Volkswagen Golf R is a feat of modern engineering, but there are still some downsides you should think twice about.

Volkswagen has just announced pricing for the sporty Golf models going on sale in the United States for 2025 — and yes, they're more expensive than before. That’s particularly true of the all-wheel-drive Golf R, which can now crest the $50,000 barrier with options.

The Golf R is priced at $50,995. It has the same 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine as before, but it’s been calibrated to offer more with a cavalry of 328 hp, an increase of 13 over 2024. Volkswagen makes no mention of torque in this case, so we can only guess that it's the same at 295 lb-ft.

Here's what to expect when the updated 2025 VW Golf R hatchback goes on sale early next year. A person can have a lot of fun answering the prompt of: "What is the world's fastest Volkswagen?" You can be clever and argue it's the brand-new Bugatti Tourbillon V-16 hypercar,