2015 Volkswagen Golf R: North American International Auto Show

The newly minted 2015 Volkswagen Golf R sits on the same improved platform as the upcoming Golf and GTI models for 2015 and unseats the previous “R” in both power and fuel economy. With a refined interior and improved handling capabilities, it should hit a sweet spot for the more discriminating road warrior, competing against the less sophisticated Subaru WRX STI or Mitsubishi Evo. The challenge is that the price will rival many entry-level luxury vehicles (probably in mid-to-high $30’s), so justifying the purchase will demand a dedicated fan – and Volkswagen has many.

What’s New for the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R:

• A powerful new 2.0-liter engine is boosted to 290 hp – an added 34 hp from last Golf R
• More powerful, but gets better mileage – increased from 27 mpg to 31 mpg
• The new engine powers an innovative 4MOTION all-wheel-drive powertrain providing variable-ratio steering deactivation for track driving

New 2015 Volkswagen Golf R: Styling and Design

The exterior trappings are worthy of the flagship position the Golf R commands, the most striking being the dual “U” shaped LED daytime running lights behind the headlamps. A new bumper design with mega-air inlets and radiator grille sports the “R” logo proudly along with bold branding on the 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, front fenders, side skirts, trunk lid and diffusers near the four chrome tailpipes.  Of course, the interior is sharp, with sporty black leather seats, custom instrumentation and a three-spoke flat-bottom steering wheel with chrome “R” on its cross bar.

New 2015 Volkswagen Golf R: What’s Under the Hood

The 2015 Golf R sports an all-new four-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection TSI 2.0 liter engine. With its DSG six-speed dual clutch transmission, it's tuned to crank 290 horsepower to the wheels, reaching 0 to 62 mph in only 4.9 seconds. The six-speed manual gets there in 5.3 seconds.

The optional DCC dynamic chassis control suspension allows three types of driving – Comfort, Normal and Sport. In the “Sport” mode, dampers are stiffened for agile handling.

New 2015 Volkswagen Golf R: Features and Technology

In its new iteration, the Golf R has an advanced level of updated cosmetics that are more than skin deep. Alongside its showy Bi-Xenon headlamps and sideskirts and wheels, the ride height was dropped by 0.8 inches, improving stance and stability, and the standard “ESC Sport” feature can deactivate the stability control function for track driving in a flick of the button. Also, the 2015 Volkswagen R includes the updated next-generation radio and navigation featuring proximity sensors. As your hand reaches for the screen, the image switches to input mode.

2015 Volkswagen Golf R: What Autobytel Thinks

In the U.S., the very name “Golf” has had to overcome a wimpy image, but Volkswagen's done a terrific job turning up the heat with the GTI and now the R -- upping the ante to attract young enthusiast who lust for somewhat affordable German engineering. So the new Golf R brings it to another level with a double punch -- power and driving excitement on one hand along with efficiency and refinement for daily driving on the other. You'll have to wait until early 2015 to get one, however.