Next Volkswagen Golf R won't get drift mode

Don't expect four-wheel steering, either.

The next-generation Volkswagen Golf R will have more power than the current, 292-horsepower model. It will be considerably more high-tech than its predecessor, too, but don't expect a drift mode or four-wheel steering.

The now-retired Ford Focus RS tried to lure buyers away from the Golf R with a built-in drift mode. Volkswagen studied the system, but it decided not to offer it on the next Golf R, according to one of the firm's top executives.

"The Focus RS feels geared up for fun above everything. Drift mode is a free piece of technology that comes from the drive systems they're using. But it's not for us," said Jost Capito, the head of Volkswagen R, in an interview with Top Gear.

He didn't explain why a drift mode wouldn't work on the Golf R. However, he confirmed that four-wheel steering is out of the question, too.

"It's just not necessary on a car the size of a Golf," he said.

Capito didn't reveal how much horsepower the next-gen Golf R will get. We know it will most likely return with a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and 4Motion all-wheel drive, and some reports claim it will make about 400 horsepower in its most powerful configuration. We'll learn more about the model when the eighth-generation Golf makes its global debut before the end of 2019.

Photo by Ronan Glon.