The Volkswagen Golf R – Technology Has Never Been Quicker

Technology is a major component of modern day vehicles. Back in the day it was features like electric windows and perhaps even an electric sunroof that were at the pinnacle of automotive technological innovation, but today technology has the power to make somebody choose whether or not to buy one car over another. To make things more complicated, there are some cars that use technology well, and some that don’t. A good example of a car that uses technology to make almost every aspect of it better is the Volkswagen Golf R. From practicality to performance to entertainment, the Vrr-Pha is equipped with the right tech for the job.

Practicality

Keyless Entry, right at the top of the list. The ability to lock and unlock your door by conveniently tapping a section of the door handle solves two major problems. First, you don’t have to fumble around to find your key to unlock or lock the car as you approach or depart it, and second, because your key never leaves your pocket, it never gets lost!

Another bit of practical tech on the Golf R is the 8-inch touchscreen, which itself is a crisp and clear unit, but also because it unlocks an entire host of other features such as the satellite navigation, complete with gesture control to make sure that you never get lost. Another clever bit of tech that always comes in handy is the reverse camera that pops out from under the VW badge at the rear. Backing in and out of tight spaces is made a lot easier, especially with the park distance control sensors highlighting how far the Golf R is from its surroundings.

The Golf R also features electrically folding side mirrors, which isn’t really that amazing anymore. However, these mirrors are finished in carbon fibre adding a sporty touch to the exterior design. The real technology that these mirrors are hiding is the bind spot monitor that flashes whenever there is something, such as another car, in the blind spot. But with 228kW on tap, it’s unlikely that any other car will find itself anywhere other than behind the Golf R.

Performance

The Golf R is a performance hatchback, but it didn’t earn that title through sheer power and torque. Instead, the Golf R uses technology to adapt the way it behaves, giving the driver exactly what they want, when they want it. The Driving Profile Selection is a good example of this. The driver chooses between driving modes such as Eco, Normal and Race mode, then the Golf R actually uses adaptive chassis control to deliver the experience. It’s quiet and efficient in Eco mode, then it turns into an exhaust popping hot hatch once it’s in Race Mode.

There is also the cruise control function that has been made smarter through the use of sensors and electronics to produce adaptive cruise control, which maintains a certain speed and adapts it, by slowing down or speeding up, based on the speed of the car in front of you. In the past if you set your cruise control to 120km/h and somebody decides to change lanes in front of you, you would have to hit the brakes and readjust your cruise speed manually. In the Volkswagen Golf R, it will automatically slow down for you with the autonomous emergency braking, then when it’s clear ahead of you, it will accelerate back up to 120km/h again.

Entertainment

I know it doesn’t really count as entertainment, but it entertained me when I drove the Golf R so I’m going to mention the adaptive 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster here. It just gives the car such a modern look to it, and it makes the driver feel like their piloting a space ship. It relays information such as speed, rpm, fuel economy, range and other vehicle information straight to the driver without having to look for it on the central media touchscreen.

Speaking of the media touchscreen, it supports USB, Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay connectivity. There’s also a wireless charger located under the display for convenient charging without having to fiddle around with cables. Lastly, if you ever get tired of listening to the Akrapovic pipes of the Volkswagen Golf R, you also have the option of listening to music amplified by the DynAudio Sound System.