A Hot Hatch That Loves The Cold

Here’s the dream scenario: I arrive at a frozen lake in Sweden, I’m given the keys to a brand-new 2025 Volkswagen Golf R, guided to a racetrack carved into the ice, and told “if you crash, we have spare parts.” Either it was too cold or I must have been dreaming, because I couldn’t feel anything if you pinched me.

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2025 Volkswagen Golf R

Base Trim Drivetrain

All-Wheel Drive

Base Trim Transmission

7-speed Dual-Clutch Automatic

Base Trim Horsepower

328 hp

Base Trim Torque

310 lb-ft

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The Golf is now in its eighth generation, with the 2025 model acting as a facelifted version internally known as the Mk8.5. It gains 13 horsepower from the previous model, revised styling, new interior technology, and a newly available Euro Style Package that adds some never-before-available options – at least for the US. This should also be the final VW hot hatchback to arrive with a gasoline engine under the hood.

CarBuzz had an early opportunity to drive the 2025 Golf R in Europe before it arrives in the US later this year. Unlike a normal First Drive event, this one was held on a frozen lake in Arvidsjaur, Sweden, where we were given free rein to slide the car on an icy track. This may not be the environment where most owners will enjoy their Golf R, but it did provide the ideal conditions to see how VW’s AWD hot hatch can handle the cold. A traditional First Drive review will come later this year alongside the Golf GTI when they arrive stateside.

What’s Changed For This Model Year?

Volkswagen does not sell the standard Golf in the US market, only the sporty Golf GTI and Golf R models. Whereas the GTI sends its 241 hp to the front wheels only, the R gets 328 hp going out to AWD. This is the flagship hatchback model for VW, and it rivals other sporty hot hatches like the Acura Integra Type S, Honda Civic Type R, and Toyota GR Corolla. It also loosely competes against high-performance sedans such as the Hyundai Elantra N and Subaru WRX. The Golf R is considered to be at the higher, more premium end of this segment.

The 2025 model introduces a life cycle refresh, which VW typically signifies by adding a .5 to the generation number: Mk8.5 in this case. On the exterior, Golf enthusiasts will notice sleeker headlights, a new front bumper, an illuminated VW logo, and new 19-inch forged wheels that are 20% lighter than the previous ones. The cars we tested were all riding on different wheels than we get in the US for our ice drive, but we’ve included manufacturer-provided photos of the forged ones. If we’re being honest, most of these changes are pretty subtle, and the average onlooker may not notice them. More obvious is the new Black Edition, which includes blacked-out exterior details such as the wheels, brake calipers, and trim. Inside, a larger touchscreen makes the interior look more premium, and there is a new Euro Style Package that rolls in fabric seats (a first for the US market), a sunroof delete, and an Akrapovič titanium exhaust (another US first).

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Exterior Design: Back In Black

Unlike some of its competitors, which announce their sporty intentions with red accents, big wings, and hood scoops, the Golf R is a more understated car. An average person may not even realize it’s hiding a hot engine under the hood. Enthusiasts will spot the R logos on the fenders, the subtle rear spoiler, and quad-tip exhaust in the back. We didn’t get to see the new 19-inch forged wheels in person, since every car VW had on-hand rode on wheels that the company wouldn’t mind damaging in the snow. The new wheels are 20% lighter, but we prefer the less intricate Y-spoke pattern of the previous model. In addition to the new wheels, the 2025 Golf R has slimmer headlights that aren’t noticeably different, a light-up VW logo, and a revised bumper.

You can get the Golf R in only three exterior colors: Lapiz Blue Metallic, Pure White and Mythos Black Metallic. There is also a new Black Edition that comes with black wheels, brake calipers, and more. This package looks great when combined with the Mythos Black exterior color, but can be equipped with any of the three paints.

Interior: Bigger Screen, Less Leather

The Golf R sees some modest changes to the interior, most notably a standard 12.9-inch touchscreen that replaces the outgoing 10-inch unit. It’s an improvement, providing more screen real estate for basic functions, but it hasn’t solved our main complaints with the Mk8 Golf R. There are no physical buttons for the climate or audio controls, just touch sliders that live below the touchscreen. While the Golf GTI gets normal buttons on the steering wheel for 2025, the R oddly keeps the touch-capacitive controls. On the plus side, the center console has been revised, now with a lift-up lid that reveals the wireless phone charger.

