Review: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf R (2010-12)

Overview

Released in Australia in June 2010, the Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf R was available as a three- or five-door hatchback. Manufactured in Wolfsburg, Germany, the all-wheel drive VW Golf R was powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that was mated to either a six-speed manual or six-speed double clutch transmission (DCT or Volkswagen’s ‘DSG’). The three-door models of the Golf R were discontinued in August 2011, coinciding with the release of the Volkswagen Scirocco R .

EA113 Engine

The Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf R’s 1984 cc CDLC EA113 engine had a grey cast iron block with an 82.5 mm bore and 92.8 mm stroke, a die-forged steel crankshaft with five main bearings, a cast aluminium alloy cylinder head, direct injection (Volkswagen’s ‘Fuel Stratified Injection’ or FSI), a BorgWarner K04 turbocharger which provided peak boost pressure of 1.2 bar (17.4 psi), an intercooler, double overhead camshafts (belt and roller-chain driven), roller finger cam followers with hydraulic valve clearance compensation, four valves per cylinder, a variable intake manifold and a compression ratio of 9.8:1. Furthermore, the intake camshaft was continuously adjustable over a range of 42 degrees (relative to the crankshaft).

Compared to the Volkswagen Mk.5 Golf GTi ‘s BWA EA113 engine , changes for the Mk.6 Golf R’s CDLC engine included:

• A reinforced cylinder block;
• A new alloy cylinder head;
• Uprated pistons and connecting rods; and,
• High-pressure injectors.

The Golf R could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 5.7 and 5.9 seconds with the DSG and manual transmissions, respectively.

DSG transmission

The transversely mounted DSG unit had two wet clutches, two input shafts and two outputs shafts. In this arrangement, Clutch 1 (C1) operated the odd gears (plus reverse), while Clutch 2 (C2) operated the even gears. When driving, the next-higher gear ratio could be engaged without actually being activated. To change gears, the clutch for the current gear would open and the other clutch (for the higher gear) would engage under electrohydraulic control. Since the opening and closing actions of the two clutches overlapped, Volkswagen claimed that the system provided smooth gearshifts in less than four-hundredths of a second.

In addition to its fully automatic shift mode, the DSG had a Tiptronic function to permit manual gear selection – this could be performed via the steering wheel gearshift paddles.

Dimensions

Compared to the VW Mk.6 Golf , the Mk.6 Golf R was 13 mm longer (at 4212 mm), the same width (1785 mm) and 18 mm lower (1461 mm), though wheelbase length (2574 mm) was unchanged. Inside, the Golf R had cargo space of 350 litres with the rear seats in position, though this increased to 1305 litres when they were folded flat.

Suspension

The Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf R had MacPherson strut front suspension (with lower A-arms and an anti-roll bar) and independent, four-link rear suspension which had three lateral control arms (the spring mounting, track rod and upper control arm), a trailing link at each wheel, coil springs and an anti-roll bar.

Compared to the standard Mk.6 Golf, the front and rear suspension for the Golf R was lowered by 25 mm. As an extra-cost option, the Golf R was available with electronically-controlled dampers (Volkswagen’s ‘Adaptive Chassis Control’) which enabled the driver to select from normal, comfort or sport modes – these modes also altered throttle response and steering settings.

Steering

The VW Mk.6 Golf R had speed-sensitive electric, power-assisted steering.

Haldex all-wheel drive system (4MOTION)

The VW Mk.6 Golf R had a fourth-generation Haldex all-wheel drive system which consisted of a wet multi-plate clutch and a feeder pump. In normal conditions, the system provided a 90:10 front:rear torque split.

In the event that wheel slip occurred or was anticipated by on-board sensors, an electric pump would operate to supply oil to a hydraulic reservoir (at a working pressure of 30 bar). In turn, a valve controlled how much oil pressure was applied to the pistons of the multi-plate clutch and the contact pressure at the clutch plates would then rise in proportion to the desired torque at the rear axle, up to a 50:50 front:rear torque split.

Unlike the second-generation Haldex system in the Mk.5 Golf R32 , the fourth generation system was regarded as a proactive system since it could engage before wheel slip occurred.

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Volkswagen Golf R included dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain airbags for front and rear occupants, a driver’s knee airbag, ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, traction control, electronic stability control, front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters and outer rear seatbelts with load limiters.

Brakes

The Mk.6 Golf R had 345 mm by 30 mm ventilated front brake discs and 310 mm by 23 mm ventilated rear discs. For the Golf R, the brake calipers were painted black.

Euro NCAP crash testing

In Euro NCAP crash testing , a five-door VW Mk.6 Golf hatchback received a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 35.72 out of 37. In the frontal offset impact test, there was a slight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. In the side impact test, a fraction of a point was lost due to a very slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver – Volkswagen advises that a clip securing the side airbag has since been upgraded.

The Mk.6 Golf was subsequently reassessed under Euro NCAP’s updated testing methodology and received a five star safety rating which included a 97 per cent adult occupant protection rating and an 84 per cent child occupant protection rating.

Features: Golf R

Standard features for the Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf R included 18 x 7.5J ‘Talladega’ alloy wheels with 225/40 R18 tyres, an eight-speaker sound system (Volkswagen’s RCD510) with a 6.5-inch touch screen, a six-disc in-dash CD player, MP3/WMA compatibility and auxiliary inputs (3.5 mm/SD card), dual-zone climate control air conditioning, front ‘Top’ sports seats, ‘Kyalami’ sports cloth and ‘San Remo’ microfibre seat trim, cruise control, bi-xenon headlights with washers, dynamic cornering lights, LED daytime running lights, LED tail-lights, a rear fog lamp, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel wrapped in leather, 60/40 split and folding rear seats, remote central locking, power windows and heated mirrors, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, height adjustable front seats, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, 12 volt power sockets (centre console and cargo area), front and rear floor mats, a cargo net, tinted windows, illuminated footwells, door sill scuff plates with ‘R’ logo, front reading lights, illuminated vanity mirrors, black headlining, rear privacy glass, tyre pressure monitoring, a trip computer and an immobiliser.

The Golf R had a space-saving spare wheel.

August 2011 update

In August 2011, standard features for the VW Golf R were extended to include Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming, and a Media Device Interface (MDI) with USB connection cable.

Options: Golf R

Extra-cost options for the Golf R included:

• 19-inch ‘Talladega’ alloy wheels in silver or black;
• Vienna leather upholstery;
• Motorsport style front seats (which omitted side airbags);
• An eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat;
• Dynaudio Excite sound system with a 300 watt digital amplifier and eight speakers;
• A rear view camera with static guidelines;
• Satellite navigation system (Volkswagen’s ‘RNS510’) with 30GB hard drive, SD card slot and DVD drive; and,
• A Power-operated glass sunroof.

Brochure

• Brochure: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf (January 2012)

Related links

• Specifications: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf R (June 2010)
• Press Kit: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf R (June 2010)
• Wikipedia.org: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf