2025 Volkswagen Golf R Previewed with Similar Updates as the GTI

• Volkswagen is showing off the updated 2025 Golf R hot hatchback in prototype form.
• Though it's still covered in camouflage, we can see that it has similar tweaks as the recently revealed Golf GTI.
• Like its sibling, the latest version will no longer be available with a manual transmission.

Volkswagen is busy updating the entire Golf hatchback lineup, and we're now finally seeing a first glimpse of the revised 2025 Golf R which will arrive soon alongside the 2025 Golf GTI. VW brought a camouflaged prototype of the all-wheel-drive Golf R to an ice race in Austria and said that the car will make its official debut in mid-2024.

Through the light camouflage on this prototype, we can see that the Golf R features the same new headlights and taillights as the GTI, but maintains its own aggressive-looking front bumper and different body kit. Larger wheels and big blue brake calipers are also visible, along with a rear spoiler and large exhaust tips. Although we haven't seen any interior photos, we expect it to incorporate the same changes as the GTI including a new infotainment system and real buttons instead of touch-sensitive controls on the steering wheel.

Given that VW gave the GTI a power boost, it's possible we'll see more horses from the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that currently produces 315 hp in the Golf R. But sadly, the previously available six-speed manual transmission won't be on the menu, as VW announced that the manual would end production after the 2024 model year. That leaves the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic as the only choice, paired with standard all-wheel drive.

Look for more information to come soon on the updated Golf R, which should arrive in the U.S. later this year.

Joey CapparellaSenior Editor

Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile