Like its stablemate, the GTI, the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R has had some small changes made to it. VW’s choice to take away the manual transmission from both models may be one of many things that fans of the hotter hatch don’t like. The new Golf R’s infotainment system has a bigger screen than the old one, which was only 10.2-inch, but dashboard integration was missed during the planning process. Indeed, VW boasts that the new Golf R’s interior has a “free-standing display,” which merely means that it was added at the last minute. The trouble with the Golf R is that it was made to be a driver’s car. “World’s fastest Volkswagen, along with the Arteon R Shooting Brake,” the company says. This is partly because the engine now has 328 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, which is a little more than before. On the other hand, the car company keeps putting down the idea by making driving the Golf R uncomfortable. Would you like more buttons? Even though the GTI added buttons to the steering wheel again, the updated R still has the same annoying capacitive keys as the first R. Don’t like touchscreens? This one is bigger, and you can see it most of the time. (The HVAC touch strips are now at least lit up.) The problem is made even worse by the fact that the Golf R’s interior needs to be updated to make it look more modern and high-tech. Every year, automakers are determined to install more or bigger screens in their cars. Going the Big Tech way makes sense when you’re driving a 3,500-pound car and when you’re sitting on the couch and scrolling through your phone. Be careful not to look at the gear shifter’s relaxing and easy-to-recognize H-pattern for too long. We’re looking into why the old 10-inch screen shared the view instead of letting you control it. Even though it was very small, it looked like it was tucked into the dashboard instead of sitting on top of it. It was easy to take off the old panel and add it to the cockpit. The new screen is 12.9 inches, which is more than three inches bigger than the old one. It doesn’t look as easy to ignore while driving. A big frame takes up a lot of room and hangs between the driver’s hands in places 10 and 2. It’s visible and easy to get to. The plan and size should be revised. Of course, only some things are good. The 2019 Golf R has had major changes made to the outside, the inside, and everything in between. 13 hp are added to the Golf R’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine. The Akrapovič titanium exhaust system makes the rumble stronger. Optional 19-inch forged “Warmenau” wheels, named after the place where Volkswagen’s R center is located, weigh only 17.6 pounds each. This is done to lower the unsprung weight. The Golf R still has active adjustable dampers in its suspension, and it has an all-wheel-drive system with torque vectoring. The front and back ends were changed to improve brake cooling and airflow. You can now get new LED grid headlights and taillights with effects that you can change. There’s also a VW logo that lights up because that’s cool these days. The Golf R gets its first tow bar, which can hold up to 4,188 pounds of weight on a trailer. In some ways, adding ChatGPT to Volkswagen’s new entertainment system is not ideal, but it is still pretty good. Here’s another reason why you wish the huge piece of glass had been okay with the mood.
