2025 Volkswagen Golf R

small car / 4-door hatchback

2025 Volkswagen Golf R 4-door hatchback
2022 Volkswagen Golf R shown
Photo courtesy of Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria Rating
Small overlap front
G
Moderate overlap front: original test
G
Side: original test
G

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front

The small overlap front evaluation consists of a driver-side and a passenger-side component. If the results of the two evaluations differ, then the combined small overlap rating is equal to the lower rating.

Driver-side

  • Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI S 4-door

The Volkswagen Golf GTI, formerly known as the Volkswagen GTI, was redesigned for the 2022 model year. Driver-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2022 Golf GTI conducted by Volkswagen. These ratings also apply to the Volkswagen Golf R.

Evaluation criteria Rating
Overall driver-side evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTN2201
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 7
Footrest (cm) 4
Left toepan (cm) 2
Brake pedal (cm) 2
Parking brake (cm) 0
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 0
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column 0
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 4
Upper dash (cm) 6
Lower instrument panel (cm) 7

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTN2201
Head
HIC-15 118
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.2
Extension bending moment (Nm) 10
Maximum Nij 0.21
Chest maximum compression (mm) 30
Femur (kN)
Left 4.4
Right 0.1
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 0
Right 0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.29
Right 0.30
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 1.5
Right 1.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 46
Right 46

Passenger-side

  • Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI Autobahn 4-door

The Volkswagen Golf GTI, formerly known as the Volkswagen GTI, was redesigned for the 2022 model year. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2022 Golf GTI conducted by Volkswagen. These ratings also apply to the Volkswagen Golf R.

Evaluation criteria Rating
Overall passenger-side evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Hip/thigh
G
Lower leg/foot
G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on passenger side

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTP2204
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm) 7
Footrest (cm) 5
Right toepan (cm) 3
Center toepan (cm) 2
Rocker panel lateral average (cm) 0
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm) 7
Upper hinge pillar max (cm) 6
Upper dash (cm) 6
Right lower dash (cm) 5

Passenger injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTP2204
Head
HIC-15 160
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.2
Extension bending moment (Nm) 18
Maximum Nij 0.23
Chest maximum compression (mm) 24
Femur (kN)
Left 0.4
Right 1.0
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 1
Right 0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 1
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.60
Right 0.44
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 2.1
Right 2.8
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 53
Right 53

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTP2204
Head
HIC-15 126
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.9
Extension bending moment (Nm) 29
Maximum Nij 0.20
Chest maximum compression (mm) 26
Femur (kN)
Left 0.1
Right 0.1
Knee displacement (mm)
Left 1
Right 0
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left 0
Right 0
Maximum tibia index
Left 0.58
Right 0.20
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left 0.3
Right 0.9
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 45
Right 38

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI S 4-door

The Volkswagen Golf GTI, formerly known as the Volkswagen GTI, was redesigned for the 2022 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2022 Golf GTI conducted by Volkswagen. These ratings also apply to the Volkswagen Golf R.

Evaluation criteria Rating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Chest
G
Leg/foot, left
G
Leg/foot, right
A
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTF2201
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 4
Left (cm) 6
Center (cm) 6
Right (cm) 3
Brake pedal (cm) 5
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) -1
Right (cm) -1
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) -3
Rearward (cm) -4
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 0

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTF2201
Head
HIC-15 175
Peak gs at hard contact no contact
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.4
Extension bending moment (Nm) 9
Maximum Nij 0.23
Chest maximum compression (mm) 33
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 0.2
Femur force - right (kN) 0.6
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 1
Maximum tibia index - left 0.28
Maximum tibia index - right 0.70
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.7
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 3.2
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 72
Right 176

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2022-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI Autobahn 4-door

The Volkswagen Golf GTI, formerly known as the Volkswagen GTI, was redesigned for the 2022 model year. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test of a 2022 Golf GTI conducted by Volkswagen. These ratings also apply to the Volkswagen Golf R.

Evaluation criteria Rating
Overall evaluation
G
Structure and safety cage
G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
M
Driver head protection
G
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
G
Torso
G
Pelvis/leg
G
Rear passenger head protection
G
Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID VTS2201
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -17.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTS2201
Head HIC-15 144
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.7
Compression (kN) 0.5
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 35
Lateral force (kN) 1.5
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 30
Average deflection (mm) 28
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.24
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.37
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 2.1
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.2
Combined force (kN) 3.2
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.8
L-M moment (Nm) 314
A-P moment (Nm) 44

Passenger injury measures

Evaluation criteria Measurement
Test ID VTS2201
Head HIC-15 196
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.3
Compression (kN) 0.3
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 46
Lateral force (kN) 1.2
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 41
Average deflection (mm) 31
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.46
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.67
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 0.3
Acetabulum force (kN) 1.7
Combined force (kN) 1.7
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 1.0
L-M moment (Nm) 114
A-P moment (Nm) 23

About the original side crash test