Volkswagen Golf R coming to America next year

10/5/2011

Volkswagen has confirmed that their new high-performance version of the Golf hatchback will be making its way to American shores next year.

The R is a new version of the popular Golf hatchback with a focus on horsepower and speed. The Golf already has a performance model in the form of the GTI, but that's more of a modest upgrade. The R will be another vehicle entirely - roughly double the price of the Golf and $10,000 more than the GTI.

Drivers will get quite a bit of bang for their buck, however. Volkswagen is claiming 256 horsepower for the new vehicle, which would make it the most powerful Volkswagen car ever released in America, reports USA Today. The vehicle is expected to average about 19/27 MPGs as well.

The interior is loaded like a luxury car, with dual climate control, MP3 player integration and a premium audio system, among other features.

High-performance vehicles like this can be extremely fun to drive, but they also require careful attention to detail. If you do end up springing for the Golf R, be sure to schedule regular trips to your local auto maintenance center for things like oil changes and tune-ups.