Turns out a frozen lake and studded tires is all you need to have fun in the new Golf R—now more powerful than any other sporty production Volkswagen hot hatch ever.

We sampled an array of Euro-market Volkswagens—including the Passat wagon, ID.7 Tourer, and Golf R—on a frozen Sweden lake.

It comes mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. That kind of power puts the VW Golf R a punch above the Civic Type R, which offers 315 horsepower and 310 lb ...

The Golf is now in its eighth generation, with the 2025 model acting as a facelifted version internally known as the Mk8.5.

The so-called "Black Edition" of the 2025 Golf R will get a black-painted version of the otherwise available 19-inch Estoril wheel design wearing 235/35 tires, with black brake calipers behind ...

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf R is the definition of a hot hatch, and both the VW CEO and Golf R's lead engineer took to the track to prove its mettle. A CEO who uses their company’s product is an ...

Today's Golf R's touch-based controls are not ... As the name suggests, it comes with black accents for the wheels, brake calipers, and badging.

The Golf R is even more potent than before, with the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine now dialed up by 13 horsepower to a total of 328 hp, while all-wheel drive and adaptive suspension ...

That’s particularly true of the all-wheel-drive Golf R, which can now crest the $50,000 barrier with options. The 2025 model year sees a few notable changes to the limited U.S. Golf lineup ...

The mid-level Golf GTI SE begins at $37,420 and features a lightly revised exterior with automatic high beam headlights and 18-inch R-design alloy wheels. They’re joined by a sunroof ...