2025 Volkswagen Golf R vs. GTI - POV Track Driving Impressions (Road America)

What's new with the 2025 VW Golf R:
Exterior and Design: Sharper, more aggressive styling with a redesigned front grille, new IQ.Light LED matrix headlights, and more angular bumper openings.

An illuminated VW badge on the front.

New optional Black Edition adds gloss black exterior trim, lightweight forged wheels, darkened badges, and carbon fiber accents inside.

Powertrain and Performance:
The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder now makes 328 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, about 13 horsepower more than before.

All-wheel drive with torque vectoring remains, capable of directing all rear power to the outside wheel for better handling in Drift mode.

Estimated 0–60 mph time is around 4.6 seconds, with a top speed of about 168 mph when equipped with the Performance Package.

Interior and Technology:
A new, larger 12.9-inch central touchscreen and updated digital instrument cluster.

Permanent on-screen climate controls and a new drive mode bar make the system more user-friendly.

Physical buttons on the steering wheel are back, replacing the previous touch-sensitive controls.

Improved 15-watt wireless phone charging pad with cooling ventilation, plus new sport seat upholstery options.

Drive Modes and Suspension:
Existing Comfort, Sport, Race, Individual, and Drift modes remain, and a new Eco mode helps with fuel efficiency.

Dynamic Chassis Control adaptive suspension is still standard or available, providing adjustable damping for different driving styles.

Pricing and Availability:
Expected starting price is around $47,100 for the standard model and about $48,415 for the Black Edition.

The manual transmission is no longer offered; all models now use a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

2025 GTI Updates:
Styling Refresh
New front fascia with slimmer, adaptive LED headlights and a revised bumper.

Illuminated grille badge and light bar updates front and rear.

19-inch “horseshoe” wheel design is now standard, along with two new exterior colors like Alpine Silver Metallic and Slate Blue.

Performance & Powertrain
Engine remains the 2.0L TSI four-cylinder producing 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque—no change in output.

Manual transmission has been discontinued; the GTI is now available exclusively with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Adaptive Chassis Control remains available for improved handling and comfort.

Interior & Tech Enhancements
Central touchscreen is now a larger 12.9-inch high-resolution unit, paired with a 10.3-inch digital gauge cluster.

Redesigned infotainment software is faster and more responsive.

Climate controls now have illuminated touch sliders located below the screen.

Physical buttons return to the steering wheel for volume and media control.

Standard ventilated 15-watt wireless phone charger.

Voice assistant updated—Plus Speech with AI (ChatGPT integration) coming, bringing smarter in-car voice control.

New ArtVelours seat upholstery offered on SE trim, and faux carbon-fiber dash trim enhances the cabin feel.

Driver Assistance & Comfort
Standard IQ.DRIVE suite with updated safety and semi-autonomous features like Adaptive Front Lighting and Light Assist.

Suspension tuned to balance comfortable daily driving with sharp, sporty handling when in DCC or sport mode.

Pricing & Trim
Base MSRP starts around $33,670 for the S trim; fully equipped Autobahn models approach $42,105.

GTI pricing is up modestly (~$500), reflecting added features like adaptive lighting, voice assistant, and comfort upgrades.

#vw #gti #golf #mama25sr

Vehicle was provided by the manufacturer for testing and review.

The audio in this video was recorded with in-ear binaural microphones, headphones are recommended!

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