Volkswagen is readying its most powerful Golf yet, with plans to fit a 25th anniversary version of the R with the same turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine used by the Audi RS3.
The model is expected to arrive in 2027 to serve as a send-off for the pure-petrol Golf before its transition to electrification. It also confirms Audi’s commitment to keeping the 'EA855' five-pot engine alive following suggestions that new emission regulations would kill it off.
With that unit fitted, the special Golf is set to mark a significant step up from the current Golf R 333. While that car uses VW’s ubiquitous 'EA888' 2.0-litre turbo petrol four, uprated to 328bhp and 295lb ft, the run-out’s 2.5-litre turbo five delivers 394bhp and 354lb ft in the current RS3.
That engine is likely to make the new R the quickest Golf to 62mph too. The RS3 can dispatch the sprint in 3.8sec whereas the R 333 completes the run in 4.6sec.
The power output could be pushed further still. Sebastian Grams, former managing director of Audi Sport, told Autocar in 2023 that “there's still a way to go” with the five-cylinder engine compared with the RS3 Performance Edition, its most potent variant to date. That car, which was launched in 2023 and limited to 300 models globally, put out 401bhp and 369lb ft.
The five-cylinder engine has become a signature feature of the RS3, so its fitment into a Golf is being hailed by Volkswagen as a significant moment. The unit is also used in other Volkswagen Group models, including the Cupra Formentor VZ5.
To keep the engine alive beyond the Euro 7 November 2026 deadline, Audi will update the unit’s hardware. Likely changes include a new particulate filter, more sensitive NOx sensors, recalibrated injection mapping and higher cell-density catalysts.
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