2025 VW Golf R | POV Test Drive

2025 Volkswagen Golf R 8.5 POV test drive, spirited drive, highway drive, launch control, 0-60 acceleration, Akrapovic exhaust sound, review. 2025 marks a debut of the Mark 8.5 generation of the Volkswagen Golf, and that obviously means that the GTI and the R that we have today got some updates. In typical Volkswagen fashion, the changes are pretty subtle - we received slightly refreshed exterior and interior, updated technology, and the R received extra 13 horsepower with the facelift. Under the hood obviously sits the EA888 engine, a 2-liter turbo 4-cylinder, which delivers 328 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, which is a 13 hp increase over the pre-facelift model. The 6-speed manual gearbox is gone in the Mark 8.5, meaning we only get a 7-speed DSG. One thing that remained unchanged is a torque-vectoring AWD system with an e-LSD up front. It can send up to 50% power to the rear axle and then 100% of that 50% can go to each of the rear wheels, to provide as much grip as possible and help with rotation. The Golf R features strut front suspension, multilink setup in the back, combined with adaptive dampers, which let you pick different damping setting, from comfort to sport and also continuously adjust to driving conditions. As of brakes, the R gets two-piston floating calipers up front, single in the back. New for 2025 is a Euro Style Package, and that’s what our tester has. It includes stuff that was previously reserved only to the Euro market - lighter sport seats, sunroof delete, and an Akrapovic titanium exhaust. There is also a Black Edition with blacked out badges, forged wheels, and a real carbon fiber inside. Other cars to consider are a Toyota GR Corolla, VW Golf GTI, Honda Civic Type R, Ford Mustang GT, Dodge Hellcat, Audi S3, Audi RS3, Hyundai Elantra N, Subaru WRX, Ford Focus RS, or a BMW M340i. 00:00 - Sneak Peak 00:09 - Exterior 00:40 - Interior (Front Seats) 03:47 - Interior (Backseat) 04:25 - Trunk 04:53 - Exterior 05:33 - Engine 06:25 - Drive 08:27 - Highway 12:36 - Backroad 14:10 - Launch Control 14:20 - Backroad Specs: Engine: 2.0L turbocharged 4-cyldiner | 328 hp | 295 lb-ft of torque Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch | AWD Price as tested: $52,416 #volkswagen #vw #golf #golfr #review #pov #cars Follow me on Instagram and TikTok @tom.swiatek