April arrival locked in for updated 2025 Volkswagen Golf, now available with reworked infotainment screen and steering wheel buttons.
VW will expand its 2025 Golf hatchback range, known as the Mk8.5, with a new variant when models start arriving in Australian showrooms from April.
Slotting in between the entry-level Life and sportier R-Line is the mid-tier Style, a spiritual successor to the Highline grade last seen in 2020 on the previous-generation Golf.
Features include 18-inch alloy wheels, chrome exterior accents, rear privacy glass, LED headlights, interior ambient lighting, electronically adjustable driver’s seat, adding to the Life’s front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, single-zone climate control, and wireless smartphone charger.
Of note, the Style will be the most affordable grade to feature VW’s new 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, which is larger than the Life’s 10.3-inch unit, though both feature digital radio.
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Buyers of the Style can also opt for a panoramic sunroof and a Sound & Vision package, which bundles a Harman Kardon sound system, head-up display and a surround-view monitor.
Stepping up to the R-Line adds a drive-mode selector, progressive steering, R-like bodykit, heated and cooled front sports seats, and a memory function for the driver’s seat.
All three aforementioned Golf variants are powered by a 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, which is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends drive to the front wheels.
Customers wanting a bit more spice can again opt for the GTI or flagship R – both also available from April.
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As before, the updated GTI is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, but power has increased 15kW to 195kW, while torque remains steady at 370Nm.
Standard on the 2025 Golf GTI is retuned steering, Adaptive Chassis Control, 19-inch wheels (up from the 18 inches of last year’s model), tri-zone climate control, and metallic paint.
However, new this year is the removal of the Luxury Package, separating the panoramic sunroof and leather interior into individual options.
Like the Style, the GTI is available with the Sound & Vision package.
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For the 2025 Golf R, power has increased 10kW to 245kW and a torque-vectoring rear axle has been added, while Matrix LED headlights, nappa leather interior, and a Harman Kardon sound system are all standard.
A Black Edition of the new Golf R will also be available at launch, “with brooding dark accents throughout”, according to VW, but further details are yet to be disclosed.
Prices are expected to go up, par for the course with any new update, with Volkswagen Australia to announce new figures closer to launch, but for reference, the current Golf range kicks off at $39,190 before on-road costs for the Life and tops out at $70,590 for the R.
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