The Volkswagen Golf Mk VII has been around since 2012 and in the past four years, it has evolved into a favorite among aftermarket tuners. Programs from ABT Sportsline and MTM have been released in the past few years, and now O.CT Tuning is jumping aboard with its own tuning kit for the VW hot hatch. The biggest thing about this particular program is its versatility, specifically with the number of engine upgrades that are available, including one that bumps the Golf R’s output to an impressive 450 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque.

All in all, the tuner is offering a total of four engine upgrades for the Golf R. Each of these kits come with its own set of advantages that are created to address the needs of a particular Golf R owner. Some might prefer the powerful version whereas others may be content with either of the first two stages of the program. The point is that there’s an engine upgrade for every discerning customer.

Obviously, some people might frown upon the absence of anything relevant outside of the modifications to the Golf R’s turbocharged four-cylinder engine. That’s something O.CT Tuning can’t escape from, but the tuner knows that already. In its mind, this particular tuning kit is all about extra power and extra performance, and for what it’s worth, it did a great job addressing those needs. Sometimes with a hot hatch like the Golf R, that’s really all the car needs to really take its chops to the next level.

Continue after the jump to read the full review.

2016 Volkswagen Golf R Mk VII By O.CT Tuning

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2016 Volkswagen Golf R Mk VII By O.CT Tuning
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 450
  • Torque: 406
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

No exterior upgrades were given to the Volkswagen Golf, although judging from the photos, those “powered by O.CT Tuning” decals could be available. I don’t expect customers to pay a significant amount for them, especially since they only add five horsepower.

Interior

Just like the exterior, O.CT Tuning left the Golf’s interior alone.

Drivetrain

The absence of any meaningful cosmetic upgrades meant that O.CT Tuning had all of its time to work on the Golf’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The result is four – yes, four! – different tuning stages for the Golf VII, all meant to provide customers a variety of options to choose from. Let’s consider first the Golf’s standard output of 292 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Granted, O.CT Tuning didn’t dive into the specifics of what it did to the Golf’s turbo four, but it did say that it was able to increase the hot hatch’s power to 370 horsepower and and 339 pound-feet of torque. That’s just the first stage engine upgrade.

The second stage upgrade brings the output up to 378 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque while the third stage kit tacks on even more power to the tune of 395 horsepower and 372 pound-feet of torque. The fourth and final stage is where things get real serious as O.CT Tuning was able to extract an impressive 450 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque.

No performance numbers were announced, but with that Stage 4 engine upgrade, I can imagine the Golf to be able to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in the mid-four seconds to go with a top speed of 180 mph, provided, of course, that the hatch’s electronic speed limiter was removed.

Here’s another bit of good news: O.CT Tuning says that its four-stage engine upgrade for the Golf R is also available for the Seat Leon Cupra and all Volkswagen Group models that use the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

Chassis and Suspension

Once again, there doesn’t appear to be any upgrades on this front as O.CT Tuning made no mention of modifications in the Golf’s chassis and suspension.

Pricing

Pricing figures are not known at the moment so the best way to go about finding out the price is to contact O.CT Tuning directly.

Competition

Volkswagen Golf 7 R 4Motion by MTM

Back in 2014, MTM presented its own tuning package for the Volkswagen Golf Mk VII. Th tuner didn’t try to do anything out of the ordinary, opting only to use its M-Cantronic module that allowed the Golf’s turbo four to increase its output to 360 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers are right in the vicinity of O.CT Tuning’s Stage 1 and Stage 2 engine kits. According to MTM, its tuning upgrade helped the Golf cut its sprint to 62 mph to just 4.2 seconds with the DSG transmission to go with an unchanged top speed of 155 mph.

Read our full review here.

Volkswagen Golf R by ABT Sportsline

ABT Sportsline is arguably one of the most famous and most popular aftermarket tuners for any vehicle related to Volkswagen. That certainly was the case back in 2014 when it unveiled its own kit for the Golf Mk VII. As expected, the highlight of that program was a two-stage engine upgrade that improves the hot hatch’s output to 365 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque for the Stage 1 kit and an impressive 394 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque for the Stage 2 kit.

Read our full review here.

Conclusion

Sometimes, a tuner opts to take a simple and straightforward approach with a tuning program and it works. That’s what I see here with O.CT Tuning’s new kit for the Volkswagen Golf Mk VII. It’s not flashy by any means but it does strike an effectiveness that customers will definitely feel when they avail of the kit. The number of engine upgrade options also adds a sense of versatility to the program, allowing customers to choose which stage they’d prefer to have. There’s no flash about any of the kits, but all four are impressive in their own right.