CLIFF LEPPKE'S CYBER SEAT

Drivers Wanted Again at the 2026 Chicago Auto Show

VW’s 2026 Chicago Auto Show’s Booth Toys with an Old Slogan

There’s plenty to see, do and view at the 2026 Chicago Auto Show’s Volkswagen booth. A plush mutt, for example, dons a scarf. On that blue fabric ribbon you’ll see a nod toward VW’s upcoming branding change. It’s going back to the 1990s, reviving the Drivers Wanted campaign. This play on a help-wanted ad asks motor-vehicle shoppers to consider a new Volkswagen.

If a new ride isn’t in your near future, Erin Jackson, a brand ambassador, is happy to show you other options. For example, for a limited time you can get 20% off on driver gear bought online. Enter VWDW20 at drivergear.vw.com. She’d be happy to send you home with a cuddly plush dog. VW asks $22.95.

Are you eager to fabricate your own mini car? You can do that too at the onsite at the kid-friendly Candylab corner. Jackson will fetch a Do It Yourself wooden Candylab model car, which you can assemble, “paint” and race on an indoor track. Go wild and buy an entire set of groovy VW-themed Candylab toys.

Those who’d rather sample the real thing can check out an assortment of VW cars and crossovers, some decked out with accessories tempting you to play soccer or go fishing. The 2026 Jetta GLI, for example, has three floor pedals and a row-it-yourself stick.

Centerstage in front of Chicago-themed backdrop—a visually compelling shot from the shapely iron/steel LaSalle Street Bridge of the Chicago Board of Trade Building—are two vehicles. On the right, check out the high-output 2026 Tiguan Turbo.

On the left, examine the Just Hands Foundation 2025 Golf GTI. Its driver’s seat lets Torsten Gross explore performance driving with his hands. Developed with VW brand ambassador Gross, who has mobile disabilities, it’s an example of VW’s Driver Access Program, which offers up to $1,000 for purchase and installation of adaptive equipment for new or Certified Pre-Owned VW models.

VW’s crew ready for you at VW’s CAS booth

The 2025 GTI, moreover, won the Midwest Automotive Media Association’s Favorite Affordable Vehicle Award. MAMA’s top prize went to the 2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy. Motor Trend named both the 2026 GTI and Golf R Car of the Year.

CLIFF LEPPKE'S VW REVIEWS

Dark Star! 2025 VW Golf R Black Edition

Volkswagen’s athletic all-wheel-drive 2025 Golf R has a new Black Edition trim. Pick VW’s dark side and its $3,795 Euro Style Package. You’ll shave 80 pounds off the R’s weight. Euro includes or excludes formerly EU-market items such as lighter manual front sports seats, carbon-fiber dashboard trim, ArtVelours seat/door-card covers, sunroof delete and an Akrapovic titanium exhaust system. The Mythos Black sampler I drove costs $53,721.

Under blacked-out exterior decoration such as lens covers and grey/black R emblems, VW bumped horsepower up by 13 to 328. Premium fuel is required. The EPA says 22 mpg city, 31 highway and 25 combined. I got 25. New LED headlights lead your way with an illuminated grille bar and logo. There’s a reconfigured front bumper with large air intakes.

Designers kept the R’s exterior sanitary—the rear spoiler for example is subtle. Thus, while the R’s low stance and 235/35R19 Hankook performance tires hint at its track-ready capabilities, it doesn’t broadcast that there’s a miscreant at the wheel.

The R’s 2.0-liter turbocharged engine (EA888 evo4 with 5,076-psi direct-fuel injection) has improved acoustics. It revs smoothly with velvety vocals—you can tune the mill’s exterior and interior sound effects. The default is comfort, which is deceptively quick. The seven-speed DSG and 4Motion dispatch speed as it were a mandoline slicer.

VW claims the R is as comfortable on a school carpool assignment as it is at Laguna Seca. Those with smooth roads might agree, the rest of us will notice the tightly controlled R’s suspension rides like a Radio Flyer.

A swift car needs effective headlights. The R’s got them. Adaptive lamps illuminate the road ahead where you’re turning; the high beams show critters, such as a deer.

The brakes are sensational too. The front rotors are cross-drilled with heat-shedding aluminum hats. These multi-part rotors and electro-mechanical brake servo sharpen brake pedal response. It’s firm with a quick bite.

The R’s normal street roll is front-wheel drive but the car promptly summons the rears when needed. A clutch pack distributes drive torque to the rear wheels. Several more mechanical and electrical power delivery devices lock differentials or route twist to the outside rear wheel reducing your cornering radius.

The progressive power steering has good heft, yet keeps your flat-bottom steering wheel twirling less than two turns lock-to-lock. It salutes driver’s inputs like a West Point graduate. Tire grip is outstanding.

A “Special” Nurburgring drive mode softens dampers and optimizes torque vectoring. Touch the steering wheel’s left-spoke R spot and the infotainment screen pulls up drive mode tiles. Tap “Race.” This opens Special and Drift options. A Harman Kardon 480-watt, nine speaker, 12-channel amp plays your own tunes.

The Black Edition is practical. Its rear hatch accepts a standard-size bike with its wheels on. The dual-height stowage floor, however, requires you to remove the car’s subwoofer for additional height. You get a mobility kit instead of a spare tire.

The 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen juts toward the driver. Its base has illuminated touch sliders for temperature and volume. VW’s Discovery Pro MIB3 infotainment system’s standard voice recognition and native navigation setup are superior to VW’s former systems.

The Golf falters when you interact with its dashboard switchgear; there are too many touch sensors. The touch sliders, for example, are glossy and difficult to see during the day. You can inadvertently cull a drive mode or self-parking when adjusting a dash vent. The touchscreen’s graphics are bigger and clearer but difficult to stab while driving.

The haptic touch-sensing steering wheel controls are a hot mess. It’s all too easy to slide your finger over the steering wheel heat control point when touching the trip info arrow. Moreover, there’s a steep learning curve configuring the Digital Cockpit’s display. And once set, a slight brush of a steering wheel spoke can undo your masterpiece.

VW provides many driver assists. The blind-spot monitor flashes yellow side-view mirror lamps. The lane-keeping system’s nanny spits out an animated IP graphic requesting you to put your hands on the wheel—even though your fingers are lightly touching that hoop. Following that, the R issues an audible alarm and then taps the car’s brakes. This should awaken a sleepy driver.

VW’s Black Edition makes a compelling case for going noir. Its Euro “delete’ package coupled with a frisky engine and adept power routing urge you to get acquainted with your nearest racetrack’s blacktop.

WHAT IS THE VWCA?

The VWCA (Volkswagen Club of America) is a not-for-profit hobby club for owners and enthusiasts of Volkswagen and Audi automobiles. Founded in 1955, the Club has followed the evolution of Volkswagen from the early air-cooled Beetle to the latest models to roll off the assembly line. We are not owned by, affiliated with or sponsored by Volkswagen AG or Volkswagen of America, the Importer. The Club is operated and managed solely by volunteer members who contribute their time and energy in pursuit of our motto, "to help Volkswagen and Audi owners enjoy their cars to the fullest." Read about the club's history.

UPCOMING EVENTS

15 Mar