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<\/p>\nA golden jubilee for the Volkswagen Golf. Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby drive the new GTI, the most powerful Golf on the road.<\/p>\n
Test Drive: 2026 Volkswagen Golf R<\/p>\n
Jeremy: When the Golf GTI first came onto the market in 1976, Britain was enduring the \u2018long hot summer\u2019, the Sex Pistols were causing chaos in the charts and The Muppet Show premiered on television.\u00a0Popular cars of the day included the Ford Escort and the rather awful Morris Marina. Nobody could have suspected that a hatchback from Germany, with a black wheel arch extensions and a golf ball-shaped gear knob, would quickly become the world\u2019s most successful compact sports car.<\/p>\n
Initially, just 5,000 Golfs were planned for production, but dealers sold ten times as many in the first year alone. Fifty years on, VW has built a staggering 2.5 million \u2013 making the Golf one of the most popular cars of all time.<\/p>\n
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Today, the latest R \u2013 an upgraded version of the eighth-generation Golf \u2013 continues its legacy as the ultimate hot hatch, blending clinical performance with everyday practicality. Other manufacturers have tried but none have quite mastered the Volkswagen.<\/p>\n
The 2026 facelift addresses previous technical gripes while squeezing even more power out of its venerable engine. The turbocharged unit produces 328bhp, helping the R dash from 0-62mph in just 4.6 seconds.\u00a0Thanks to all-wheel drive grip and a sporty, seven-speed automatic gearbox, the R is a thrill a minute. Slip back into \u2018Comfort\u2019 mode and this sensational little car becomes a sedate family runabout again.<\/p>\n
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Despite its position as the ultimate Golf, the R feels a little outdated inside compared to some rivals. While the cabin feels like it has been built with precision, some hard plastics remain. Competitors like the\u00a0Audi S3\u00a0or\u00a0BMW M135\u00a0offer a more premium, opulent feel.<\/p>\n
The central, 12.9-inch touchscreen is a major leap forward, featuring the latest VW software, which is faster and more intuitive. Critically, the climate sliders at the base of the screen are now backlit for night-time use.<\/p>\n
Unlike the standard Golf, the R retains\u00a0touch buttons\u00a0on the steering wheel. VW claims this is to keep the drive mode switch to hand but it\u2019s easy to trigger accidentally.<\/p>\n
When equipped with the optional\u00a0DCC chassis control (\u00a3755), the R offers an incredible breadth of talent, becoming brutally efficient in \u2018Race\u2019. It will embarrass a Porsche on a twisty B-road and carry five people, plus luggage.<\/p>\n
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The\u00a04Motion all-wheel drive\u00a0features sophisticated torque vectoring, sending 100 per cent of rear power to the wheel with the most grip. This significantly improves traction and make the R feel more drivable than ever.<\/p>\n
Available as a\u00a0five-door hatchback\u00a0or a cavernous\u00a0estate that offers 611-litres\u00a0of boot space, the Golf R is basically a mini Audi RS4 sports estate on a budget \u2013 with room for a dog too!<\/p>\n
And while the Golf R isn\u2019t an EV or even a hybrid, it will achieve around 40mpg on a motorway cruise, provided you can resist the temptation to exploit al that power. A realistic daily figure is more likely 25mpg.<\/p>\n
A Golf R is by no means the budget choice either. Our test car was \u00a346,000 but loaded with enough extras to push the price over \u00a358,000. At least Golfs hold their value well in the secondhand market.<\/p>\n
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Jessica:\u00a0The Golf R is the automotive equivalent of a tailored suit with a pair of track spikes hidden in the briefcase\u2014a wolf in sheep\u2019s clothing that manages to be both a sensible family hatchback and a supercar-shaming racer.<\/p>\n
For most owners, the R is the only car they\u2019ll ever need. It handles the school run with the same clinical efficiency it uses to carve up a demanding country road.<\/p>\n
The downsides? The interior isn\u2019t quite so slick. The quality of previous generation models isn\u2019t there and a lack of physical buttons detracts from the driving pleasure. Still a classic but not as thrilling as another R rival \u2013 the Honda Civic Type R.<\/p>\n
Find out more about the 2026 Volkswagen Golf R at vw.com<\/a><\/p>\n