Volkswagen Golf R 2022 arrives with manual transmission

Volkswagen has been doubling its more complete range by SUV and doing large investments in electric cars in recent times, and both developments are seen as critical to securing your financial future. Still, it is encouraging to see that the automaker is not ready to abandon its core audience of driving enthusiasts. The latest evidence? This 2022 Volkswagen Golf R. Set to return to showrooms late next year after a hiatus, this blue hot rod (no, no that) will bring 315 horsepower to the four-wheel drive hot hatch party. Additionally, VW is defying industry trends by committing to the availability of a manual transmission in the US and Canada (a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox will be optional). Did I mention there is a new Drift mode?

Volkswagen says the new hatchback will not only accelerate to 62 mph in 4.7 seconds en route to a top speed of 155 mph, but it will be able to zip around the legendary Nurburgring race track in Germany 17 seconds faster than its predecessor. (In racing, a couple of seconds is a substantial gap.) And while we strongly believe that the lap records at the Ring have been unnecessarily glorified in automotive culture, the huge gulf between the times of this new Mk8 Golf R and its immediate predecessor sounds revealing. That Gulf of Golf points to a substantial improvement in not just power, but handling agility as well. In fact, as Karsten Schebsdat, Golf R’s head of driving dynamics, said in a teleconference earlier this week, “We can definitely say that it’s [the Golf R’s] The biggest step forward in performance we’ve ever taken from one generation to the next. “This is good news.

Golf R 2022 performance and mechanical shift specifications

Equally good news is VW’s apparent focus on making the 2022 Golf R more fun to drive. Historically, while the Golf R has enjoyed a reputation for being more powerful and polished than its less expensive GTI brother, in general it has also been seen as less playful and ultimately less fun as a driver’s car. Thanks to a new electronically locking rear differential with torque vectoring, updated adaptive dampers and a new Vehicle Dynamics Manager (VDM) control unit to tie it all together, the German automaker says it has tweaked this new Golf R to be more crisp and more vivid. With a faster variable-ratio power steering setup and a rear differential that can direct up to 100% of available torque to any axle as standard equipment, the Golf R’s handling is claimed to be more neutral and responsive, but the test will be in driving.

The heart of this high-performance affair is a re-tuned version of VW’s timeless EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. In addition to those 315 horsepower, this engine delivers 310 pound-feet of torque (increases of 27 and 30, respectively). For the sake of comparison, those output figures are better than the 306 hp and 295 lb.-ft. the 2021 Honda Civic Type R, as well as the 310 hp and 290 lb.-ft. of the 2020 Subaru WRX STI. That said, while a Nordschleife time of 7:51 on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires is very impressive for this new VW, it should also be noted that this time it is still well below the Honda Civic Front-wheel drive type. R, who did the deed at 7:43:08. Also, North American models won’t even be offered with Bibendum’s super sticky rubber. Instead, the US and Canadian models will be equipped with one of the following tires: Bridgestone Potenza S005, Goodyear Eagle F1 Super Sport or Hankook Ventus S1 Evo 3.

The Golf R comes with several drive mode settings, including Sport, Comfort, and Race (the car always goes into Sport mode by default when starting). These options cover everything from throttle mapping and shift schedules to steering weight and immediacy, as well as damper tuning, differential lock behavior, gauge cluster arrangement, and even sound. interior and exterior of the vehicle. New for this generation are a couple of unusual submodes, special and drift. The former replicates the ideal tuning chosen for the Nurburgring, and selecting this option displays an outline of the Nordschleife while softening the dampers and reprogramming the VDM to increase lateral freedom. The last mode is a dedicated setting designed for maximum lateral action. VW officials say this feature is not for use on public roads and in fact the infotainment system will display a confirmation message before activating this smoke setting.

With the added power, VW saw the need for additional braking, so the front rotors are 14.1 by 1.3 inches (the Mk7 Golf Rs were 13.4 by 1.2 inches) held by two-piston aluminum calipers. An R-specific master cylinder helps provide proper braking response and feel. The suspension has also been tuned, with the front McPherson struts featuring a stiffer and lighter aluminum subframe, firmer stabilizer and spring rates (up to 10%), and much more built-in camber. At the rear, the multi-link setup has repositioned revised control arms and wheel mounts, as well as 10% firmer springs and stabilizers, among other modifications.

Appearance of the Golf R 2022

Visually, the Golf R 2022 continues VW’s tradition of making this model a paradigm of understated performance. You won’t find towering wings or flashy ground effects kits – VW is very happy to leave those things to the Type R and WRX STIs of the world. In fact, the Golf R looks a lot like the new GTI (which, in turn, looks a lot like the old GTI). You can see this model on the street by its subtle blue crossbar grille, which sits atop an R-specific front bumper with integrated splitter and larger air intakes. A glance at the profile of the R will note satin silver mirror caps, 19-inch model-specific wheels, and blue-painted brake calipers. At the rear, there is a new rear spoiler and a unique rear bumper fascia with two tailpipes that are finished off by a glossy black diffuser. VW says the new look reduces lift at both ends for better responsiveness and stability while adding a skosh more drag.

The Golf R’s interior is back on the side of evolution over revolution, but there are significant changes, including a cluster of reconfigurable digital gauges and a 10-inch Discover Pro touchscreen infotainment system. Nappa leather-wrapped sports seats with matching blue stitching come standard, as does a sports wheel that maintains the new haptic feedback touch controls common to other Mk8 Golf models. Imitation carbon trim and brushed stainless steel pedals are also standard. Everything is quite attractive and quite subtle.

Golf R 2022 price, availability and fuel economy

It’s too early to tell about pricing or fuel efficiency, though VW is telegraphing that the new Golf R’s substantially higher performance and content will drive prices higher. (For its most recent model year in the US, the 2019 Golf R started at just over $ 40,000.)

The most frustrating part of all this? Availability. That 2022 model year designation probably gave you a hint: It will be a long time before you see one of these new Golf Rs on the streets of North America – a full year or so from now. On the bright side, VW officials tell Roadshow that the new Mk8 Golf R and GTI models will hit the market more or less simultaneously. Typically, American and Canadian buyers have had to wait a long time between these two models. On the downside, the US has historically been the biggest selling market for the GTI and Golf R, so this wait is a particularly bitter pill to swallow when Europeans will be able to get their gloves on both models very soon.

Plus, this prolonged acceleration also somewhat muddies the waters on where the Golf R can compare to its rivals when it finally arrives in 2021. We expect to see a new WRX and its higher-performing STI derivative sometime next year. and the latter is rumored to get over 400 hp. This high-powered Subaru may hit the market at the same time as VW’s new Golf R. The arrival of an even higher-performance Subaru WRX STI may rain a bit on the Volkswagen Golf R parade, but if anything, with two new high-performance sports compacts hitting the market, driving enthusiasts will be the winners.