The 2022 Volkswagen Golf R packs more power and technology than ever, but you’ll pay more for the privilege.
Volkswagen Australia has announced pricing for the 2022 Golf R hatchback and wagon, set to arrive Down Under during April 2022.
The Golf R hatch will be priced at $66,990 before on-road costs, while the wagon will be $69,990 before on-roads.
Power in the Golf R wagon comes from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine with 235kW of power and 420Nm of torque, sent to all four wheels through an updated 4Motion all-wheel drive system.
At launch, the hatchback will feature a slightly detuned version of the same engine. It has the same power output, but is down 20Nm on the wagon and doesn’t have a petrol particulate filter.
Volkswagen has previously said both variants would get the full-fat European tune, but told CarExpert accepting the 400Nm engine was the only way to secure an April launch for the hot hatch.
The brand is contacting anyone who’s laid down a deposit and offering a refund if they don’t want the lower-output Golf R. The $66,990 list price is $1000 lower than initially planned to reflect the fact the R is packing a different tune to what was originally expected.
There’s currently no word on when the torquier engine will be available in the hatchback. The 100km/h sprint takes a claimed 4.8 seconds – 0.1 seconds slower than a hatch with a full 420Nm, and 0.1 seconds faster than the wagon (below).
The all-wheel drive hardware in the hatchback is unchanged which means, along with the ability to shuffle torque between the front and rear axles, it’s able to split the torque sent rearward between the individual wheels.
Not only does that help cut down on understeer, it allows for a Drift Mode similar to the system offered on the Audi RS3 and Mercedes-AMG A45 S.
The hatch is $13,690 more expensive than a Golf GTI before options, and is just $2000 shy of the equally powerful (but less dynamically sophisticated) Audi S3 Sportback. It’s also $11,000 more expensive than the previous-generation Golf R.
Volkswagen says the higher price is backed by more power, and a more generous list of standard inclusions.
The Golf R coming to Australia will be fitted standard with equipment reserved for an optional R Performance Package in Europe.
That means we get 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive dampers, an extended roof spoiler, and drive modes labelled Nurburgring and Drift. The latter takes full advantage of the clever rear differential, which forms part of the car’s smarter all-wheel drive system.
Australia will miss out on the fully titanium Akrapovic exhaust (below) offered as an option in Europe, however.
Inside, the Golf R in Australia will feature Nappa leather trim, a Harman/Kardon sound system, and heated/cooled front seats. We’ll also get Matrix LED headlights standard; the only option is a panoramic sunroof.
Volkswagen is describing 2022 as the “year of the R”. Along with the Golf R range, it will welcome the Tiguan R SUV to its showrooms in the first half of 2022, before the T-Roc R and Touareg R follow later in the year.
The brand has more than 6200 expressions of interest for the T-Roc, Golf, and Tiguan R combined, more than a third of which are for the Tiguan R.
