Christmas has come early for US VW enthusiasts with the announcement that Volkswagen of America has reached an agreement to sell the exciting Golf R in North America.
The hurdles in reaching the agreement were many, including relatively disappointing sales of the previous generation Golf R32, as well as the possible price of the AWD Golf R.
However, negotiations with VW AG in Germany mean US buyers can choose between both two- and four-door models. There will also be two trim levels to control costs. The only caveat is that the car will only be available with a six-speed manual transmission.
This latter decision means VWoA only has to certify one transmission, reducing development costs. The manual is also cheaper than the DSG semi-automatic transmission. It should further be noted that a portion of the R32’s slow sales performance was blamed on the fact it could only be bought with a DSG transmission, which made it less attractive to some enthusiasts, particularly those who wished to use the cars on the track or to modify the engines.
With its 20.T 4-cylinder 16v TSI turbo engine and all-wheel drive chassis, the Golf R will inevitably attract both track drivers and owners who wish to extract more power from the engine with software upgrades or turbo conversions. However, the car is no slouch, posting 0-62mph acceleration times of 5.7sec for the manual version in European spec.
The 4-cylinder motor will also be more economical than it’s 3.2-liter 6-cylinder predecessor, while the lighter engine up front means the handling will be more balanced and less inclined to understeer.
The problem for US buyers is that final horsepower numbers have yet to be announced. The Europeans get a 270hp engine and many US sources are quoting 260hp but it could be slightly less, according to a representative at VWoA. The problem is that the car needs to be tuned for North America’s hotter regions, which could mean the output drops to 250 or 255hp when it arrives.
Whatever the numbers, it will still be the most powerful VW sold in the US and, after a brief drive in the car, we can confirm it’s wonderfully balanced and has superb traction.
The basic trim level will include leather seats, Climatronic and 18” wheels as well as all the specific R trim and mechanical components. The loaded version will get the aforementioned as well as keyless entry, a Dynaudio sound system, sunroof and the RNS-315 nav system.
Final pricing has not been confirmed and could vary before the car is produced in November for possible December 2011 deliveries. But if everything goes as planned, expect prices to start around $33,995 for the base model. This is somewhat expensive but it give families the option of a four-door model without sunroof that could be transformed into an autocrosser at weekends with little trouble.
The order books will be opened in April. Merry Christmas!