The New VW Golf R Doesn’t Have the GTI’s Steering Wheel Buttons for One Annoying Reason

For all the fun and versatility they offer, the conversation around the Mk 8 Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R revolved around pretty much one thing when both hot hatches launched a few years ago: the lack of physical buttons in the interior. Everything was capacitive, from the steering wheel to the infotainment stack, and this frustrated a great many enthusiasts. VW responded swiftly, announcing way back in late 2022 that old-fashioned buttons would return to the wheel. Now it’s spring 2025, and we’re pleased to say that they’re finally here—in the Mk 8.5 Golf GTI only. The R makes do with the same wheel it had before, and you can lay the blame on a feature that the GTI doesn’t have.

Volkswagen invited me to check out the new Golf GTI and R earlier this week at its new North American headquarters in Virginia, and I had the opportunity to sample both on the road as well as on the track. The first thing I noticed, having tested the outgoing R before, was that it didn’t share the new GTI’s steering wheel. The Mk 8.5 GTI’s wheel is the same as you’ll find in a normal Golf sold outside this country, and VW also uses this wheel for practically everything it sells with an internal combustion engine, from the Taos to the Atlas.

But the Golf R is special, because its wheel offers a unique function that the automaker’s other models lack: the “R” button. Pressing it immediately sets the hot hatch’s damping, steering, and powertrain into its most aggressive “Race” mode, a profile the GTI doesn’t have. Eric Park, Volkswagen of America’s Product Planning Specialist for the Golf line, told us that this particular feature “would have been difficult to incorporate on the push-button controls.”

In other words, Volkswagen would’ve had to design a new button layout, or repurpose an existing button on the GTI’s wheel to serve “R” duty. In and of itself, printing a different label on a button doesn’t sound very complicated for a company of VW’s scale, but of course, nothing is ever so simple in the world of automotive manufacturing. Park told us that a new circuit board may have been necessary, or at least the existing one’s software would need to be tweaked. Then you’ve got additional testing and validation, and suddenly, the company’s spending a considerable amount of money for one button on its most niche model (at least, now that the Arteon is gone). Volkswagen sold 11,072 examples of the GTI in the States last year, while the Golf R notched 4,196 units.

At the end of the day, decisions are made based on dollars and cents, and this isn’t a surprising one from a business point of view. From an enthusiast perspective, though, it’s hard to take. Many owners and potential customers complained about VW’s infatuation with capacitive controls, so much so that the company’s CEO decreed they’d be eliminated next go-around. That took about two years, since nothing happens quickly in this industry. And while this move will probably delight GTI buyers, who outnumber their Golf R counterparts by more than double, the fact is this: The car that costs $33,670 has the steering wheel most people want, and one that costs $48,325 doesn’t. The R may offer loads of performance beyond the GTI to perhaps justify that near-$15K premium, but it also forces those customers shelling out thousands more to accept a polarizing user experience.

Besides, don’t forget: This is all just for easier access to Race mode. Like the GTI, the Golf R also allows you to change drive modes through the capacitive button below the infotainment display, near the hazard button. I’d argue that option is enough; as an owner, I probably wouldn’t be switching in and out of Race so frequently that the key to control it needs to be under my left thumb at all times. For what it’s worth, the only way to switch drive modes in my Toyota GR Corolla is through the rocker toggle above the shifter, and I’m perfectly happy with that. Had Volkswagen agreed, it could’ve just put the GTI’s wheel in the R and called it a day. I’d be curious if the Mk 8 Golf R owners in chat would consider that an acceptable tradeoff. It’s also worth considering that perhaps European owners don’t mind touch-sensitive buttons as much as we do.

Ultimately, I’m sure VW weighed the costs and benefits of all options and determined this was the best way to go. When I drove the Mk 8 Golf R in 2022, I didn’t love the capacitive wheel; I recall accidentally skipping tracks, messing with the volume, and rearranging the digital gauges with the insides of my palms. But, I adjusted and got used to it. As annoying as modern cars can be, ergonomically speaking, there’s really no other option but to adjust. I still thoroughly enjoyed that car, and would never in a million years consider any of this a dealbreaker. The same is true of the Mk 8.5 edition.

Stay tuned for my thoughts on VW’s updated hot hatches, beyond just their steering wheels, very soon.

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