Volkswagen came on the market with the R-version for its Golf range one year after it unveiled the sixth generation of its compact hatchback.
The Golf was already a phenomenon, and Volkswagen tried its best to stay ahead of everyone else in the hot-hatch territory. Previously, it had the R32 version, where the number displayed the engine displacement. For the 2009 model, it dropped that and kept only the R.

Walter da Silva designed the sixth Golf generation, and he took care of the R-version look as well. Thus, he installed a taller bumper with a broad grille in the middle and two side-scoops needed to cool the brakes, where he placed the daytime running lights. The new LED headlights came fitted as standard on the R-version. The sills were slightly reshaped from its sides, while in the back, the car featured a splitter under the bumper and a center-mounted dual exhaust. To complete its sporty-look, the designer added a unique roof-spoiler at the top of the tailgate.

Inside, the car went through an upgrade compared with its siblings and received bucket-seats with high bolstering. It was an all-wheel-drive sports car, and the occupants had to be kept in place during hard cornering, at least the front ones. In the back, it was the same bench as the rest of the range. Volkswagen installed a specific steering wheel with a silver badge that sported a blue R letter on the lower spoke for.

Under the hood, the German carmaker installed a highly tuned 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. It produced 270 hp, 20 more than on its R32 predecessor. It sent the power in all corners via a new all-wheel-drive system via a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic (DSG).