The facelifted Golf 8 will be shown in 2024 and with it comes the flagship R derivative. Our photographers spotted the updated model testing at the Nurburgring.

Picture credit:S. Baldauf/SB-Medien. We have paid for these photos and at the photographer’s request, have watermarked them.

It’s no secret that the Volkswagen Golf 8 range is being updated for 2024. We’ve already seen the front-wheel drive GTI tearing around the famous Nurburgring race track and now its the chance of the updated Golf 8 R.

The Mk 8.5 is likely to be the last internal combustion-powered Golf as Volkswagen has said the Golf 9 will be an electric car. We hope that Volkswagen has saved the best for last. Visually, the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R’s changes are subtle, but you can spot the slimmer headlights at the front and revised front bumper. Some strategically-placed tape has covered the new-look taillights.

As mentioned before, the biggest change for this update is the all-new infotainment system and larger, repositioned touchscreen. The new system should address the electronic gremlins that presented themselves as well as provide an improved user experience. We believe the steering wheel controls will be replaced by traditional buttons, as opposed to the hit-and-miss touch capacitive units.

We’re not expecting any major changes to the car’s powertrain for this update and as a reminder, the Golf R is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder with 235 kw and 400 Nm. The vehicle is sold exclusively in all-wheel-drive configuration and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. We suspect there might be a final special edition 2025 Volkswagen Golf R to sign off the petrol-powered era, but that’ll likely only appear towards the end of the product lifecycle, around 2028.

We predict the 2025 Volkswagen Golf R will arrive in South Africa towards the end of 2024.

Further Reading

Volkswagen Golf Specs and Prices

Spy shots: 2024 Golf GTI facelift