News Source: topspeed.com

Although it offered a high-performance GTI version  of the Golf  since the very beginning, it took Volkswagen  nearly three decades to develop a more powerful version of its popular hatchback  . It was 2003 when the Golf R32 arrived as the world’s first production car with a dual-clutch gearbox and every performance, safety, and luxury feature Volkswagen had to offer, as well as the brand-new, 3.2-liter, VR6 engine. The nameplate continued as the R32  for the fifth-gen Golf and was changed to Golf R with the Mk6 generation. An all-new Golf R debuted at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show  and then traveled to the U.S. for the 2014 Detroit Auto Show  . But despite being showcased on American soil only a few months after its European debut, the Golf R did not arrive in U.S. showrooms until early 2015, as a 2016 model.

That’s more than a year’s wait for customers, who probably managed to survive the 12 months by feeding on the R’s staggering performance numbers and aggressive appearance, and dreaming about the day they will be in control of the 292 ponies coming from the 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-pot. With the Golf R Launch Edition  already sold out as of January 2015, the seventh-gen hot hatch is finally ready to hit U.S. streets and take on similar offerings from Ford  and Subaru  es

Updated 01/27/2015: Volkswagen finally revealed a set of high-res images of the new Golf R, which apparently is a big hit in the U.S. Check the new images in the "Pictures" tab.

Updated 11/19/2014: Volkswagen  announced prices for the new Golf R which will be offered for the U.S. customers in the first quarter of 2015 in four -door form only. Described as the fastest and most powerful Golf ever to be sold in the U.S. market, the new Golf R will be priced from $36,595. Details after the jump.

Updated 01/23/2015: We’ve added a series of new images from the car’s official debut at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Check the new images in the "Pictures" tab.

To no surprise, the 2016 Golf R offers the same visual treatment seen on previous generations. Of course, the hatch features the same updates as the seventh-gen Golf, while being distinguished by a new bumper design with large air inlets for improved engine cooling. The new Golf R also gets a modified grille that sports an "R" logo and newly developed LED daytime running lights integrated into the bi-xenon headlight housings.

On the sides, the new R version gets some cool body-colored "R" side skirts, 18-inch aluminum wheels, and black calipers with "R" logos. Around back, Volkswagen adds an "R" design diffuser and a sports exhaust system with four chrome tailpipes.

Besides being roomier due to the car’s increase width, the interior is also a bit sportier than the GTI’s. Highlights include sport front seats wrapped in dark or light Nappa leather in the center and head restraints upholstered in dark “Carbon” Nappa leather.

Just like in the past, the Golf R gets a sporty, three-spoke steering wheel with a chrome "R" logo placed on the lower crossbar, light-blue tachometer and speedometer, door trim panels offered with a "Carbon Touch" design, and other "R" logos placed on the radio or navigation system touchscreen.

The instruments and the touchscreen’s start menu are also customized. When the ignition is switched on, the light-blue needles, which automatically light up as soon as the driver’s door is opened, sweep once across the entire scale. The 5.8-inch touchscreen also features proximity sensors, automatically switching from display mode to input mode as soon as the driver or front passenger moves a finger toward the display. Blue lighting coming from the door panels provides a warm ambience inside the vehicle.

Under its hood, the Golf R gets an updated version of the 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine that delivers 292 horsepower at 5,400 rpm and 280 pound-feet of torque between 1,800 to 5,500 rpm. The engine mates to a six-speed manual transmission as standard, which helps sprint the Golf R to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds — 0.4 seconds faster than the previous Golf R. The Golf R will also have an optional six-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission available, which drops the 0-to-60 mph time to an amazing 4.9 seconds. The latter makes the Golf R a full second quicker than the Ford Focus ST.

When compared to the engine used in the previous model, the new one gets completely redesigned cylinder heads, pistons, high-pressure injection system, and turbocharger. The engine will send its power to all four wheels via Volkswagen’s 4MOTION permanent all-wheel drive, the main culprit behind the hatch’s amazing sprint times.

The 2016 Golf R comes standard with 18-inch, aluminum-alloy wheels and a high-performance braking system that includes 13.4-inch vented discs up front and 12.2-inch discs on the rear. Holding the Golf R steady in the twist is a sports suspension system that drops the car’s ride by 0.8 inches. This new unit includes strut-type front suspension and a multi-link rear suspension.

Customers will also have the chance to add in the second-generation DCC dynamic chassis control, which features three driving modes: "Comfort," "Normal," and "Sport." Also available is a Driving Profile Selector with three programs, including a "Race" mode specifically designed for the Golf R. Just in case you want to take the hatch for a few laps at the Laguna Seca. The well-equipped Volkswagen Golf R starts from $36,595, with the DCC and Navigation increasing the sticker to $39,090. The Golf R is nearly $12,000 more expensive than the GTI model, further proof that performance doesn’t come cheap, even though we’re talking about a Volkswagen and not a Porsche.