5 Reasons to buy a 228kW Golf R

- by John Whittle

The quintessential Super-hatch – the Volkswagen Golf R, is a true all-rounder and an exceptionally appealing package, however, in today’s ultra-competitive performance vehicle segment, there are so many options to choose from. So why, then, might one consider the original, the legend – the Golf R?

It’s Iconic

Well, it’s iconic. There’s no denying the Golf’s cult status as the benchmark vehicle within its segment. Add to this a little more poke, and you get the GTI which is arguably one of the best-balanced vehicles one can buy. But if you’re looking for something just a little more special, well then the Golf R is for you. It’s everything that the GTI is, but turned up to eleven, and we like things when they are turned up to eleven…

Great for daily driving

It’s perfectly civilized on a daily commute – it is refined and comfortable and honestly, cars don’t get easier to drive. It’s compact dimensions also mean that it’s a doddle to park and you’ll never find yourself struggling to squeeze your pride and joy into a parking bay. Throw in the optional Dynaudio sound system (you should do this) if you’d like for your tunes to be delivered with the same aplomb as the supple ride in comfort mode.

Practicality

Have a dog, cat or animal that may need to be placed in the rear of your vehicle? Well the Golf R is the consummate hatchback – with 1 233 litres of boot space with the rear seats folded, it’ll swallow just about anything you throw at it. It also has clever little hooks in the boot onto which you can hang your shopping parcels.

Economy

The only thing worse than being stuck in traffic, is being stuck in traffic in a performance car that gulps down the fuel, regardless of how fast you may or may not be moving. The Golf R is fantastically frugal when pottering around, yet has the performance on tap to decimate most cars on the road.

Performance & Styling

Which brings us to the whole point of this car, because let’s be honest, a standard Golf can do all of the above, too. 228 kW and 400 N.m are what’ll be unleashed if you give it some welly. 0-100 km/h is sorted out in 4.6 seconds and thanks to the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system, and while there might be little-to-no drama when launching, the sheer force of the acceleration coupled with the R’s delicious exhaust note makes for some spine-tingling stuff!

Add to all of this a smattering of R badges and a spectrum of snazzy hues from garish yellows to alluring blues and the package is complete. It really is a recipe for hatchback perfection that few, if any, can come even close to matching. In short, the R is comfortable, usable, practical, economical, blisteringly quick and undeniably desirable.