Golf R retains desiRability
Volkswagen’s Golf is a product that can do no wrong within a South Africa context. We appear to love Volkswagen performance hatchbacks in particular, with SA residents taking a liking to the four-wheel drive flagship Golf model, the R.
Recently, performance fans had a chance to purchase an updated Golf R, with the full-fat 228 kW and 400 N.m along with some tasty performance options. An Indium Grey Metallic example arrived at the office recently for a weeklong stay. The press car was heavily specified so as to showcase what is on offer to the budding R owner.
All those extRas
There are new options such as R-Performance Titanium exhaust from Akrapovič and R-Performance brakes for added stopping power to accompany the amplified ‘Vrrpha’. Other options include the stunning ‘Pretoria’ alloy wheels, the Dynaudio sound system, the larger Discover Pro sounds system with gesture control, Nappa leather seats with a carbon-look effect, adaptive cruise control, carbon-look mirror caps, keyless entry and adaptive Chassis Control, among others. This makes the list price of the press car around R800 000, quite costly for a Golf.
Once you’ve wrapped your head around what this car costs, and that you can most likely live comfortably without many of the above-mentioned extras, the virtues of Golf ownership soon become apparent. While it sounds incredible, the optional exhaust system is almost R40 000 and can be done without, much like the optional R9 900 performance brakes, unless you’re looking at participating in track days.
PeRfoRmance
Even several years after its initial release, the powertrain in the R still offers incredible performance, efficiency, refinement and general ease of use. The 2.0-litre EA888 motor in combination with the seven-speed DSG gearbox is simply fantastic. Claimed performance is impressive, with 100km/h coming up in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h.
Independent testing revealed that one of the press cars did the benchmark sprint in a shade over 5.0 seconds and continued on past the 250 km/h mark, yet, it was slightly slower than the previous 213kW variant. This could be down to a number of factors, including ambient temperature, however, this is simply what the data suggested. Fuel consumption throughout my week with the Golf was impressive, while nowhere near the 7.2 L/100km claims, a figure of around 9.8 L/100km were achievable.
Living with the R
Having had the 213 KW variant for an extended test back in 2017, I’ve experienced the Golf R in pretty much all of the driving scenarios one might encounter in a performance hatchback. On the open road, it offers a refined ride quality and during traffic, the DSG gearbox offers-up and incredibly smooth driving experience while also proving fantastic performance.
Verdict
The Golf R’s sales success is well-deserved thanks to its versatility, practicality, performance and brand value which is demonstrated by the fact that it outsells its Audi S3 sibling by some margin within the local market. As a package, it is very difficult to beat, something which I’m certain Mercedes-AMG is aware of with the imminent introduction of the A35.
Pricing
R681 000
Likes
- Daily usability and practicality
- Residual value
- All-weather performance
Dislikes
- No real performance edge over 213kW variant
- Options make the car rather pricey
- Due for replacement shortly
