Report: VW electrifying Golf R with potential for big power

Volkswagen renewed the Golf GTI and Golf R for the 2022 model year, giving them more power and go-fast trickery. The cars’ turbocharged engines are living on borrowed time, however, as a report from Autocar suggests the hot hatchbacks are going electric later this decade.

The cars are expected to get a mid-cycle refresh in 2024, extending the eighth generation for a few more years. VW has confirmed that both cars would remain a part of its lineup even as it goes electric, and the report claims it already has the Golf R targeted for electrification. The car could get dual motors and 300 or more horsepower out of the deal.

Volkswagen’s R brand will follow its parent company to become fully electric by 2030, and the automaker has promised several new R-branded performance EVs. Autocar reported that the MEB Entry platform, upon which the upcoming ID.2 will ride, is capable of underpinning small SUVs and hatchbacks, so there’s a viable path forward from an engineering standpoint.