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One last hurrah as Volkswagen prepares to unleash Golf 8.5 R
A possible uptick in power could happen, although for now, the final combustion engine R remains shrouded in mystery.
Final ever combustion engine Golf R could get more power based on the added grunt afforded to the Golf 8.5 GTI. Image: Volkswagen
A curious absentee from the launch of the updated Golf 8.5 last week, with nothing having emerged in the run-up either, Volkswagen has started teasing the Golf 8.5 R in preparation for its global unveiling in “mid-2024”.
Final combustion encore
Similar to the Golf 8.5 GTI, and indeed the eighth generation Golf lineage, the 8.5 R will be the swansong for the internal combustion engine as the next generation Golf 9 will become a dedicated EV when it debuts around 2026.
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Also one of the R’s division last combustion engine models ahead of its EV switch before 2030, the official teasers show the comparatively mildly disguised R undergoing ice driving testing in Austria with long-time Volkswagen World Rallycross (WRX) exponent and six-time champion, Johan Kristoffersson, and multiple sports car and DTM champion, ex-F1 driver Hans-Joachim Stuck, taking turns behind the wheel.
Its eventual time of release set to coincide with that of the first Golf in 1974, the teaser provides no details of any mechanical changes made underneath the 8.5 R’s skin, nor does it state whether power would be increased similar to the Golf 8.5 GTI.
What to expect
Besides the same revised aesthetic as the Golf 8.5, the R will receive the same redesigned interior complete with the 10.2-inch Digital Cockpit Pro digital instrument cluster and more than likely, only the 12.9-inch infotainment system with Wolfsburg’s MIB4 software and integrated ChatGPT.
As for the amount of twist, the 2.0 TSI engine will be carried over without any electrical assistance, though as mentioned, it could match the 245 kW made by the limited edition R 333 unveiled last year.
At present, the unit develops 235kW/420Nm channelled to all four wheels through a seven-speed DSG which will again be standard now that the six-speed manual, only available in the United States, has been dropped entirely.
Unlike the GTI, the R will again be offered in Variant estate guise, but only in Europe and nowhere else.
Not yet for South Africa
Its exact date-of-reveal to be announced later, expectations are the Golf 8.5 R will eventually be offered in South Africa alongside the Golf 8.5 GTI, but more than likely closer towards the end of 2024.
As such, expect more details to be announced in due course.
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