Volkswagen plans to launch a Golf R powered by the 2.5l five-cylinder engine used in the Audi RS3.
Though the German carmaker has not officially confirmed it, the car has been spotted testing and Autocar reports that this 25th anniversary edition of the Golf R will arrive in 2027 as the most powerful Golf to date.
It is expected to be the final flourish for the pure petrol Golf before the midsize hatch range becomes electrified in its next, ninth-generation incarnation. The Mk9 Golf range is also expected to include the first fully electric GTI.
The Audi’s five-cylinder engine could give the all-wheel drive Golf R a significant step up in performance. With its recently upgraded 245kW 2.0l turbo four-cylinder engine, the Golf R has a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.6 seconds, but the 294kW 2.5l unit should cut that time to the 3.8 seconds of the RS3. Both cars use seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmissions.
Even more power could be unlocked from the five-cylinder unit, as per the 299kW it produced in the limited Audi RS3 Performance Edition launched in 2023.
Autocar reports that the 2.5l Golf R is likely to have suspension and brake upgrades to accommodate the added power and weight of the new engine. It’s also expected to use the RS3’s electronically controlled torque-vectoring rear differential to improve handling.
Styling tweaks are expected too; spy shots of the car testing show new intakes in the bonnet and front end to improve airflow to the engine.
It is too soon to say whether such a super Golf R would make it to SA, given our low fuel quality. The pre-facelift 235kW Golf R is still on sale locally and VW has not yet confirmed whether the updated version, which requires cleaner fuel, will be offered here.
However, the facelifted Golf GTI has been cleared to be launched in SA after a testing programme on local petrol. Now producing 195kW — an improvement of 15kW over the current GTI — the car will be on display at this weekend’s Festival of Motoring (FOM) at Kyalami.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.