New Volkswagen Golf R REVEALED in the snow ahead of summer debut

Following on from the debut of the new VW Golf 8.5, the arrival of the new Golf R is teased by VW as it plays in the snow.

Just last week, VW revealed the new Golf 8.5, and it’s taken its new Golf off to the Ice Race in Zell am See in Austria in Golf GTI, Golf eHybrid and Golf GTE guises.

But it wasn’t just the new iterations of the just-revealed Golf 8.5 on show, but a new Golf model VW is yet to reveal – the new Golf R.

True, the new Golf R was wearing ’50 Years of Golf’ camouflage, but as the cosmetic changes to the Golf 8.5 are minimal, it’s hardly a big exercise in imagination to see how the new Golf R will look, with tweaks to lights and bumpers, new colour options and new wheels.

Inside will see the biggest changes with an infotainment system which works, illuminated controls and the return of some proper buttons, as well as a jump in material quality.

Under the bonnet, the new Golf R will doubtless retain the 2.0-litre four-pot, but with power up from the current car’s 316bhp to the same as last year’s Golf R 333 Limited Edition which boasted 328bhp.

Reinhold Ivenz, Head of Volkswagen R, said:

Volkswagen R is Volkswagen’s premium performance brand and has stood for sportiness and dynamic performance for more than 20 years. Here at the Ice Race, the past meets the future. We can hardly wait for the Golf R, still disguised here, to celebrate its premiere this summer.

Volkswagen says the new Golf R will launch in mid-summer.