We particularly love the Golf R’s standard sport seats, which are Nappa leather-wrapped with heating and ventilation as standard. Buyers can actually “downgrade” to a cloth/suede seat as part of a Euro Style Package ($3,795). These seats keep their heating element, loose ventilation, and gain immeasurable swag with a cool blue pattern. This is the first time US buyers have been able to get a Golf R with cloth seats, and we hope buyers take advantage of the option. That Euro Style Package also saves weight with a sunroof delete and an Akrapovič titanium exhaust that cuts 15 pounds. Europe previously enjoyed the Akrapovič exhaust, but it was not available for the US market. Not only do these quad pipes look mean as heck, they also make the Golf R louder with more pronounced cracks and pops. It sounds throatier than the previous model year, but it’s less silly than the Elantra N.

Powertrain & Driving: An AWD Drift Machine

VW only offers a single configuration for the Golf R in the US: a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The optional six-speed manual transmission is no longer available. Power still goes out to a standard all-wheel-drive system with two clutches on the rear axle that can split the power left-to-right in order to help the car rotate like a rear-drive car. Overall output has been boosted to 328 hp (up 13 from last year), while torque has grown to 310 lb-ft (up 15 from last year). These improvements decrease the quoted 0-60 time, now down to 4.6 seconds, though VW tends to underrate this number.

Our time in the Golf R may not match the average ownership experience, since we were only able to drive it on a frozen Swedish lake with 2.5-millimeter-studded snow tires. While the car had less grip than it would on dry tarmac, the AWD system combined with the studded tires made the Golf R surprisingly stable. The AWD helped manage traction even when we decided to be exuberant with the throttle, and the DSG ripped off gear changes with rapid precision. Do we miss the manual transmission? Not really. The DSG feels so perfectly suited to this car and this powertrain, and the manual never lived up to the best options in the segment, like the Civic Type R. Large paddle shifters on the steering wheel give a satisfying click when pressed, resulting in our favorite automatic transmission in any hot hatchback.

This engine is an absolute beast, delivering the most power in its segment, now matching its platform stablemate, the Audi S3 Sedan. Like the S3, the Golf gets a torque-splitting rear differential with two multi-plate clutches that can send up to 100% of the engine’s torque to the left or right wheel. VW included a dedicated Drift Mode and a “Special” Mode that was tuned for high performance on the Nürburgring. In practice, this system spins the outside wheel, making it feel like you are driving a rear-drive vehicle. With the slippery ice surface, we could command the Golf R to dance in any direction we wanted, pulling enormous slides that wouldn’t be possible in most other AWD vehicles. Mid-corner, we could feed the throttle with a heavy foot to control the drift and prevent the car from regaining its traction. A Vehicle Dynamics Manager can adapt the wheel damping up to 200 times per second, making sure you can have fun without ever worrying about losing control. Even a novice driver could hop in the Golf R and feel like Tanner Foust in his rally car.

Verdict & Pricing: Almost An Audi

The Golf R may be VW’s ultimate hot hatchback, but it’s priced accordingly. The 2025 Golf R now starts at $47,100, a whopping $14,655 more than the cheapest Golf GTI, and only $1,700 less than the Audi S3. Remember, the Golf R basically comes fully loaded, so the price difference between it and the GTI Autobahn is more like $6,000. Every competitor outside the Acura Integra Type S is less expensive, though the GR Corolla can approach $50,000 in its highest configuration. Opting for the Black Edition brings the price up to $48,415, while the Euro Style Package adds $3,795. We’d easily get that pack for the Akrapovič exhaust, though we could understand why some buyers wouldn’t want the cloth seats. If you want the lightest and loudest Golf R, it will actually be pricier than a base S3.

This is an epic hot hatchback, especially if you find yourself in the rare circumstance with studded snow tires and access to a frozen lake racetrack. However, the high price tag makes it a tough proposition for enthusiasts on a budget, who are looking for a fun “People’s Car.” The Golf GTI offers much of the same fun at a lower price, but loses the R’s incredible rear differential. Further down VW’s lineup, the Jetta GLI still offers a manual transmission at an even more attainable price. You could even spend a bit more to get the S3, which comes with the prestige of Audi’s four rings. The Golf R delivers on fun and premium feel, but it doesn’t come cheap.