Full Performance Test Of The 2019 Volkswagen Golf R (European-spec)
Anyway, give us an inch, we'll turn off ESP and take a mile. Give us a quick drive, we'll strap on the test equipment and do a couple of 5000-rpm clutch dumps. Sorry, VW, but we had to know: just how fast is the new R? Well, despite being a little gentle on it, the R is very quick indeed. The new R also stopped shorter, needing 9 fewer feet to stop from 60 mph and coming to a halt a very significant 18 feet shorter from 80 mph. It's safe the say that the new car significantly betters the old in every performance metric. It's clear that the Golf R is quicker than the last one鈥攂ut the big surprise was that it didn't feel all that much quicker than the Mk7 GTI. We haven't strapped test gear on a 2015 GTI yet, but our sister magazine Car and Driver did last year.
Their GTI was a European-spec car, too. Our R was indeed quicker to 60 mph (5.2 versus 5.6 seconds), but the Golf R requires one additional shift on the way to 60, adding precious time to the run. By the quarter-mile mark, the Golf R is significantly ahead, as you'd expect. In the real world, though, the R doesn't feel much faster. And in fact, our 5-60 rolling acceleration time was 6.3 seconds, the same that Car and Driver achieved for the GTI. The R's shorter gears (again, that second shift) and considerable turbo lag are what even that playing field. In traffic, you're constantly aware of the need to work around the R's lag鈥攕omething you don't experience in the GTI. And though it's faster, sounds great, and looks amazing, there was no time during my drive that I preferred the R to the GTI. In fact, excepting the need for the inclement-weather traction advantage that the Golf R's all-wheel drive offers, I'd say I prefer the GTI overall. It's just another piece of evidence bolstering my personal belief that the 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI is the best car in the world, period. Still, I'd never fault you for choosing the Golf R (or a TDI or even the base 1.8T). But where the R is concerned, I'd recommend hanging tight until we've had the chance to drive the US-spec version. We're hoping to by the end of the year鈥攁nd then we can see whether the R can unseat the GTI as the reigning champion.
The Original is not like that. It gives an image of poise and stability. It has many features to make it look purposeful without looking tacky. These include: body coloured bumper bars and door handles; body coloured exterior rear-view mirrors (the mirrors were actually rather small though); exposed chrome exhaust tail pipes, left and right; and GTI Original nameplate on the tailgate. Its outward appearance is heightened with 18鈥?Sevilla alloy wheels which are dark graphite in colour with a red pinstripe around the rim and red brake calipers behind. Inside there is a functional eight-inch infotainment system with App-Connect, rear view camera. The interior is colourful and fun with tartan seat material. Such a strong pattern is a reminder of the 1969 Monaro days with their 鈥渉oundstooth鈥?patterns. The dash layout is not flashy but it has strong style and does enough without appearing 鈥榦ver-the-top鈥? The dials are well loud out with easy to read information.
The driving position is good but, as you would expect, the rear seat area is hard to get to and cramped. The standard GTI engine works a treat in a car that weighs only 1,304 or 1326 kilograms, depending on the gearbox. With 169kW and a very credible 350Nm it provides exhilaration when you give it full throttle. On the twisting Macquarie Pass south of Sydney which has some corners signposted as low as 15km/h, it was in its element. Second gear, for example, can go from crawling speed to the speed limit and so made the short sprints between slow corners a delightful exercise. The six-speed dual clutch gear box is efficient and smart but to really enjoy a drive on tight country roads, the six-speed manual is the way to go. Volkswagen intends to make you think back to the 1970s but I went back even further when I found myself instinctively double shuffling down through the gears. The top of the range four-door Golfs have outstanding handling with a turn-in to corners that is as sharp as a tack. The Original does not seem quite as solid although it is still very good. The front end did not appear to be as relatively firm in its grip and the tyres produced a little more noise. It would be hard, however, to keep up with its top performing bigger brother which seems to have the grip that is above most driver鈥檚 sense of danger. The Original has the usual array of air bags including driver and front passenger, driver and front passenger side and Curtain airbags. It is also good to see that it has a driver鈥檚 knee airbag.
