The most powerful Golf Volkswagen has ever offered in the United States returns for the 2027 model year after winning our 2026 Car of the Year award.<\/p>\n
Unlike the front-wheel-drive GTI hot hatch, the Golf R is standard with an even more powerful engine and all-wheel drive. The 2027 Volkswagen Golf R carries over unchanged for the new model year and continues to compete with other hot hatchbacks<\/a> like the Acura Integra Type S, Honda Civic Type R, and Toyota GR Corolla.<\/p>\n What\u2019s New<\/p>\n Volkswagen isn\u2019t making any changes to the 2027 Golf R. The hot hatchback received a new paint color, Graphite Gray metallic, for 2026.<\/p>\n What We Think<\/p>\n Few compacts blend performance and practicality as well as the 2027 Volkswagen Golf R. The hopped-up hatchback packs a powerful punch from its turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and its signature all-wheel drive system<\/a> and quick-shifting dual-clutch transmission help get it from 0 to 60 mph a little over 4.0 seconds.<\/p>\n Beyond its drivetrain, the Golf R gets performance enhancements like stronger brakes than the front-wheel-drive GTI and sophisticated fully independent suspension with adaptive dampers that can be stiffened for performance driving or softened for comfortable tootling around town.<\/p>\n Not only does the Golf R have docile driving modes for daily use<\/a>, but its hatchback body style also allows for utility that belies the small car\u2019s size. Flipping down the rear seats opens up more space for hauling larger items.<\/p>\n The Golf R\u2019s was good enough to net a 2026 Motortrend Car of the Year win, but there are still some shortcomings we\u2019d like to see VW address. Steering could feel more tactile, and despite the AWD system\u2019s impressive torque vectoring capability<\/a>, the chassis tends to understeer at the limit. Finally, the capacitive touch controls need to go.<\/p>\n Although expensive for a sporty compact, the Golf R\u2019s pricing undercuts its mechanically similar sedan sibling, the Audi S3. Enthusiasts are likely to make sense of that value proposition and are sure to be satisfied by the hot VW\u2019s capabilities.<\/p>\n Top-Ranked Competitors:\u00a0MotorTrend Tested<\/p>\n Sticking to the Golf R\u2019s signature formula, the 2027 model carries over with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a seven-speed \u201cDSG\u201d dual-clutch automatic transmission, and Volkswagen\u2019s 4Motion all-wheel drive.<\/p>\n Output is rated at 328 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0\u201360-mph time of 4.1 seconds in our testing. That beats the manual-only Honda Civic Type R, which launches to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds using its front-wheel-drive layout.<\/p>\n MPG and Range\u00a0<\/p>\n We expect the 2027 Volkswagen Golf R to carry over with the same fuel economy as the 2026 model. The EPA rates last year\u2019s hot hatch at 22\/31 mpg city\/highway and 362 miles of range, enabled by a 14.5-gallon fuel tank. Honda\u2019s manual-only Civic Type R is rated at 22\/28 mpg and 298 miles of range.<\/p>\n The Golf R is only slightly less efficient than the FWD-only Volkswagen GTI. For 2026, the EPA rates the GTI at 24\/32 mpg. Although more efficient, the less powerful GTI only returns 356 miles of range with its smaller 13.2-gallon gas tank.<\/p>\n Safety Ratings and Features\u00a0<\/p>\n For 2026, the Volkswagen Golf R received a top rating of Good in the small overlap front crash test from IIHS<\/a>. The GTI receives a score of Good for its LATCH system\u2019s ease of use. Volkswagen equips its IQ Drive suite of driver assistance features on all 2027 Golf R models.<\/p>\n Standard Features\u00a0<\/p>\n The 2027 Volkswagen Golf R comes standard with front automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind-spot monitoring, standard front and rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and rear traffic alert.<\/p>\n Cargo Space and Interior Room<\/p>\n The 2027 Volkswagen Golf R\u2019s front-row legroom trails its rivals. Second-row legroom and cargo volume are middle-of-the-pack.<\/p>\n TechnologyInfotainment<\/p>\n Volkswagen equips all versions of the 2027 Golf R with a 10.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen. The central display is standard with Apple CarPlay<\/a> and Android Auto<\/a>. VW includes voice commands enhanced by ChatGPT\u2019s AI technology and a 15-watt wireless charger.<\/p>\n The 2027 Volkswagen Golf R comes standard with two USB-C data ports in the front row and two USB-C charging ports in the second row. A head-up display is also included on all models.<\/p>\n Sound System<\/p>\n Unlike the Volkswagen GTI, which is standard with seven-speaker audio, the 2027 Volkswagen Golf R is equipped with a nine-speaker setup from Harman Kardon by default. The 480-watt sound system includes a subwoofer and a 12-channel amplifier.<\/p>\n Available Upgrades<\/p>\n As the top-level Golf, Volkswagen equips the Golf R with cool lighting features inside and out. On the outside, there\u2019s an illuminated grille and VW badge. The Golf R has adaptive front headlights with cornering capabilities for better visibility at night. Inside the cabin, 30-color ambient lighting is standard.<\/p>\n ValueStandard Features<\/p>\n As the highest-performance model in the lineup, there\u2019s just one version of the 2027 Volkswagen Golf R, and it comes highly equipped by default. VW packages a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, all-wheel drive with summer performance tires on 19-inch wheels, and fully independent suspension with adaptive dampers.<\/p>\n More goodies enthusiasts are sure to love, like a GPS lap timer and a G-meter, complement blue brake calipers clamping down on 14.1-inch cross-drilled front discs and 12.2-inch vented discs in the rear. The suspension\u2019s adaptive dampers can be configured for a variety of driving situations and VW\u2019s XDS Cross Differential system can shuffle up to 100 percent of rear torque to one side.<\/p>\n Exterior lighting elements include adaptive front lighting with cornering functionality, LED headlights, LED taillights, and lighting for better visibility in poor weather. VW\u2019s memory-capable side mirrors are power-folding and heated, and they tilt automatically while the Golf R is in the reverse gear.<\/p>\n The Golf R\u2019s cabin comes with some of the best tech offered in VW\u2019s lineup. It has heated and ventilated power-adjustable front seats. Outboard second-row seats are also heated. Leather seating is standard. Every Golf R receives three-zone climate control and 30-color ambient lighting.<\/p>\n The Euro Style Package<\/p>\n Get the good stuff that Volkswagen typically doesn\u2019t offer for U.S.-market cars by ticking the box for the Euro Style package. This suite of features includes manually adjustable, power-reclining cloth seats with a soft diamond pattern.<\/p>\n The Euro Style package also deletes the sunroof for a slick-top look and equips a quad-tip titanium axle-back exhaust system from Akrapovic. The Euro Style package is more than a cosmetic upgrade; it cuts nearly 80 pounds from the Golf R\u2019s curb weight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The most powerful Golf Volkswagen has ever offered in the United States returns for the 2027 model year…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":790074,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":["post-790073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=790073"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/790073\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/790074"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=790073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=790073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=790073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}