Volkswagen Golf

“Damn shame,” I mutter to myself, blasting out of a tight, sodden corner at the chunky wheel of the new Mk 8.5 Volkswagen Golf R. My blues are due to this This will be the final petrol-powered interaction of the Golf R, but will this brutally effective hot hatch be remembered as a high point in the model’s history?

It was the concession that had to happen – an admittance by Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg that its approach to slick cabin technology in the 2021 Mk8 Golf The evergreen Golf GTI gets a mid-life makeover for generation eight, creating a hot hatch that’s now easier to live with, easier on the eye, and better than ever to drive.

The Volkswagen Golf turned 50 last year, and the famous German small car has been given a well-timed facelift to keep it looking trim and toned in its The eighth-generation Golf has been given a midlife makeover, and we've had an early opportunity to find out if the updates have improved Germany's latest-generation hatchback.

The really interesting part of this review is not that the 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI is significantly better to both drive and live with - because it is, Hot hatch GTI’s mid-life update proves sweeping changes are not always necessary for significant progress.

Volkswagen likes to mark key birthdays for its hot hatch models with special editions, and the twentieth anniversary of the all-paw Golf R is no Big power, big price, and big personality: the Golf R 20 Years is the ultimate expression of the brand’s sophisticated AWD hot hatch

When the Mk 8 Volkswagen Golf was released in Australia in 2020, there was a general feeling that the quality and usability had gone backwards since the Go-fast Golf R wagon reminds our testers of why it’s one of the best all-round performance car buys under $100,000

The Golf R hatch may have finally emerged out of the GTI’s shadow, but the more practical 2022 Golf R wagon gets even more things right.

After almost 20 years of R-badged Golfs, the 2022 Golf R steps out of the GTI’s shadow to become the hard-edged hot hatch it deserves to be

The entry-level Golf has jumped up in price this generation and while it scores the usual wins it also falls short in some key areas.

Is the Volkswagen Golf GTI still great in Mk 8 form? Should you buy a new Golf GTI? Find out with our expert Mk 8 GTI review.

Australian car review of the new Volkswagen Golf Mk 8. We tell you if the Golf is still the best small car, and if it's worth the money.

The best Volkswagen Golf GTI ever made is here, with 300 examples of the TCR Mk 7 landing in Australia.

Read Jake Williams' expert review of the Volkswagen Golf GTI Original three-door manual, including 2.0T performance, handling, value, practicality and GTI price.

When you think of a hot hatch, you think of the Volkswagen Golf GTI. We drive the new Mk 7.5 GTI and test its power, handling, comfort and price.

Jake Williams's review of the 2017 Volkswagen Golf 7.5 110TSI, Trendline and Comfortline, including price, performance and features.

I'm in love with the Volkswagen Golf GTI 40 Years – and if you have a passion for driving, but need something practical, you will be too.

As Volkswagen’s legendary Golf R performance hot-hatch nears its 25th anniversary, reports have suggested that a special edition model could see showroom Special-edition Golf R reported to celebrate 25 year anniversary with an explosive powertrain upgrade in 2027

Do you know what the world needs? A proper performance EV challenger to take on Hyundai’s multi-award-winning Ioniq 5N weapon. Where might it come from? VW R’s top brass have tested the Korean performance EV and are considering a rival Golf R version with user experience at its core.

Thanks for joining us this Tuesday, May 27th 2025. Notably in car news today: Toyota-Lexus set to revise global range, oddball BYD ute spied. Browse this

Thanks for joining us this Friday May 16th 2025. Notably in car news today: confirmation that Volkswagen Golf GTI and R will be going electric by decade’s Notably in car news today: confirmation that Volkswagen Golf GTI and R will be going electric by decade’s end, and Toyota unveils its most powerful (and electric) SUV yet.

Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schafer has confirmed that a much-rumoured new-generation Golf GTI will be all electric and, as is tradition, it will be twinned by Volkswagen CEO reveals that the next-generation Golf will spawn an electric front-drive GTI and all-paw R

Thanks for joining us this Thursday May 08th 2025. Notably in car news today: Mitsubishi and tech giant Foxtron partnering on new EV, Volkswagen’s 221kW

Thanks for joining us on February 27th. Chinese brand BYD has outlined why its plug-in hybrid ute will be a hit, Australia has a new cheapest EV (for Chinese brand BYD has outlined why its plug-in hybrid ute will be a hit, Australia has a new cheapest EV (for now…), new Golf pricing and BYD mulls Kluger killer.

Thanks for joining us this Thursday January 30th 2025. Notably in car news today: Volkswagen Golf Mark 8.5 due in Australia April 2025, BMW updates iX

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf will add a new Style trim grade to the line-up, bring more powerful versions of the GTI and R hot-hatches, but the regular Volkswagen Australia has confirmed initial specifications for the updated Golf hatchback range, which includes a new mid-range model, while there are drivetrain improvements for hot-hatch GTI and R models but less so regular versions.

Thanks for joining us this Friday 18 October 2024. Notably in car news today: Mazda has revealed its updated BT-50 ute for 2025, and Subaru further In car news: Mazda has revealed its updated BT-50 ute for 2025, and Subaru further details its next-gen hybrid technology.

Thanks for joining us this Monday, June 3rd 2024. Notably in car news today: Alfa Romeo is likely to produce a new large SUV to sit above the Stelvio and In car news today: Alfa Romeo decides on its 'fifth' vehicle and we find out if the Mazda CX-3 is still a solid choice in our review

Thanks for joining us this Thursday 30th of May 2024. Notably in car news today: BMW has updated and enhanced its 3 Series range and Volkswagen has Every important car news story breaking today, one convenient read

Volkswagen has revealed a pretty sizable update for its Mk8 Golf small car, a move that is set to give the Golf a boost before it’s electrified in its The Volkswagen brand is celebrating 50 years of the Golf with a significant update to the popular small car

Volkswagen this week announced that it had delivered 264 percent more GTI and R performance models to Australians in 2023 when compared against 2022 It

Volkswagen Australia has confirmed that it will be bringing in a facelift for its popular Golf small car after 2024, including for its high-performance There is life left in the iconic Golf name, but as electrification looms, things could start to look quite different

The current eighth generation Volkswagen Golf GTi hot hatch is being prepared for one of the last significant updates of its petrol-powered era. A report Volkswagen is preparing a final upgrade to the current Golf GTI before it inevitably shifts focus to an electric future.