The engine is likely to make the new R the quickest Golf from 0 to 100 kph.
Volkswagen is readying the next Golf R, slated to be the most powerful Golf yet. Expected to launch in 2027, it will be the last only-petrol-powered Golf before the transition to electrification.
The big news is that VW plans to fit the 2.5-litre 5-cylinder petrol engine from the Audi RS3 into the Golf R. While the current model makes 328 BHP and 400 Nm from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol, the 2.5-litre develops 394 BHP and 480 Nm in the current RS3. The engine is likely to make the new R the quickest Golf from 0 to 100 kph. The RS3 does that sprint in 3.8 seconds.
The power output could be pushed further still. Sebastian Grams, former managing director of Audi Sport, had said in 2023 that “there’s still a way to go” with the five-cylinder engine compared with the RS3 Performance Edition, its most potent variant to date. That car, which was launched in 2023 and limited to 300 models globally, put out 401 BHP and 500 Nm.
To accommodate the new engine, tweaks to the suspension will have to be made. The 5-cylinder engine is also expected to increase the weight of the car by a small margin. Bigger brakes can also be expected.
The Golf R is also expected to adopt a reconfigured version of Volkswagen’s seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, including revised gear ratios and launch control.
Styling changes are expected as well. Spy photos of the car reveal features like new intakes in the bonnet, a more aggressive roof-mounted spoiler, and a new diffuser. The quad exhausts could feature titanium tips and active flaps.
The new Golf R is likely to be unveiled next year, with UK sales set to coincide with Volkswagen R’s 25th anniversary in 2027.
Source: Autocar UK
