
VW South Africa has told TopAuto that the new Golf 8 R will be available in the country in “the first quarter of next year” (2022).
As for the recently-unveiled VW Golf 8 R Estate, the company said it will unfortunately not reach South Africa.
“In the Golf 8 range, as Volkswagen we are, at the moment, only focusing on the Golf 8 GTI as well as the Golf R,” said VW South Africa.
Golf 8 R Specs
The VW Golf 8 R was unveiled in late 2020 and debuted a new all-wheel-drive system paired with the most powerful 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol engine in a Golf R model to date.
This motor delivers 235kW and 420Nm to all four wheels via the 4Motion with R-Performance Torque Vectoring all-wheel-drive system.
This new system connects to a high-tech running gear to distribute power not only between the front and rear axles, but also variably between the rear wheels.
According to VW, this all-wheel-drive set-up is a world first as it also incorporates an electronic differential lock, vehicle dynamics manager, and adaptive chassis control programme.
“Thanks to this close integration of the different systems, the new Golf R offers optimum traction characteristics and neutral handling with the utmost level of precision,” said VW.
The result of all these additions is a 0-100km/h time of 4.7 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 250km/h.
With the optional R-Performance package, the top speed is increased to 270km/h.
Inside, the VW Golf 8 R is expected to feature much of the same equipment as its front-wheel-drive sibling, the Golf 8 GTI.
However, it must be noted that the Golf R’s official South African specifications have not been made available yet.
We anticipate the Golf R to offer a new multifunction steering wheel with touch-sensitive buttons, R-exclusive leather seats, a “shift-by-wire” transmission, a digital instrument cluster, and a 10.25-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The GTI is also fitted with a wireless smartphone charger, ambient lighting, cruise control, and park distance control sensors – which can be expected to be standard in the Golf 8 R, too.
No price as yet
The South African pricing for the new VW Golf 8 R has not been announced.
In Germany, the Golf 8 R currently sells for €50,305 (R881,000).
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