Completing the high-performance Golf offering, the new Volkswagen Golf R returns to its perch at the top of the model range. The reworked hatch and estate have been through a raft of updates above and below the skin, with the headline tweaks being found under the bonnet.

2025 Volkswagen Golf R: Performance, Powertrain and Handling Improvements

The 2024 Mk 8.5 facelift continues to use the powertrain that has set the template for the modern hot hatch: a 2.0 litre engine driving all four wheels through a twin-clutch automatic transmission. Never to be left behind, the well known EA888 engine has received a 14 bhp increase, with outputs now at 328 bhp and 310 lb ft (420 Nm), matching the recently revised Audi S3 and outperforming the new BMW M135. 

The long serving engine gains a new coolant regulator which allows for reduced warm-up times, and benefits from a reworked throttle map and updated wastegate that holds on to boost pressure for longer after you’ve lifted off. The resting boost pressure has also been raised, which will mean quicker responses at low revs and under gentle loads. The result of these changes isn’t quite an anti-lag system, but it will make the car easier to drive when traffic is heavy and quicker to respond when you’ve got the road all to yourself.

Acceleration has been improved too, with the hatch taking 4.6 seconds to reach 62 mph, and the estate needing an extra 0.2 seconds