2022 VW Golf R debuts as the most powerful Golf ever
The 8th-gen Volkswagen Golf line-up gets its much-awaited R version today, with the new 2022 Golf R. The latest iteration of the hot hatch also happens to be the most powerful Golf R to date, developing 315bhp and 420Nm of torque from its two-litre four-cylinder turbocharged TSI engine.
By Divyank K. Bansal
Four-Wheel Drive, 315bhp/420Nm, and a six-speed manual packed into a German hatchback! The new VW Golf R is surely as enticing and wicked as it'll ever be.
The 8th-gen Volkswagen Golf line-up gets its much-awaited R version today, with the new 2022 Golf R. The latest R iteration of the hatchback also happens to be the most powerful Golf to date, developing 315bhp and 420Nm of torque from its two-litre four-cylinder turbocharged TSI engine. In comparison, the outgoing 2019 Golf R is good for 306bhp and 400Nm. The 2022 Golf R is expected to go on sale in the US in the latter half of 2021, with a choice between a six-speed manual and an optional 7-speed DSG gearbox.
The new Golf R brings with it some significant changes under the skin. Though VW's 4Motion all-wheel-drive system has been a part of the Golf R ever since the first model, for the latest generation, it's been re-tuned to feature selective-wheel torque vectoring on the rear axle. In general, the 4Motion system transfers the power in a 50:50 ratio to the left and the right-hand rear wheels. But thanks to a new differential, the new setup can also distribute the torque variably between both rear wheels, with up to 100% bias to the outer wheel on a bend for lesser understeer. The updated 4Motion system, for the first time, has also been integrated into a new driving dynamics control system – the Vehicle Dynamics Manager (VDM).
Apart from the standard Comfort, Sport, Race, and Individual profiles, the new Golf R also gets two new 'Special ' and 'Drift' driving profiles. While the former offers the 'Nürburgring Nordschleife' setup, with softer damping and quicker shifts, the latter allows the new Golf R to drift by minimising the effect of all driver aids, courtesy of the updated 4Motion system and new VDM. Compared to its predecessor, the new Golf R also gets larger brakes.
Read more:
