The current version of the Golf R is based on the Golf 7 body shape, and has been on sale in South Africa since February 2014. However, there have been a few significant updates since that time, which have had both a visual and performance impact on this car, the King Kong of performance Golfs.
The new Golf 8 has just been launched in Europe, but according to Volkswagen South Africa the new car was not expected to arrive here until the end of 2020. VWSA said that it would probably launch the GTi version of the Golf 8 first, with no mention of the more-powerful, all-wheel-drive R version as yet. How the global lockdown has affected these plans is not yet clear, but for now the Golf 7-based R is still available for sale as a new car.
Should you buy a new Golf R now?
There is probably a good case to be made for buying the current Golf R, as it will be seen in time as being one of the classic performance Golfs. Of course, buying a used one will save money in the short term, but bear in mind that performance cars like these have probably led quite a hard life, as nobody is going to buy a Golf R purely for its ability to accommodate five adults!
There have been question marks over the long term reliability of Volkswagen DSG gearbox for some time now. Also keep in mind that the Golf R comes equipped with launch control, and any car fitted with launch control will have a drive train that has been subjected to some serious strain on components like gearboxes and drive shafts.
AutoTrader currently lists over 1000 New and Used Volkswagen Golf models for sale, a number of which are the high performance R versions.
Golf R time line
There have been three basic versions of the current shape Golf R, since its launch six years ago, and we offer a quick summary here:
February 2014: The launch of the seventh-generation Golf in R form caused a ripple of excitement throughout the performance community. Power of the 2,0-litre direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder engine was boosted to the tune of 44 kW over the standard GTi’s output. This meant that the first batch of Golf 7-based Rs came with 206 kW, 380 Nm of torque and a 6-speed DSG gearbox. The 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system featured the latest Haldex 5 coupling for seamless power transfer between the front and rear axles.
The 0-100 km/h time was listed by VWSA as 5,0 seconds for the Golf R equipped with the 6-speed DSG gearbox. In the second half of 2014 a 6-speed manual version was made available and this version’s 0-100 km/h time was 5,2 seconds. Top speed, as with all Golf Rs, was electronically limited to 250 km/h.
July 2017. The first major upgrade for the Golf R came in mid-2017. Power was increased to 213 kW, while torque remained at 380 Nm. However, the gearbox was upgraded to a 7-speed DSG, and this change resulted in the 0-100 km/h time dropping to an impressive 4,6 seconds.
The new version also came with re-designed bumpers, LED headlights and tail lights, and exhaust pipes that were moved further out to the sides of the car. There were also new wheel choices, notably the optional 19-inch “Pretoria” alloys in grey metallic.
The post-July 2017 models also featured a new infotainment system and a panoramic sunroof, with Adaptive Chassis Control as an option. Price at this point (before options) had risen to R647 300.
February 2019. The third version of the Golf 7-based R came on song in February 2019 and remains current today, so this is the spec for the latest Golf R. The engine output rose further to 228 kW and 400 Nm. Interestingly the 0-100 km/h time remained the same at 4,6 seconds, as did the top speed, once again electronically limited to 250 km/h. This engine output is the highest of any Golf sold in South Africa to date.
Options listed at this time included an R Performance Titanium exhaust as well as optional R Performance brakes with brake callipers painted black with the ‘R’ logo. Price of the 228 kW version had risen to R676 000. With the rand-exchange rate being battered in the past year, the new Volkswagen Golf R is currently listed at R708 900 (June 2020) and this includes a 5-year/90 000 km service plan and a 3-year/120 000 km warranty.
Recommended next:
Video Review: Volkswagen Golf R - What's new?
Performance road-trip review! VW Golf GTD, GTI and R
Golf GTD – A holiday in jo’burg