The VW Golf R is one our favorite hot hatches and VW is making it better for the 2025 model year. The big news is that there’s now more power under the hood, the exterior has been refreshed and there are some updates to the interior.
The 2025 VW Golf R is now the most powerful Golf model ever, since it now has an extra 13 horsepower, giving it a total of 328 horsepower. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Yes that sadly means you can no longer get a manual transmission. It also gets new 19-inch forged alloy wheels that are 20 percent lighter.
On the outside the Golf R’s face gets new headlights, bumper, illuminated log and a standard lightbar. A new Black Edition adds blacked-out accents, black calipers and carbon fiber accents.
Inside there’s a new 12.9-inch touchscreen. A new Euro Style Package offers fabric seats, sunroof delete, and an Akrapovič titanium exhaust.
