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The R shares much with the new-generation Golf. Like the Carsguide car of the year, the R benefits from significant all-round improvements over the R32. Photo Gallery
Neil McDonald road tests and reviews the Volkswagen Golf R at its international launch
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The newest high-performance Golf is the latest VW to slash cylinders in the pursuit of greener pastures. The Golf R has gone from a muscular 3.2-litre V6 to a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder.
Despite what VW calls ‘intelligent downsizing’, the direct-injection turbocharged engine is not only lighter and more powerful, but cleaner and more economical.
VW Australia spokesman, Karl Gehling, does not believe two missing cylinders will impact on sales, despite the popularity of the newest 2.0-litre GTi. "I don't think enthusiasts will miss the V6," he says. "It's not the only thing about the car. When people drive it and experience it they will be reassured that it is still an R."
Pricing
Buyers may also be swayed by the price. When the all-wheel drive three and five-door hot hatch arrives in July, VW Australia expects it to be cheaper than the R32. Prices ‘will be somewhere between the GTi and current R series’, Gehling says. That means it should undercut the R32's $57,000 entry price for the five-door.
Under the bonnet
The R shares much with the new-generation Golf. Like the Carsguide car of the year, the R benefits from significant all-round improvements over the R32.
For the new engine, VW Individual, which builds the R, dug deep into its parts bin to serve up a highly tuned 2.0-litre turbocharged four shared with the Audi S3. VW has tweaked the engine with special pistons, a reinforced block, high-pressure fuel injectors a new turbo and more efficient intercooler.
Enthusiasts will appreciate the 2.0-litre's power and torque gains over the V6. Despite being smaller the engine pumps out 199kW/350Nm, 15kW and 30Nm more than the 3.2-litre V6. This gives the six-speed manual version a zero to 100km/h sprint of 5.7 seconds, compared to the R32's 6.5 seconds.
VW executive and head of product management for the R, Marcel Delgado, says apart from better fuel economy, downsizing the engine has delivered critical reductions in harmful C02 emissions, which have been reduced from 255g/100km to 199g/km. "It would not have been possible to continue with the V6 in Europe longer term because of the demands of taxes on C02 emissions," he says.
Delgado says development work on the new 2.0 R focused on improving the whole package not just economy and emissions. "Everything has been refined and improved, from the all-wheel drive, to the gearbox and suspension," he says.
VW spend a lot of time at the famous Nurburgring in Germany tuning the car's ride and suspension. "We tested the R32 side-by-side with the new R at the Nurburgring," he says. "The R was the quickest."
Appearance and equipment
Visually the hatch is distinguished as a leaner, meaner Golf by a 25mm lower ride height, Xenon headlights with LED daylight running lights, 18-inch alloys, large front air intakes, black brake calipers and rear spoiler, LED tail-lights and bumper diffuser. In profile there is a modest body kit, black exterior mirrors and discrete R badging.
The R gets upgraded brakes, 345mm up front and 310mm at the back, along with 18-inch alloys and slick high-performance tyres. There are also new springs and dampers, updated anti-roll bars and specifically tuned power steering.
Sales and market
More than 2100 Rs have been sold in Australia since it first went on sale in 2004. Last year VW Australia sold 386, down from a 2008 high of 675, largely because of the arrival of the newest GTi.
Engine performance
The previous R32 sang off a wonderful song-sheet thanks to its 3.2-litre V6. In moving to a turbocharged 2.0-litre four cylinder, shared with Audi's S3, only the capacity has changed. All the other aspects that mark an R as a pure driver's car remain.
The newest R has a sharper chassis, improved DSG gearbox and more performance than the R32. However, the signature dual exhausts, all-wheel drive and pumped up looks remain. For many though, the exhaust not may not be as raucous as the V6 but it is still plays a nice tune.
There are important gains to be had at the fuel pump. Even with more power and torque, economy has improved from 10.7 litres/100km for the R32 to 8.5 litres /100km for the R.
On paper, there is little to miss about the V6, except perhaps those dulcet tones of the exhaust. Like the Golf, the 2.0 R is a quantifiable improvement over the old model.
Ride and handling
The dynamics are spot-on, with precise steering and excellent handling. Like similar systems, the car's three-mode chassis control, which is expected to be optional for Australia, changes the power steering tuning depending on the Sport, Normal or Comfort settings. After fiddling with the system we left it in Sports mode.
Even with the firmer setting the ride remained fluid and composed through the corners. We suspect that having a lighter engine up front helps with the car's more assured behaviour.
It is a confidence-inspiring drive thanks to the proven fourth-generation Haldex all-wheel drive system, particularly over slippery snow-covered roads in the Austria Alps. The Haldex system can send as much as 100 per cent of the engine's torque to the rear wheels if the front tyres are slipping.
Gearbox
With the latest DSG gearbox, that slight hesitancy that marred the previous gearbox has gone. The changes are crisp and fast even when making full use of the paddle shifters through twisty mountain roads. If it has one small problem, when the gearbox is in D it up shifts a tad too quickly, obviously chasing the best economy.
Verdict
It is a very quick car and a step up over the GTi. The biggest trouble VW will have is convincing potential R buyers that it is worth the extra money. It backs up its credentials with more muscular performance and all-wheel drive. The GTi is a hard act to follow but the R is another game-changer from VW.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF R
Price: $57,000 (3dr), $59,000 (5 door) (estimated)
Features: All-wheel drive, sports seats, sports suspension, heated seats, 18-inch alloys, bi-Xenon headlights, daylight running lights, dual exhausts, alloy cabin highlights.
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo 199kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, six-speed DSG automatic
Economy and CO2: 8.5 litres/100km (8.4 litres/100km DSG), 199g/km (195 g/km)
RIVALS
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Cheap tyres 
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