Volkswagen details new Golf GTI and R

VOLKSWAGEN’S Golf GTI and R hot hatch siblings will land in Australian showrooms in mid-August with a modest bump in power, about six weeks after the rest of the small-car range lobs in early July.

Power in GTI variants comes courtesy of a turbocharged 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine like before, but all versions are now tuned to GTI Performance levels, sending 162kW of power and 350Nm of torque exclusively to the front axle.

Although no zero to 100km/h times were revealed, expect to see both six-speed manual and dual-clutch automatic GTIs to hit the landmark in about 6.4 seconds, like before.

As well as the range-wide “Mark 7.5” updates – which includes new front and rear bumper designs, redesigned headlights and all-LED tail-lights – the Golf GTI also benefits from an 8.0-inch infotainment colour touchscreen with satellite navigation and App-Connect, up from the 6.5-inch screen in the outgoing model.

Standard gear in the GTI also includes 18-inch wheels, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, reversing camera, adaptive chassis control, automatic headlights and wipers, parking sensors front and rear, LED headlights with dynamic cornering, driver fatigue detection, and seven airbags.

Options include a Driver Assistance package which bundles safety technologies such as adaptive cruise control and blind spot monitoring, as well as Infotainment and Luxury packages.

Headlining the changes to the Golf R flagship is an uprated engine producing 213kW of power (up from the 206kW in the outgoing version) and 380Nm (unchanged) of torque from a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four.

Channelling power to all four wheels, the Golf R now accelerates from 0-100km/h in 4.8s when paired with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, 0.2s faster than before and keeping the VW on pace with the Ford Focus RS (4.7s).

No sprint times were revealed for the six-speed self-shift version, but expect to see a similar drop in time from the outgoing model’s 5.2s triple digit run.

While the current Golf R makes use of a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen display, the incoming version gets an upgraded 9.2-inch screen with gesture and voice control, satellite navigation, and App-Connect as standard.

The new Golf R also adds to the list of standard equipment found in its GTI sibling with heated front seats with electronic adjustment, power-folding mirrors, metallic or pearly effect paint and 19-inch alloy wheels.

Volkswagen Australia also confirmed details of its incoming Golf 110TDI Highline Wagon which will sit below the Alltrack in the big-booted small car range.

Powered by an unchanged 110kW/340Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine, the new 110TDI Highline Wagon will now benefit from an additional ratio from the Golf R’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Standard features mirror equipment found in the Golf GTI, but the load-lugging Golf gains leather appointed, heated and electronically adjustable front seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof, and chrome highlights throughout.

Pricing for the entire “7.5” Golf range will be revealed early next month, but it is unlikely to differ greatly from the current line-up.

The existing Golf GTI kicks off at $41,340 before on-roads for the manual version, while the DSG GTI wears a $43,390 pricetag.

The Golf R starts at $52,990 for the manual and rises to $55,240 for the automatic, while Volkswagen is asking $37,340 for the Golf 110TDI Highline Wagon.