But wait, there’s more. Launched alongside the Performance Pack is a new titanium sports exhaust made especially for the Golf R by Akrapovic. It was fitted to our test car at an additional cost of £2,975. So, if you fancy a Golf R with the Performance Pack and Akrapovic exhaust, you’ll need to part with at least £39,530. After options, our five-door test car came in at an eye-watering £44,460. Yikes.

What's it like?
Just as impressive as ever, really. There’s still a degree of lag when you put your foot down, but as soon as the turbo has spooled up the Golf R accelerates at a fairly alarming rate. With the DSG transmission equipped, Volkswagen claims it’ll hit 62mph from a standstill in 4.6sec — and it feels every bit as fast as those figures suggest.
Fitted with the Akrapovic exhaust, the Golf R now has the soundtrack to complement the pace, too. Select Race mode and the DSG will hold onto a gear right the way through the rev range accompanied by a deep, throaty warble. Pull the right-hand paddle shifter at the limiter and a rorty snort erupts from the exhaust as the next cog is selected. Tug the one on the left and not only will the lower gear be swapped in in impressively speedy fashion, you’ll also be treated to some rather lovely snaps, crackles and pops from the exhaust. It’s all a bit immature, but you can’t help but become at least a little enamoured of the Golf R.
Handling wise, the Golf R is much the same as before, albeit with a shade more stopping power, courtesy of those uprated brakes. MacPherson struts still comprise the front suspension, while a multi-link arrangement is employed at the rear axle. The front end reacts with a pleasing immediacy to your inputs through the sensibly weighted steering and there’s an agreeable amount of feel on offer, too, despite the rack’s electromechanical set-up.
At road-going speeds, the 4Motion four-wheel drive system provides more than enough grip — so much, in fact, that you get the sense that you’d really have to push the Golf R on a track to make it exceed its limitations. Body roll is kept in check nicely, although the lowered suspension can lead to a slightly brittle ride quality at lower speeds. Not that this put a damper on our time with the car in any way.
So, the Golf R with Performance Pack and Akrapovic exhaust is all very exciting to drive. It might come as a slight disappointment to some, then, to read that its interior does err on the dull side. There’s a lot of dark plastic to be found and, if it weren’t for the supportive R-embroidered front sports seats, you might mistake the cabin as being the same as it is in any other Golf.
Join the debate
Peter Cavellini
It’ll sell....
All Golfists will drool after one....
jason_recliner
45,000 for a VAG hatchback and it gets four stars?
I know you say you're not behoven to VAG, but seriously, this is not a good look. Should have received one star and a scatching review.
What would Setright do?
typos1
3 grand for an exhaust !!!???
3 grand for an exhaust !!!??? Whats it made out of gold ? Competent it may be but its a Golf so it ll still be as boring as fcuk.
Peter Cavellini
Iconic......
That’s the word attached to Cars that changed daily transport for some, came out in the early 70’s and showed up all the claimed fast Fords and Vauxhall’s and the like and continued over the decades to be the Car to beat, with the exception of the mark four ( a blip) the Golf is still popular, I’m not a Golf Driver by the way, but, I do understand the iconic label put on it, if you don’t like them that’s fine your opinion no one will take that away from you.....
FMS
Get a job
You are a monotonous, insipid, gasbag, who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
FMS
Get a job
You are a monotonous, tedious, boring, predictable gasbag, who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
eseaton
Ah yes. Recommend buying a
Ah yes. Recommend buying a car from a company that gasses monkeys.
Jimbbobw1977
£45k for a Golf - how this
£45k for a Golf - how this can be awarded four stars for being so overpriced is really beyond me - however it just seems accepted.
Carz99
@easton
Sounds like you have a problem with that!?
Spanner
Fairy nuts price.
Actually bonkers price. Really.
But at the the usual risk of saying anything on this site any more, to suggest a golf R is boring to drive really indicates that one hasn’t actually driven one.
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