2018 Volkswagen Golf R

Volkswagen's Golf R gets a round of upgrades for the 2018 model year.

The hottest hatch in VW's lineup, the Golf R retains its 4Motion all-wheel-drive system and 302 horsepower engine.

New for 2018 is an optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, but we think we'll stick with the standard six-speed manual.

Helping get power to the ground is VW's XDS+ system -- a brake-based pseudo-limited-slip differential that helps the R achieve torque vectoring.

Between the 19 inch wheels and the subtle body is a sport-tuned suspension that can be adjusted on the fly via VW's DCC adaptive damper system.

The Golf R features a range of driving modes -- from Comfort to Race -- that adjust the performance of the throttle, suspension, steering and transmission to suite the current needs.

There are three levels of stability control: On, Sport ESC and Off. The Golf R is the only Golf model that can totally disable stability control for track performance.

The R's styling is subtly more aggressive than you average Golf or GTI. No big spoilers or flares here.

Though the R isn't the only Golf available with LED headlamps, it's peepers have a unique design.

The 2018 Volkswagen Golf R sits in a sort of sweet spot between a fully loaded GTI and a base model Audi S3. For more details, check out our full review or just keep on clicking for more photos.