There’s few cars that excite us as much as the Golf R, a bundle of power and prowess on the road, all in a compact perfect-for-chucking-around size.

The latest Golf R has upped the game further; it’s now the fastest accelerating production Golf ever, promising more speed and exhilaration behind the wheel.

To stand out from every other Golf out there, the model features the R styling pack with bespoke bumpers, side skirts and chrome-effect door mirror camps, as well as the sports suspension which is lowered by 20mm. And it’s certainly one of the coolest-looking hot hatches on the road.

So, is it the hot hatchback to rival all hot hatchbacks? Or is the S3, A-Class A45 AMG or its slower sibling, the Golf GTI, better value for money?

Performance

Using the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo as the GTI, but with extra power, up by 79bhp to 296bhp, we tested the six-speed DSG gearbox, which has the edge, speed-wise, over its manual counterpart, hitting 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds, rather than 5.1 seconds.

It’s thrillingly quick, although there’s the classic momentary lag at take off, which quickly matures into a smile-inducing acceleration, alongside an ever-so-satisfying roar. That makes it 1.6 seconds quicker than the GTI, in both manual and DSG variants, achieving the benchmark sprint in 6.5 seconds.

While the Golf R feels super-quick, it’s a touch off its German premium rivals; the A45 AMG completes the run in 4.6 seconds, while the S3 S tronic does it in 4.8 seconds.

With 380Nm of torque – that’s 30 more than the GTI – it also has a wider spread, tailing off at 5,500rpm, meaning more shove at the top end, although we’re guessing the GTI will be enough for most.

Ride and Handling

While the Golf R is more fun than family, five different drive programmes help cater to different scenarios, altering the throttle mapping and engine management.

The Golf R is exquisite in its handling, with the 4MOTION four-wheel-drive, keeping excellent grip, and, in the unlikely event that the front tyres slip, nearly all of the power can be sent to the rear wheels almost instantly. You’re unlikely to see the loss-of-traction-control warning light then, but if that’s what you want, then the Golf now offers – for the first time - the option to fully deactivate Electronic Stability Control, though we’d advise this is best kept to the race track. While the Golf R is more fun than family, five different drive programmes help cater to different scenarios, altering the throttle mapping and engine management. These include Eco, Normal, Individual and Race, and those opting for Adaptive Chassis control, which we’d recommend as a £815 option, also get a Comfort mode. And then there’s the steering which is precise and direct, with impressive turn-in only helping its ability to fly around tight corners, while it remains composed and balanced in almost every scenario.

Interior and Equipment

The Volkswagen Golf range has much more on offer than just the hot hatch R model – there is also a standard hatchback, larger SV hatchback, estate, GTI, Cabriolet, electric e-Golf and GTE plug-in hybrid.

The interior is much like any other Golf, with some neat touches like the ‘R’-embroidered leather seats and swish blue lighting on the inner doors, as well as dual zone aircon, adaptive cruise control, Bluetooth and a 5.8-inch colour touchscreen. We had the 8-inch touchscreen with nav and dvd, a pricey £1,765 option, as well as the winter pack including heated front seats at £815. Our three-door version has decent room in the back, while the boot is slightly decreased over a normal Golf, hosting 343 litres of luggage room, compared to 380 litres.

Cost

Naturally, the slower GTI is more wallet-friendly, with figures of 139g/km and 47.1mpg.

VW reckons the R is 18% more fuel efficient than its predecessor, and when you consider the performance, CO2 emissions of 159g/km and 40.9mpg are pretty good. The manual has slightly weaker figures of 165g/km and 39.8mpg.  Versus its rivals, it’s a close call with the S3 emitting the same 159g/km and 40.9mpg and the A45 AMG offering the same consumption figures but slightly higher CO2 emissions (161g). Naturally, the slower GTI is more wallet-friendly, with figures of 139g/km and 47.1mpg. Priced from just under £30,000, it’s cheaper than the Audi S3 which starts at a smidgen less than £31,000, while the Mercedes A45 AMG starts from just over £38,000. Still, the GTI starts at just over £26,000, saving you around three grand over the R.

Our Verdict

The new Golf R remains one of our favourite hot hatches. Not only is it incredibly fun and sharp, it’s a pretty comfortable ride too. It may be just off the mark over its also-brilliant main foes for speed, but when you have this good an all-round package, we’d pick the Golf R every time. And, when you consider it’s as fast as a Porsche Cayman S for almost 20 grand less, it would be silly not to, wouldn’t it?