2025 Volkswagen Golf R First Drive: Maxed-Out Hot Hatch

• The refreshed 2025 Volkswagen Golf R is now on sale.
• It includes a small power increase and selection of features that were previously only available on the European version of the car.
• VW also made some improvements to the interior, especially in the tech department with a new infotainment screen.

What's new with the Golf R?

It’s clear that Volkswagen considered customer feedback while refreshing the Golf R; almost all the changes are direct results of owner feedback. The biggest and most important update is the new 12.9-inch touchscreen inside the cabin. It replaces the older, smaller display, and this new setup is significantly easier to use, with quicker response times to inputs and fewer overall glitches. Also, VW finally added backlighting to the controls beneath the screen — you know, so you can see them at night. Unfortunately, the Golf R doesn't have the new steering wheel buttons you'll find in the Golf GTI, so you're stuck with the lousy haptic-feedback controls that are way too easy to accidentally activate.

There's a new Euro Styling package available on the R that brings a bunch of cool stuff from the European-spec model that American customers never got, including a sunroof delete, forged alloy wheels, synthetic suede seats and a titanium Akrapovic exhaust. All that goodness can all be yours for $3,800, which is somewhat expensive, but will likely be a must-have upgrade for enthusiasts.

There are also a sprinkling of exterior changes like a new light-up badge and different wheel choices. And if you’d like your R to be totally sinister, check out the Black Edition pictured here, which darkens the car from top to bottom.

As for what's under the hood, VW offers the same 2.0-liter turbocharged engine as before, but with some new electronic tuning resulting in a slight bump in power. It's great to have 328 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque in this little hatchback. But I wish VW would've kept the manual transmission on offer (boo!) — not that the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is anything to complain about.

Driving the Golf R

On the road, the Golf R is a much more serious car than the GTI. The 240-hp front-wheel-drive GTI offers accessible performance for drivers of all skill levels. But adding in almost 90 more horses and sending power to all four wheels makes the R a far more capable and menacing machine.

The Golf R is pretty darn quick in a straight line, and the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is the exact partner you want it to be, firing off shifts with precision and quickness. Volkswagen also tweaked the transmission software to hold a gear longer when you’re using the Golf R's two-wheel-drive Drift mode, so it will no longer upshift without the driver pulling on the right-hand steering paddle. It's much more fun in this scenario — especially with the new Akrapovic exhaust providing quite the noise party.

On track in the Golf R, you can attack corners with much higher entry speed and, unlike the GTI, the R's front tires aren't prone to moments of traction loss. This makes for cleaner overall cornering, with all-wheel drive sending power between all four corners as needed for balance, stability and grip. I also love that VW includes a Custom drive mode that gives you control over the suspension, drivetrain, steering and engine sound settings — you can alter the car's personality quite dramatically with a few simple adjustments.

Performance comes at a hefty price

Pricing for the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R starts at $48,325, including the mandatory destination fee. The Black Edition pack adds $1,300 to that, and the aforementioned Euro Styling package is $3,800. Does a $50,000 Volkswagen Golf seem crazy? Maybe. But it's worth remembering that competitors like the Honda Civic Type R and Toyota GR Corolla can reach a similar price point

If it was my money, I'd just stick with the less powerful Golf GTI. It's approachable and affordable — exactly what a hot hatch should be. That said, the high-performance Golf R certainly has its allure for people who demand the best performance, and thanks to a few meaningful updates, VW's hottest hatch is a much better car than before.