child Occupant Protection 87% – 42.71 out of 49
Vulnerable Road User Protection 74% – 39.98 out of 54
Safety Assist 76% – 12.17 out of 16
These are the safety systems you get in the new Golf R, in alphabetical order:
Airbags Driver and front passenger airbags Front side airbags Rear side airbags Curtain airbags (front and rear) Front centre airbag
Child Safety ISOFIX child seat anchorage points (outer rear seats) Top tether child seat anchorage points (x3) Child safety locks on rear doors
Driver Assistance (IQ.DRIVE Suite) Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with stop & go Travel Assist (combines ACC and Lane Assist with lane guidance) Lane Assist (lane-keeping system) Front Assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection Emergency Assist Side Assist (blind spot monitoring) Rear Traffic Alert Exit Warning System Distance warning display Park Assist Plus (semi-autonomous parking) Manoeuvre braking (front and rear) Oncoming vehicle braking when turning
Parking & Camera Systems Area View (360° exterior camera system) Rear View Camera (RVC) Parking distance sensors (front and rear) Optical Parking System (OPS, visual display in infotainment)
Active Safety Systems Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) Brake Assist Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution (EBD) Multi-collision brake Hill Start Assist (HSA) Performance front brake system Automatic flashing brake lights (emergency braking)
Traction & Stability Electronic Stabilisation Program (ESP) Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) Extended Electronic Differential Lock (XDL) Vehicle Dynamics Manager R-Performance Torque Vectoring
Security & Anti-Theft Alarm system with interior monitoring and towing protection Electronic engine immobiliser Keyless Access (keyless entry and push-button start) Programmable locking functions Remote central locking Warning triangle
Tyre & Emergency Support Low tyre pressure indicator Tyre mobility set (sealant and 12V compressor)
2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
How Much Does the Volkswagen Golf R Cost to Run?
Servicing and Warranty Golf R Warranty 5 years, unlimited kilometres Roadside assistance 12 months Service intervals 12 months or 15,000 kilometres Service pricing 1 year / 15,000 kms $557
2 years / 30,000 kms $1,071
3 years / 45,000 kms $557
4 years / 60,000 kms $1,460
5 years / 75,000 kms $557 Capped-price servicing 3 Years $1,966 (10% discount)
5 Years $3,640 (1st Service Cost Free)
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2025 Volkswagen Golf R | Image: Supplied / Volkswagen Australia
Verdict on the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R
Cars aren't cheap anymore, and while the sticker price of AUD$70,990 before on-roads might sound a little ridiculous on paper for a VW hatchback, it becomes less of a shock when you look at the competition. The platform-shared Audi S3 Sportback is priced from AUD$78,800, the Honda Civic Type R is upwards of $74,100, and the aging Mercedes-AMG A35 4MATIC is priced from $89,700 plus on-roads.
It makes the more powerful, quicker Golf R look like good value for money, and when you add in the additional standard kit, with things like Harmon Kardon audio and leather included, the price looks even sharper.
Servicing is still exorbitantly priced, and the Civic Type R and GR Corolla are more fun on a track, but the Golf R can keep up everywhere else, and you don't have to explain to your better half why you bought a track car over a sensible daily driver with an attitude problem.
It's been a fan favourite since it launched, and this is the best Golf R yet. Need we say much more?