Following his Volkswagen Scirocco R test drive, Richie Honein got into its more famous sister car, the Golf R. The two cars share a lot of components, most notably, the four-cylinder 2.0-liter turbo engine. Here’s what you should know about the 2013 Golf R.
At 188 kW/255 bhp it is the most powerful version of the model series ever built. At the same time, it is the most fuel-efficient Golf R of all time – 21 percent (!) more fuel efficient than the previous model. A high-class sports car with compact-class fuel economy.
The Golf R sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds. The best data: While the retired Golf R32 processed 10.7 litres fuel per 100 kilometres, the new Golf R only needs 8.4 litres – 2.3 litres less. Accordingly, CO2 emissions are reduced from 255 to 195 g/km.
The enormous efficiency gain of the new Golf R is not some magic trick; rather it is the result of intelligent downsizing. Its legendary predecessor generated its power from a displacement of 3.2 litres (“32”) and six cylinders. In the new model, this is accomplished with four cylinders and 2.0 litres of displacement – a highly advanced direct injection petrol engine with turbo-charging (TSI). At the fuel pump and on the winding mountain road, this high-tech alliance is superior to a classic six cylinder with multi-point injection. Proving that even the sound of a four cylinder can leave a strong impression are the fifth and sixth generations of the Golf GTI, also powered by a four cylinder TSI. And the Golf R − and the chrome dual tailpipes of its sound-optimized exhaust system − display a significantly broader “sound spectrum”.
The TSI’s torque characteristic is just as impressive. The Turbo four-cylinder direct injection engine of the new Golf R transfers 330 Newton-meters torque to the crankshaft, also available from 2,400 rpm, but it can maintain this peak value up to 5,200 rpm. So the new car delivers a fascinatingly high level of fundamental dynamic performance. The Golf R32 and Golf R are really only equals in one discipline; they each have a top speed of 250 km/h (electronically limited on the Golf R).
The new Volkswagen Golf R is available at all Volkswagen partners in the Middle East.
