The 2022 Volkswagen Golf R is a 315 hp, $ 43,645 drift machine

We had the chance to play with the 315 horses new Golf R on the ice and think it’s probably the best hot hatch you can buy. The hot hatch looks like real fun, but Volkswagen left a big question unanswered. How much will the thing cost? Volkswagen has announced that the price of the new Golf R is $ 43,645.

Now that’s a steep price to pay for a Volkswagen. However, the brand notes that the Golf R is only available in one finish, and the price tag of $ 43,645 gives you a fully loaded car with a six-speed manual transmission. And you get a lot of goodies for the price.

As we explained in our first test, the Golf R is ditching the Haldex-based all-wheel drive for a dual-clutch setup.

Instead of a clutch that sends power to the rear axle to be distributed through the open differential (with the brakes input), you get two clutches at the rear, one for each of the axle shafts. In VW’s setup this means you can send up to 50% of the engine power to the rear axle and depending on what you are trying to do you can send some or even all this side power to either rear wheel. If you want to take a turn quickly, putting a little extra sauce on that rear outer wheel helps you push yourself, like paddling a canoe.

What you get is a car that can really roll onto its side, whether it’s on the tarmac or on the ice.

You get more than just a fancy AWD system and a drift mode for the price as well. The Golf R also comes with LED headlights, a 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrument display, a 10-inch infotainment display, in-car Wi-Fi and more.

I like its finer touches like the illuminated door handles and ambient lighting. All the seats in the car are also heated.

The Golf R is expected to arrive in dealerships this fall. At least on paper, it looks like you’re getting a lot for the money. The price increase is also only around $ 2,000 over the last Golf R. I would love to get behind the wheel of this thing and see how it can move sideways on a track.