2022 Volkswagen Golf R Review: Expected Release Date, Price, MPG and Performance

Overview

The 2022 Volkswagen Golf R will be a great package and will be ready to give tough competition to
the competitors like the 2021 Hyundai Veloster N and the 2021 Honda Civic Type-R. While it isn’t as
funky as the Hyundai, its sophisticated elegant looks will definitely capture the likes of many.

It will be also loaded with all the bells and whistles and will pack in a more powerful engine than the
rest of the competition. This car will give the hot hatch performance with subtle low-key styling.

What’s New?

The 2022 Volkswagen Golf R is likely to be the same as the MK8 Golf R released in the UK in early
2021. So we know a pretty lot about the car and will be able to give you a detailed outlook on the car.

• Improved Rear Differential for improved handling

• Larger Front Discs of 357 mm with blue colored calipers
• Performance Pack has 2 extra driving modes – an exhilarating Drift mode and a Special mode 
• Will be available in 3 new colors, namely Lapiz Blue Metallic, Pure White, Deep Black Pearl
Effect

What is the expected price and release date of the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R?

The expected price is from $44,000 - $47,000 . The expected date of launch is the Q4 of 2021.

What will be under the hood of the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R?

The 2022 Golf R will come packed with all the muscle under its hood. Likely to be powered by a 2.0L
turbocharged Inline 4 cylinder engine that pumps out an outrageous 315 hp of power and 310 lb-ft of
torque which catapults the car from 0-60 MPH in about 4.6 seconds. Will come paired with two
transmission options; a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DCT. 

Will come equipped with a 4Motion all-wheel-drive system with an improved active rear differential for
better handling. It Will be getting 6 driving modes (Comfort, Sport, Race, Special, Drift, and Individual)
with the Drift mode giving you the joys and charms of a rear-wheel-drive car. The Special and Drift
mode will be only available with the optional Performance Pack. Will also get the Volkswagen torque-
vectoring system, previously seen in the Tiguan. 

It basically sends power to the outside wheels when the car is in a corner, to keep it planted and stable
throughout the corner. It will also get DCC adaptive suspension which can be manually selected from
the 18 choices in the Infotainment system. The R will have an electronically-limited top speed of
155MPH while the performance pack will remove that limiter to hit a top speed of 168 MPH.

2022
2021 Mercedes- 2021 Hyundai 2021 Honda
Models Volkswagen Golf
AMG GLA 35 Veloster N Civic Type-R
R*

MSRP $44,000 $47,550 $33,245 $43,995

2.0L 2.0L 2.0L 2.0L

Turbocharged Turbocharged Turbocharged Turbocharged
Engine
Inline Four- Inline Four- Inline Four- Inline Four-
Cylinder Cylinder Cylinder Cylinder

7-speed dual- 8-speed dual- 8-speed dual-

Transmission 6-speed manual
clutch automatic clutch automatic clutch automatic

315 hp @ 6,500 302 hp @ 6,100 275 hp @ 6,000 306 hp @ 6,500

Power
RPM RPM RPM RPM

310 lb-ft @ 2,000 295 lb-ft @ 4,000 278 lb-ft @ 1,450 295 lb-ft @ 2,500
Torque
RPM RPM RPM RPM

0-60 MPH
5.1 6.8 5.5 5.0
(seconds)

Quarter-Mile
14.2 15.1 14.2 12.7
(seconds)
*speculated specs

The 0-60 timings are at par if not better than the competition. The DSG naturally will be much quicker
than the manual. The power and torque figures are also better. The Golf R is likely to get a sweet-
sounding exhaust system with quad exhausts and occasional natural-sounding pops and bangs. 

The Hyundai sounds much more artificial, popping and banging all the time. The Merc has to do with
fake quad exhausts. The R performance pack will probably also get a titanium exhaust system from
Akrapovic.                                                      
In terms of pricing, it will be in a similar range as its German counterparts but on a higher side when
compared to the Japanese one.

How does the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R handle?

With the new improved active rear differential, the new Golf R will genuinely perform better in the
handling department, added to that will be the 4 wheel drive system which will help it to put all the 315
horses on the road in a civilized manner. 

It should handle pretty well in the corners and will be very stable with minimal body roll. And if you
want a bit of oversteer, just switch on the Drift mode. We expect the car to be very playful and will be
pretty fast too.     

How many miles to the gallon will the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R deliver?

While the exact fuel economy numbers are yet to be released by Volkswagen, we can assume that
they’re going to be lower than the outgoing version. It is because of the increased power and torque
that the engine delivers.

With impressive specs, one may believe that the fuel economy is compromised, however, the Golf R is
expected to deliver a respectable 30 MPG out on the highway, which is a good figure for a hatch that
possesses more than 300 hp.

