VW Golf R: more convincing than the V6?

Volkswagen's Golf GTI has always been a tough act to follow. That's why the four-wheel drive, V6-engined Golf R32 never quite established itself as a convincing flagship of the MkV range.

But could the MkVI version change that? VW has ditched the naturally aspirated V6, and instead extracted more power from the GTI’s lighter, more efficient 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo. The result is an all-new model: the Golf R.

Fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels, twin central-exit exhaust pipes and striking metallic blue paint, the R certainly looks the part. Indeed, if you're a hot hatch purist, you'll prefer it to its flashier cousin, the Scirocco R.

Under the bonnet, there's a highly tuned version of the powerplant from the MkV GTI, rather than the newer MkVI motor. The block is reinforced and the cylinder head replaced, while special pistons, conrods, high-pressure fuel injectors, a new turbo and a more effective intercooler are used. 

The results are impressive: 265bhp and 345Nm of torque make it the most potent Golf yet. That's a major step up from the 200bhp GTI, not to mention the old R32. It sounds brilliant, too.

Crucially, the turbo engine is much cleaner and more fuel efficient than the V6-engined R32.

The Golf R is also a seriously quick car – it's a clear league above the GTI, and significantly livelier than the R32 it replaces. It's not as rabid or unruly as the Ford Focus RS, but that means you can extract more of the hatch’s performance more of the time.

Much of this is due to the new 4MOTION all-wheel drive transmission, which can send as much as 100 per cent of the engine's torque to the rear wheels if it senses the front tyres are struggling. And with new springs and dampers, revised anti-roll bars and specially tuned power-steering, it's no wonder the R has a sharper and more direct feel than the GTI. But we're pleasantly surprised that this doesn't come at the expense of comfort – even though the newcomer runs on stiffer, 25mm lower suspension. ·