In an unexpected move, Volkswagen has, finally, decided to give local buyers what they always wanted, by making the Golf R available with its full power output of 228 kW instead of the 213 kW offered until now. According to Volkswagen, this was due to South Africa being classified as a hot climate country, which has since been revised to ‘mild’ status. With this in mind, I headed off to Cape Town to find out if the long-awaited 15 kW hike has been worth it.
The Golf you want
Arriving at the airport, my colleagues and I were handed the keys to a brace of Golf GTIs, not something we had expected. Since its inception in 1976, the GTI has been the hot hatchback benchmark and in its updated seven generation guise, it remains the default choice. It might not be as focused as say a Honda Type R, but what it offers is a compliant ride that’s not bone-shattering. The DSG gearbox is sublime and the interior is as German as they come, meaning that everything is where it should be. The GTI is a car that just about anyone can get into and enjoy from the get-go.
On the highway, it offers a comfortable ride with very little drama, and when tasked with taking-on one of the Western Cape’s infamous mountain passes, it goes from being an everyday, comfortable cruiser to a corner-devouring monster at the touch of button.
Thanks to its clever XDS electronic front differential that reduces understeer, 169 kW served-up from its 2.0 TSI engine and instant responding six-speed DSG, it dances like a ballerina with inch perfect precision up and down a twisty road. It is rewarding to say the least and my time behind the wheel only reaffirmed this once again.
The one you really want
The highlight and of course the reason for our trek down to the Cape was to experience the R. From the outside it remains unchanged with the sole option fitted being the carbon fibre-look mirror caps.
Something you will also notice though is the exhaust system which now comes in the form of an optional quad tailpipe setup sourced from Akrapovic. Not only does it look very sporty, but it is also seven kilograms lighter than the standard unit. While it helps to amplify that iconic Vrrpaah sound even more, the R39 900 it adds to the sticker price will likely be the biggest distortion for some buyers.
Eagle-eyed onlooker will also notice the drilled R Performance front brakes for added cooling under harsher conditions. These discs are two kilograms lighter than the standard ones and are identified by R logos on the 17-inch callipers.
Why you want it
On the road, one can really tell the difference between the GTI and the R. As mentioned, the GTI comes across as a ballerina whereas the R is about as subtle as being hit by a hammer in the face at a rock concert.
Granted, while the uptake in power is difficult to notice, the 20 N.m torque bump to 400 N.m is as it pushes you into the back of the seat that little more. With an additional cog in its gearbox over the GTI, the seven-speed DSG is smooth and will see the R hit 100 km/h from zero in 4.6 seconds.
Scaling the Franschhoek and Du Toitskloof passes, the R feels planted, no doubt as a result of its 4Motion all-wheel drive system, but it feels heavy in that it weighs 197 kg more than the GTI. I also found the GTI to be more dynamically competent than the R, however, the R trumps it in the corners again as a result of its all-paw system.
The price you will pay for it
I will admit that out of the two, the GTI takes top price in the handling department, while the sheer theatrical driving experience offered by the R is more entertaining.
The only question that you need to ask yourself if you want a decently fast hatchback that is practical, comfortable, superbly well-built, good looking and fast, is whether you want to stomach the R’s standard R676 000 price tag over the GTI’s R558 000 in order to have the ultimate Golf.
