Published:
6 November 2024Inside, the 2025-model-year Golf R benefits from many of the same changes as the less feisty Golf models. Central to these is a new touchscreen infotainment display, which is larger than before, at 12.9in instead of the previous 10.2in.
The home screen is now customisable, while the controls for the air ventilation and seat heaters are now permanently displayed in the lower section as part of a comprehensive reworking of the user interface. The slider touch bar to regulate the volume and temperature remains, but it now features backlighting. It's a definite improvement on its immediate Mk8 predecessor, but the latest Golf still lacks the quality and clarity of the more analogue Mk7 - a car that, when launched in 2013, forced Mercedes to delay the introduction of its 'S205' C-Class because it couldn't match the VW's premium ambience.
It is all supported by a new software package that forms part of Volkswagen’s MIB4 multimedia system. It provides added response as you scroll through the menus and more intuitive commands, making the new Golf R more satisfying to operate than the model it replaces. With wireless operation for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and a wireless charging pad, the digital interface is well up to the standards of the hot hatch competition.
There’s one curious exception, though: unlike other facelifted Golf models, the R retains the capacitive steering wheel controls but with greater pressure required to engage them. The reason stems from the unique control layout, which enables a direct switch into Race mode in the R. This move has no doubt saved a few cents, but it comes at the cost of a more frustrating user experience, which seems like a false economy on a car so squarely aimed at keen drivers.