2022
2021 Mercedes- 2021 Hyundai 2021 Honda
Models Volkswagen
AMG GLA 35 Veloster N Civic Type-R
Golf R*

MPG (City) 23 23 27 22

MPG (Highway) 30 29 34 28

MPG
26 25 30 25
(Combined)

Fuel Tank
Capacity 13.2 13.5 13.2 12.4
(Gallons)

Range 304/396/343 311/392/338 356/449/396 273/347/310

(City/Highway/C
 ombined; Miles)
*speculated specs
 
Coupling the impressive MPG figures with a 13.2-gallon fuel tank, the overall range is expected to be
good enough, only behind the Veloster N.

Will there be any changes to the interior of the2022 Volkswagen Golf R?

Despite being a hot hatch it will be surprisingly spacious and of course, will be sporty. We expect that it
will come with a thick-rimmed steering wheel with touch-sensitive controls and bolstered front seats
wrapped in Nappa leather, making the Golf R’s interior a looker. 

There will be an R button on the steering wheel to select the drive modes. The headrests will have a
blue R logo on them and the seats will have blue and carbon-look accents on the sides. It will also get
stainless steel pedals, carbon fiber trim on the dashboard, and ambient lighting of 30 colors. 

Some of the standout interior highlights expected in the Golf R are as follows:

• Nappa leather-wrapped front bucket seats

• Touch-sensitive steering wheel controls
• 30 colors ambient lighting
• 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster with configurable layouts

2022
2021 Mercedes- 2021 Hyundai 2021 Honda
Models Volkswagen
AMG GLA 35 Veloster N Civic Type-R
Golf R*

Seating Capacity 5 5 5 5

Front Row
(Headroom/Shoulder
38.4/55.9/41.2 40.8/55.9/41.1 38.1/56/42.6 39.3/56.9/42.3
Room/Legroom;
inches)

Second Row
(Headroom/Shoulder
38.1/53.9/35.6 38.1/54.8/38.4 35.9/54.3/34.1 37.4/55.0/35.9
Room/Legroom;
inches)
 Cargo Capacity
12 15.4 19.9 25.7
(cubic feet)
*speculated specs

Apart from all the usual goodies, the Golf R will also feature a 10.2-inch futuristic digital gauge cluster.
The dashboard will most probably use soft-touch materials and overall the look and feel should be
very upmarket. The fit and finish will definitely feel very premium - what you would expect from a
typical Volkswagen.

2022 Volkswagen Golf R: Infotainment and Connectivity

The 2022 Volkswagen Golf R will offer a 10-inch touchscreen display in the center of the dashboard.

Air-conditioning will be controlled through touch-sensitive sliders and there will be no use of physical
buttons or knobs. The infotainment system will definitely support Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. For
music lovers, it probably will come equipped with a premium Harman/Kardon sound system.

Some of the highlights of the infotainment system are as follows:

• 10-inch touchscreen
• Harman/Kardon premium audio
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto supported

How’s the exterior styling of the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R?

Exterior changes will be kept minimal. Following the VW subtle styling, the R will get a larger rear
spoiler to help with increased downforce and will come with 19-inch rims as standard with sporty blue-
colored R branded Brake calipers. The ground clearance will be lowered by 20 mm in comparison to
the normal Golf and there will be an addition of a motorsport-styled front splitter. 

The headlamps will get projector HIDs and DRLs that look menacing and sporty along with the LED
taillights. Overall the VW will get subtle looks with a hint of sportiness in it. In the front, it will probably
get a menacing blue brow-line with a small R logo to differentiate it from the regular Golf, as seen in
the MK8 Golf R released in the UK.
 2022
2021 Mercedes- 2021 Hyundai 2021 Honda
Models Volkswagen
AMG GLA 35 Veloster N Civic Type-R
Golf R*

Curb Weight (lbs) 3,400 3,653 3,186 3,071

Length (inches) 168.9 174.6 167.9 179.4

Width (inches) 70.4 79.5 71.3 73.9

Height (inches) 57.4 63.7 54.9 56.5

Wheelbase (inches) 103.5 107.4 104.3 106.3

Ground Clearance
5.1 5.7 5.2 5.0
(inches)

Track Width (inches)

60.6/59.7 63.2/63/2 61/61.5 63/62.7
F/R
*speculated specs

The Volkswagen Golf R’s exterior dimensions are comparable to the other hot hatches. It offers
considerably more headroom than the Veloster due to its greater height. But the Merc is truly the
overwhelming giant over here due to the fact that it is a crossover.

2022 Volkswagen Golf R: Safety

Talking about the safety features, it is worth mentioning that a blind-spot monitoring system and lane-
keeping assist will be present in this new R. Along with that, it will also include the Forward-collision
warning and automated emergency braking.

Will the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R be worth it?

The 2022 Golf R will make you wait for a while. Volkswagen North America has still not confirmed if
and when we will get to see the 2022 model. However, if you are in the market for a really hot
hatchback with subtle low-key looks and German build quality then yes, the upcoming Golf R will be
worth your money and wait. It is the perfect blend of sportiness with practicality.