Against all odds, hot hatch fans are spoiled for choice right now. What once seemed like a dwindling segment now has compelling, quirky options from Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and others, each hoping to ...

In recent years, the Volkswagen Golf R has become somewhat of an odd proposition. It’s deservedly renowned for its versatility—a comfortable super tourer among hot hatches one minute, and an apex ...

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf R is no longer just an all-wheel-drive GTI-plus hot hatch. Volkswagen pushed the R to a new level with the introduction of the torque-vectoring rear differential that arrived ...

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI and R entered their eighth generation in 2020, and while the core of these vehicles hasn't changed, there are some significant updates for the new model year. These ...

PROS ›› Great performance, fun to drive, practical and stealthy, improved infotainment CONS ›› No beauty, not available in US, steering wheel buttons The GTI’s near-50-year career means it’s still the ...

What makes a hot hatchback even better? More hatchback—that is, when it’s stretched out into a station wagon. We all know most Americans aren’t enthusiastic about the body style, but the enthusiasts ...

We recently sampled these changes in an unusual but very rad way: Volkswagen tossed us the keys to the Golf R and told us to tear up an ice track in northern Sweden. In these conditions we couldn’t ...

Thomas has spent two years working in the auto journalism industry, contributing to a UK-based newspaper and writing for Euronewsweek. A full-time writer and lifelong engineering enthusiast, he now ...