Keeping driving fun alive in the 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R

September 14, 2021 

Over seven generations and almost 40 years, the Volkswagen Golf GTI has defined what a hot hatchback should be. The Volkswagen Golf R has become a performance standard of its own, offering all-wheel-drive grip and refined power. This year, the eighth generation of both legends arrive in the United States to keep the spirit of driving fun alive.

The all-new versions of both vehicles offer more standard power, more standard technology and sharper style than before, while preserving their affordability – and available manual transmissions.

“The previous Golf GTI and Golf R models were widely regarded as the two of the best hot hatches you could buy, but the Mark 8 versions up the ante,” said Hein Schafer, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy, Volkswagen of America. “This duo has more performance, better handling, more standard equipment and improved tech features, yet minimal price increases.”

The heart of both models lies in the EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injection TSI® engine, with both reaching new highs in power output. Either model is offered with a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic. The GTI produces 241 horsepower—up 13 from the Mk7—and 273 lb-ft of torque with regular octane fuel, while the Golf R now makes 315 horsepower—27 more than the previous generation—and 295 lb-ft of torque with the DSG transmission, or 280 lb-ft with the manual, using premium fuel.

Between the engine and the road lives a newly developed and sophisticated set of suspension controls that blend the electronic stability control (ESC) with the electronic differential lock (XDS®) and the optional DCC® adaptive damping system. In the GTI, the standard VAQ electronically controlled torque-sensing limited-slip differential gives the system an intelligent edge to cut understeer and provide the sharpest handling in fast corners.

For the Golf R, Volkswagen engineers designed a new 4Motion® all-wheel-drive system with rear-axle torque vectoring, which can distribute up to 100 percent of the rear torque to an individual rear wheel. In a typical corner, the system can sense which wheel needs more or less power, inside or outside the curve, and redirect the flow in a matter of milliseconds. The Golf R also includes new driving modes including a track-tuned “Special” setting and a “Drift” mode for track-only excitement.^⁠1

Here’s Volkswagen R brand ambassador Tanner Foust demonstrating the potential of both vehicles:

Both models benefit from the updates to the eighth-generation Golf family with all-new bodywork and design details inside and out. The new light signature of the GTI comes from distinctive X-shaped foglights and an available light bar that flanks the VW logo in the grille, and for the first time in North America, available 19-inch alloy wheels. Golf R models feature a blue grille line and brake calipers, a new wheel design, and several other distinct touches, from more aggressive front and rear bumpers and diffusers to a quad-tipped exhaust system and a larger rear spoiler.