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VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R REVIEW
Displacement may be down, but the blistering new 2010 Golf R is - in every way - a much improved car over the Golf R32 it replaces.
Power is up, torque is up and the R’s AWD system is more capable than the R32’s front-biased driveline. Not only that, but it’s cheaper than the outgoing model.
What’s new?
It may ride on the same platform as the old MkV Golf R32, but pretty much everything is different. The engine has been downsized from a 3.2 litre V6 to a 2.0 litre turbo four.
The 4Motion AWD system has been tweaked to give better dynamic performance and the R’s weight distribution is less nose-heavy.
Styling is completely different too, both inside and out. The Golf R’s exterior gets unique front and rear light units (the rears with a distinctive double-L LED arrangement), and LED daytime running lights sit in the wide-mouthed front bumper.
A pair of sideskirts are also unique to the Golf R, while the R’s standard 18-inch ‘Talladega’ alloys are also available in 19-inch sizing.
What’s the appeal?
The Golf R offers a blend of turbocharged hot-hatch performance and European refinement. It’s a very capable performance car, but its interior is far from stripper-spec and is loaded with mod-cons.
It’s very much a car that you can drive to work during the week and take to the track on the weekend, and it’s equally at home on a B-road as it is clipping apexes at your local circuit.
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What features does it have?
As the pinnacle of the Golf line-up, the R enjoys a number of things that are costly options on lower models.
Things like bi-xenon headlamps, front and rear parking sensors, privacy glass, an anti-theft alarm and touchscreen audio system with in-dash CD stacker.
Cruise control, a trip computer, rain-sensing wipers and dusk-sensing headlamps are also standard.
There are still a number of cost options though, like sat-nav (fitted to our car), leather upholstery (fitted to our car), and an electric driver’s seat (fitted to our car). A rear view camera can be opted for at extra cost.
What’s under the bonnet?
Volkswagen’s 2.0 litre EA113-CDL four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine powers the Golf R, and is a wholly different engine to the EA888 2.0 litre turbo used by the MKVI Golf GTI.
Instead, the Golf R’s engine is virtually identical to that used by the Audi S3, and produces a total of 188kW of power and 330Nm of torque.
European-market versions of both the Golf R and S3 get a full-blooded 195kW/350Nm output, but Australia’s hot climate prompted VW to dial back power to help preserve the engine.
That engine is mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed twin-clutch DSG automatic, and drive is taken to all four wheels via a new version of VW’s 4Motion all-wheel drive system.
Compared to the R32’s 4Motion system, the Golf R’s AWD drivetrain now has a constantly variable torque split, and is no longer as front-biased as the old system.
Up to 100 percent of torque can be taken to the rear wheels, and the system is much quicker to react to changes in grip levels.
Suspension hardware consists of Macpherson struts at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear.
Ride height is 25mm lower than a regular Golf, and the optional Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) system allows damper hardness and steering assistance to be cycled between Comfort, Normal and Sport settings.
A pair of 345mm discs are gripped by big sliding calipers at the front, with 310mm discs at the rear.
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More here:
2010 Volkswagen Golf R DSG Road Test Review | Reviews | Prices | Australian specifications
[Source: TMR]
