Golf R comes in cheaper than its big rivals
upcoming Golf R
will cost from £29,900 for a three-door manual. As with other Golfs, the six-speed DSG carries a £1,415 premium, making a three-door auto £31,315. The five-door models cost £30,555 and £31,970 respectively.
A quick reminder of the R's firepower: using a 300hp, 280lb ft version of the Golf GTI's 2.0-litre turbo, it sprints from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds and will hit 155mph. The R uses the GTI's progressive steering rack too, and a fifth-gen Haldex 4WD system. If the adaptive dampers are specced, a new Race mode is available as well.
The price is £4,055 over the equivalent GTI for an R. For another 80hp and 4WD, that seems a reasonable premium. But that's not where the big comparisons lie, is it? Let's have a look through the rivals.
There's a £4K jump from GTI to R
The GTI left our recent battle against
the M135iand A45 AMG
with its head held high. When compared to the R, an unoptioned manual BMW is another £670 at list price. A five-door DSG Golf R, probably the closest ideological rival to the Merc but down on power, is a substantial £5,875 less.
Crucially too, the Golf undercuts its Audi S3 blood brother by £740 as a three-door manual. The premium is a fraction more with the DSG, at £805.
For a slightly different alternative, what about a Mountuned Focus ST? A ST-3 hatch with the 275hp, 295lb ft upgrade would cost £26,720, excluding any available discounts. You pays your money...
Order are being taken now, with the first deliveries due in March.