Tuesday 20th June 2023

Delta 4x4 previews Golf Country comeback

How to make a Golf R more interesting? A lift kit, off-road tyres and a roof rack are a good start

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It seems that it’s more than just cars like the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and Porsche 911 Dakar getting the off-road treatment. Though just a concept preview for the moment, Delta 4x4’s - you know, the crazy folk who make Cullinan off-road kits - vision of a Golf Country for 2020s does look pretty great. The demand for both the Porsche and the Lambo indicate there’s definitely appetite out there for a different take on supercars, so perhaps the same might be true for hot hatches…

The original Country, though now much loved, was a commercial disaster. According to Delta, just 0.12 per cent of all Mk2 Golfs ever made were Country-spec, or 7,735 units. That was a long time before the SUV craze, or the lifted supercar one, or indeed that weird time of cladded-up regular hatchbacks, so is understandable – the Country was the answer to a question nobody was really asking. Or, as Delta likes to put it, ‘comparable to Quentin Tarantino’s early films: a box office flop, but an absolute cult object among fans’.

The days of the Country are a long way behind us, however, and Delta 4x4 is pitching this new take on the old car as a very limited run – something like 25 units. It’s easy to imagine sufficient interest being there for a car that retains the usability of a Golf but adds to that a whole heap more rugged style and off-road prowess. The remake is built on a Golf R, which means both 320hp performance and all-wheel drive ability; specced the right way it would also get customers the torque vectoring rear diff for full rally raid mischief. To the base package, Delta has added a lift kit for up to 80mm more ground clearance, chunky arch extensions to house the Loder AT off-road tyres and 18-inch Hanma wheels, bonnet-mounted spotlights and roof rack crammed with expedition goodies. Black maybe isn’t the best colour for showing all that off, but then at least it isn’t another blue Golf R – the overhaul is definitely intriguing alright.  

If the demand exists, Delta reckons that the 25-car run would take six to nine months from ‘development to completion’ and cost €35,000 on top of a Golf R, or £30k. Though a box fresh R is £50k, there are now £35k used ones out there, which would bring total cost in at… well, quite a bit still. But the new Country does look cool. And it’d still be less than that yellow one that's sold out…

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• 2021 VW Golf R | PH Video
• 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar (992) | PH Video

[ogrodz]

If they could just offer a decent towbar for the R (manual version 7.5) and roof rails that would do for me.

[pb8g09]

So it’s a T-Roc with stick on trinkets…

[HorneyMX5]

With the 911 Dakar I kinda get it, this? There’s already an off-roader on this platform, i fact probably several across the brands.

[Motormouth88]

I think what all of these 4x4 ‘adventure’ wagons do is represent the urge of people who probably sit behind a computer all day, demonstrate how into ‘outdoor adventures’ they are and what an alternative lifestyle they lead

[Horsebox Man]

pb8g09 said:

So it’s a T-Roc with stick on trinkets…

Exactly my thought

[Type R Tom]

I'm really struggling with this. Firstly, I really don't see £35k worth of value with the mods listed. Secondly, why would you buy this opposed to a proper off road vehicle for £70k+. Is it just for the super rich who don't care about costs?

[Roger Irrelevant]

That's great! Obviously there's no way on god's green earth I'd buy one, but I'm not it's target market (i.e. a rich urbanite who wants a lifestyle trinket that nobody else will have). Not that anybody is actually going to use it off-road, but I have to wonder how it would fare - AIUI a combination of a significant lift plus bigger diameter wheels is pretty dreadful for drivetrain longevity.

[Bill]

I've just bought a Yeti and am contemplating some mods, so thanks Delta for showing how not to do it!

[Dave.]

Bill said:

I've just bought a Yeti and am contemplating some mods, so thanks Delta for showing how not to do it!

Darkside Developments have an off-road modified Yeti, it's awesome!



You might need subtitles

Edited by Dave. on Tuesday 20th June 14:03

Edited by Dave. on Tuesday 20th June 14:04

[Wab1974uk]

Or just go buy a Tiguan R

Or better still, a Q3-RS

Edited by Wab1974uk on Tuesday 20th June 14:00

[AmyRichardson]

Formentor with some small wheels, bubble tires, a remap (or a 5-pot if they weren't so very rare) and a sheet of chequer plate bolted to the roof bars?

[fantheman80]

U say Golf R but it has the red pin stripe in the headlights and grill like a GTI.... just sayin

[Bill]

Dave. said:

You might need subtitles

It's ok I studied in Wakefield. (I had seen that already, but I'm more after a quickish Golf(Ish) that's a bit more practical. I have told my kids they can get involved though so who knows how it'll end up!)

[Dave.]

Bill said:

Dave. said:

You might need subtitles

It's ok I studied in Wakefield.

Having "grown up" around there, my sincere condolences....

[aaron-j9c9a]

As pointless as the Daker

[Bill]

Dave. said:

Having "grown up" around there, my sincere condolences....

It was one of the better courses, near good climbing and a long way from my crazy ex so all good!

[nismo48]

It's certainly different !!
You would definitely get some attention driving that..

[Speedgirl]

Motormouth88 said:

I think what all of these 4x4 ‘adventure’ wagons do is represent the urge of people who probably sit behind a computer all day, demonstrate how into ‘outdoor adventures’ they are and what an alternative lifestyle they lead

You say that like it’s a bad thing

[BlackandWhite]

That Yeti is proper. Can’t see a point to the Golf but I would have one of those Yeti’s all day long.

[petemurphy]

i actually like it minus the roof rack