We were quite eager to test drive the new Volkswagen Golf R. After all, it did leave quite an impression when we first drove the first generation Golf R back in 2011, after the demise of the R32. It almost felt as special as the Nissan GT-R with its all-wheel-drive handling capabilities, and being a practical everyday car at the same time. So how does the latest generation of the most powerful Golf ever feel?
The hot versions of the VW Golf are always hotly anticipated, so it is with much fanfare that the 2022 VW Golf R and the Golf GTI Clubsport have been revealed, following the debut of the Golf GTI that is yet to be seen in the Middle East.
When we went on a VW-sponsored trip to the 2016 Qatar Motor Show last week, we sat down with Thomas Milz, head of Volkswagen Middle East, for a casual chat on how the company is doing in the Middle East. We were there to witness the VW Tiguan‘s regional launch and, having seen it before in Frankfurt and Detroit already, we continue to be impressed by just looking at it. Milz expects the Tiguan to become a huge success in the GCC, but we asked him what model was currently their biggest seller in the Middle East.
It’s probably fair to say that there’s never been a ‘hot hatch’ war without a Volkswagen Golf. And, Volkswagen is only looking forward in the race, as they are all set to debut their fourth generation Golf R at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Exactly as the title says. Volkswagen’s Middle East office has like three or four VW Golf R hatchbacks on media duty. When we picked up the white VW Golf R earlier this month, the only one available happened to be the version without Dynamic Chassis Control, a system that adds adjustable suspension. So we simply asked for another round, this time with the DCC version, and they obliged. After driving the non-DCC car, we were already impressed, and had made up our minds that adding complicated suspension gimmickry would only add weight and nothing else. We were wrong.
This is our third VW test-drive in a row. This time we have the 2011 VW Golf R, a stronger version of the Golf GTI and replacement for the previous R32. Since we’ve tested neither of those cars before, thanks to VW’s previous PR agency, we have nothing to compare the Golf R to. All we know is that it is a proper ass-kicker of a car.