New Infotainment systems. Volkswagen has developed new hardware and software for the infotainment system. Operation has been significantly improved thanks to completely revamped graphics and a new menu structure for the touch display. In addition, an R-specific graphic has been integrated into the system. The self-explanatory infotainment system is always combined with the largest display version (32.8-cm/12.9-inch diagonal) in the Golf R models. The screens are divided into two touch bars at the top and bottom and the large home screen in the middle. The driver can assign favourite direct-access functions to large areas of the top bar and home screen. The big advantage: the individually configured top bar and static bottom bar remain continuously displayed when the driver opens various functions in the form of apps on the home screen. This makes the system easy to use. As part of this, the touch sliders for temperature and volume control have been newly developed and are now illuminated. A windscreen head-up display will be available as an option.
Extended Digital Cockpit Pro. The new Golf R models are equipped with the enhanced Digital Cockpit Pro as standard (display diagonal: 26 cm/10.2 inches). The driver can use corresponding buttons on the multi-function steering wheel to set up different basic graphic configurations (information profiles): in addition to the classic views from other models in the product line, the Digital Cockpit Pro in the Golf R offers an enhanced Sport skin, featuring a central round rev counter with an R-specific design including the R logo. A three-dimensional layout – the R view – with numeric fields is additionally available. As an exclusive feature, there is a horizontal rev counter at the top edge of the display. The scale for this flat, horizontal display ranges from 0 to 8 (equivalent to 0 to 8,000 rpm). In models with the Performance package, the display provides gearshift recommendations when manual DSG mode is activated. In manual DSG mode, the driver either uses the shift-by-wire buttons on the centre console or the paddles on the steering wheel to perform manual gear shifts. Particularly when driving on race tracks, the gear recommendation provides valuable assistance, since automatic upshifts are intentionally deactivated in manual mode in the Special and Drift driving profiles. New functions in the Digital Cockpit Pro in conjunction with the Performance package include a GPS lap timer and a G-meter (G forces). As additional information, it is possible to display current data such as the charge pressure, gearbox temperature, torque, power, a G-meter and the torque distribution of the all-wheel drive. The torque distribution between the four wheels is now shown by means of a newly visualised Golf R. Read on for more about the GPS lap timer for the race track and the G-meter:
GPS lap timer for the race track. Compared with the already familiar lap timer, the GPS lap timer introduced here additionally uses satellite signals and thus makes it possible to automatically measure split times. This is how the GPS lap timer works: the track is first driven once to learn the route and the start and finish lines are set. In addition, up to three GPS measuring points can be set for recording split times. From the next lap, the total and split times are automatically recorded and saved. The GPS lap timer additionally shows the driver the difference in times compared to the fastest lap to date. After crossing the finish line, the last and fastest laps with the respective split times of the individual measuring points are displayed. Thanks to automated timekeeping, the driver can concentrate fully on the track. What is more, the accuracy is very high.
G-meter for the classic sprint. The new G-meter offers three different modes: 0 to 100 km/h, 80 to 120 km/h and quarter mile. The respective measurement can be started either by moving off from a standstill or by means of a visualised traffic light. As in motorsport, five light dots count down for the traffic light start. When using the traffic light start, moving off too early or too late leads to a false start to increase the accuracy of the measurement. The G-meter is an exciting feature for testing the performance of the Golf R and for finding out more how the weather, tyres and road surface can affect acceleration.
Equipment by Volkswagen R. The interior of the Golf R models is ergonomically tailored to the driver and exclusively refined in the R style. The driver and front passenger sit on premium sport seats with integrated head restraints. The inner surfaces of the seats are black-blue, while the outer areas are in ArtVelours. The inner surfaces of the backrests feature an R logo in the upper area. Also optionally available once more are seats in black nappa leather, featuring carbon-look elements, blue accents in the side sections and an R logo in the backrest. Other optional equipment includes interior applications in genuine carbon. These equipment details underline the high quality of the exclusive overall concept of the new Golf R. The multi-function leather sports steering wheel has also been given a specific design: it comes with ergonomically shaped DSG paddles that are larger than the standard production version, a blue steering wheel mark at the six o’clock position, blue contrast stitching and naturally the R button for direct selection of the various driving profiles. R-specific door side trims, floor mats with the R logo and pedal caps and driver footrest in brushed stainless steel are just as much part of the extended standard equipment as the black headliner and background lighting with many adjustment options (30 colours). For the first time, a ball coupling with a drawbar load of 80 kg is available for the Golf R in the hatchback version; the maximum trailer weight is 1,900 kg (braked, with 8% gradient).