The 2025 Volkswagen Golf R is a sophisticated and functional performance hatchback. It’s based on the sensible Golf, but with a potent turbocharged powertrain and a road-gripping all-wheel-drive (AWD) chassis.
2025 Volkswagen Golf R Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R
For the 2025 model year, the Golf R gets even more power, styling updates, new infotainment technology, and newly standard driver-assistance features. As a result of that new safety tech, the six-speed manual is no longer offered, leaving the seven-speed DSG automatic as the only transmission option.
Design
The Golf R is readily apparent as a hatchback, signaling its daily drivability, but it has more aggressive visual cues than your typical hatch, including a wider stance, rear top spoiler, and large lower front vents. For the 2025 model year, it receives updated headlights and an illuminated VW logo. It also gains new forged alloy wheels that are 20 per cent lighter than last year’s wheels. The Golf R Black Edition is also available with unique styling touches.
Powertrain
At the heart of the Golf R is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. It puts out 328 horsepower, which is a 13-horsepower increase from last year’s model. Power is routed through a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission with paddle shifters to standard 4Motion all-wheel drive (AWD) with torque vectoring. This system allows the AWD to shift power both from the front to the rear wheels and from the left to the right wheels. The Golf R also comes with an adaptive suspension system for enhanced handling properties.
Interior
In addition to its performance equipment, the Golf R comes equipped with leather upholstery, tri-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, ambient cabin lighting, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel.
The Golf R is still a hatchback, so it can seat five passengers with 19.9 cubic feet of rear cargo space in the back. Fold the rear seats, and that number grows to 34.5 cubic feet of cargo space.
Technology
The 2025 Golf R's dash has been updated with a new 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It has new software, which means faster processing and quicker response times. This system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. For 2025, the steering wheel controls are now physical buttons, replacing the haptic touch-capacitive controls of previous models.
Safety
For the 2025 model year, the Golf R gains Volkswagen's IQ.Drive suite of driver-assistance tech as standard equipment, but the manual transmission is no longer offered. This suite include automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Pricing and Release Date
At the time of this writing, the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R is not yet available, but it's expected to go on sale in the first half of 2025. Volkswagen says pricing will start at $47,100 for the base '25 Golf R and $48,415 for the Black Edition.