Refreshed for 2025, the high-performance Golf R sports a more aggressive front fascia, while the interior receives an updated infotainment system and improved ergonomics. The German hot hatch uses a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that now generates 328 hp, which is sent to all four wheels. The manual gearbox has been eliminated, leaving only a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Fortunately, the latter is a proven unit and a good match for the engine.
The number of makes and models offering manual transmissions keeps shrinking due to poor sales, new emission regulations, incompatibilities with various driver assistance features and the increasing array of electric and hybrid vehicles, among other things. The 2025 model year will see the Jeep Gladiator, Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf …
With coupes, convertibles, wagons and sedans dropping like flies, today’s automotive landscape is a boring sea of trucks and SUVs. Making matters worse is the fact that about 80 percent of them are finished in white, grey or black. Where’s the fun in that? Volkswagen deserves part of the blame, …
Ann Arbor, Michigan— Volkswagen enthusiasts have always enjoyed the flexibility of the German automaker’s platforms. Interchangeable parts have inspired countless tuners especially among Golf and Jetta fans. Things changed in 2011 when Volkswagen introduced the sixth-generation Jetta and wanted to please sedan-loving Americans. The car grew in length and lost …
Ann Arbor, Michigan— Small, affordable cars have been dropping like flies for the past decade. Some makes have left the segment altogether, while others have decided to pay much less attention to it. SUVs and crossovers have taken over, as you know, but not everyone is ready to embrace them.
Conventionally powered cars that are set to be replaced with electric successors in the coming years may survive longer than expected. One of them could be the eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf , which is available in North America exclusively in GTI and R trim. Kai Grünitz, an engineer working for the …
Just like it did with the Golf GTI , Volkswagen is making a series of changes and adding power to the Golf R for the 2025 model year. Let’s start with the engine, whose output is increased from 315 hp to 328 hp. Peak torque, meanwhile, is up from 295 …
Want to feel like a kid again? Get yourself a sports car, whatever the type or the price. Here, we’ll focus on compact sports cars, meaning those models that combine practicality with performance. They can be both daily drivers and weekend track warriors. If you’re wondering which ones represent the …
As CES 2024 kicks off in Las Vegas this week, Volkswagen will present the first vehicles in which the AI-based chatbot ChatGPT is integrated into its IDA voice assistant. The German automaker is set to become the first volume manufacturer to offer ChatGPT as a standard feature. Starting this spring …
Barely four metres long and slightly less than two metres wide, the I.D. Buggy concept is a cute nod to the good old dune buggies that were powered by Volkswagen Beetle engines. As was the case then, it comes standard with rear-wheel drive. However, an AWD system could be fitted …
We keep hearing cars are history, but the Jetta is turning 40 and VW is convinced it just keeps getting better, especiaaly now that the Jetta shares the same platform as its cool sibling the Golf. We got our first drive at the North American launch. For more stories about …
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Volkswagen Golf R
Manual Gearbox to Survive in These Vehicles for 2025
