2023 Volkswagen Golf R previewed in Malaysia – IQ.Drive, Akrapovic exhaust; RM330k-350k estimated
The 2023 Volkswagen Golf R has been previewed in Malaysia, and it will arrive in the Malaysian market in CKD form assembled in Pekan with the R Performance package as standard; this makes the CKD Golf R the first time the flagship Golf variant has been assembled outside its native Wolfsburg, Germany.
Definitive pricing has yet to be confirmed, but will range from RM330,000 to RM350,000 when it officially goes on sale. The Mk8 Golf R was first launched in Malaysia last year, fully imported and priced at RM357,584 on-the-road before insurance, with the SST exemption at the time. For comparison, pricing for the CBU Golf R was RM431,162 after SST was reinstated.
Differentiating the latest iteration of the Mk8 Golf R from its prior, fully imported (CBU) form is the inclusion of the aforementioned R Performance package, which is comprised of an Akrapovic titanium exhaust muffler, a rear spoiler, 19-inch ‘Estoril’ alloy wheels shod in 235/35R19 tyres and the added Drift and Special modes. The driver environment now gets the head-up display as well.
Powertrain continues to be a 2.0 litre turbocharged petrol inline-four cylinder petrol engine that outputs 320 PS and 400 Nm of torque, transmitted to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox and 4Motion all-wheel-drive. Thus equipped, it has a 0-100 km/h time of 4.8 seconds.
Of the newly reintroduced Drift and Special modes, which were omitted for Malaysian-market CBU Golf R, the Drift mode is recommended for country and back roads – read, less-than-ideal surfaces – where the suspension is calibrated to offer optimum contact with the road surface, notably crafted for use on the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, says Volkswagen.
The new additions to the drive modes join the existing selection of Comfort, Sport, Race, and Individual, the latter offering customisation of parameters.
Active safety kit in the Mk8 Golf R in Malaysia is now bolstered by the addition of IQ.Drive, which brings Travel Assist with adaptive cruise control (ACC), side assist with rear cross traffic alert, front assist, emergency assist, and lane assist. Passive safety kit is comprised of seven airbags (two front, two side, two curtain and one centre airbag).
Infotainment is provided by a 10-inch Discover Pro system, with audio by a 10-speaker, 480-watt Harman Kardon sound system; also included is a wireless smartphone charging pad.
Further equipment includes keyless entry with push-button ignition, LED headlights, DRLs, tail lights and illuminated strip between the headlights, rear view camera with front and rear parking sensors, automatic headlights and wipers.
Meanwhile, interior kit includes active climate front seats with electric adjustment and lumbar adjustment for the driver, multi-function leather sports steering wheel with shift paddles, and ambient lighting with five preset themes.
Once again, estimated prices for the locally assembled Volkswagen Mk8 Golf R with IQ.Drive and the R Performance package will range from RM330,000 to RM350,000, and customer deliveries are expected to commence in the fourth quarter of this year.
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