NEW GOLF GTI
A new Golf GTI brings with it a high level of expectation. Does this eighth-generation version deliver the goods?
THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT GOLF GTIS and lacklustre ones, just as happens within all trans-generational product lines. With ascendency to the often self-proclaimed and overused ‘iconic’ status usually comes controversy; every family has its slightly weird uncle that’s a bit overweight, a bit embarrassing (Mk3 eight valve?), the complacent one (Mk4?) and the quiet one that fades from the public’s consciousness (Mk6?).
And sometimes, the empire can be unseated from within. Just take the Golf R as an example. Once a left-field-choice superhatch, in Mk7 form with a ludicrously affordable lease rate it suddenly out-gti’d the GTI. Why go 200bhp-plus frontwheel-drive everyday performance hatch when for a few quid a month more you could have a 300bhp, four-wheel-drive everyday hyperhatch? Predictably, many did, and suddenly it was the GTI that became the rarity on the fringes of its own dynasty. The outsider, if you like.
That’s not to say the Mk7 was a bad GTI. Not at all. It was an excellent all-rounder, a return to form after the decent but not wildly exciting Mk6, and it also gave us the lovely Clubsport
Edition 40, and the unforgettable Clubsport S too, for the fortunate few.
A healthy standard GTI is important though. It’s the root. Its function is partly as a barometer along the same lines as the 911 Carrera. If it’s good at the core, you know the rest of them are likely to be good too. Although sometimes, more often than its maker would like to admit, the purest of them all turns out to be the best of the lot.
All of which is a way of saying there’s more at stake with this first drive of the £33,460 Mk8 GTI than just whether it’s a good hot hatch. The weight of the institution is on its shoulders, and in an era where there are precious few new affordable (relatively speaking, you understand) performance cars, we could really use this one being a good ’un.
First impressions? It looks like a Golf GTI. I find the lack of a three-door option upsets me in a way ‘normal’ people wouldn’t understand, but then choosing five doors for the Golf was always an entirely practical and acceptable decision going right back to the Mk2. To my eyes the sharp-suited confidence of that Mk2 has long gone, and neither is there the groundbreaking aesthetic of the Mk4. But hey, what do I know? It’s modern and aggressive, and looks better on the road than in the pictures. The intake ‘mouth’ is suitably enormous,
‘It feels gutsy, fluid and purposeful, but with a relaxed self‑confidence’
and it now says ‘GTI’ in very large letters in the centre of the tailgate, not to one side, just so you really know what it is, which again reminds me of that aforementioned other German icon where they also feel the need to spell out very clearly exactly what it is. Maybe that’s the natural insecurity of an aged and established icon coming to the fore, with it all to lose…
The Mk8 GTI is not really any bigger than before (very slightly longer, in fact), and just a paltry 4kg heavier (compared to a Mk7.5 GTI Performance manual five-door, the closest match) at a competitive 1354kg, which is a good start, as is the environment when you settle in behind the wheel. That’s true for across the Mk8 family of course, but however much we might want to skip this clichéd bit and get on with the proper driving, you won’t be surprised to hear that VW has made damn sure it has selected the nice plastics for itself within the wider group family. In particular, I love the haptic hard points for temperature control and hi-fi volume that allow you to swipe as well as tap, and the digital instrumentation is terrifically clear – second only to that in a 992-generation 911, essentially, particularly as it’s aided here by the optional head-up display.
The driving position is absolutely spot-on as well, even for lanky blokes such as me, my shoulder virtually in line with the B-pillar like in an old Super Tourer and my backside feeling about a metre lower than in a fast Ford. Those bucket seats are terrific too, getting a new take on the tartan cloth theme (a bit like an ’80s 8-bit computer loading a game), with Alcantara sides, and being incredibly supportive. They wouldn’t feel out of place in some serious performance cars. The gearlever is set high, just a short grab across from the wheel rim, and there’s a dimpled texture to part of it, a clear nod to the old golf ball. It is a very good first impression.
Up front there’s a so-called ‘evo 4’ version of the trusty EA888 four-banger, running new injectors with pressure up from 200 to 350bar, a reduction in internal friction and a particulate filter to meet the latest emissions regulations. It makes 242bhp and 273lb ft of torque – up 15bhp and 15lb ft on the Mk7.5 GTI and matching the Mk7.5 GTI Performance. Prior knowledge and the imbalance between the bhp and torque peaks suggests a lot more top-end power is only a few clicks of a laptop keyboard away.
There’s more interest in the chassis, frankly, which has an aluminium front subframe that saves 3kg, along with new bearings and springs front and rear. Spring rates have increased by five per cent front and 15 per cent rear, but if you’ve got the DCC adaptive damping option its dampers will be monitoring the situation 200 times a second and reacting accordingly. That, and much more, is all tied into the central control for driving modes, which VW has christened the Vehicle Dynamics Manager. Comfort, Eco (sorry, what?), Sport and Individual are your mode choices, over all the usual parameters (steering weight, engine response, engine sound, etc) plus elements such as the electronically controlled limited-slip diff, as used
on the previous Performance variant. The steering is quicker at 2.1 turns lock to lock, too.
Immediately the GTI feels gutsy, fluid, and purposeful, but with a relaxed self-confidence. I leave the car in Comfort initially, but am soon on the Individual screen, dialling into preferred settings quickly. The snappier engine feels like the car should always be thus, and there’s a nice rasp to it; it may well be artificial, but if it is such then sound embellishment has got a good deal better in recent years. There’s even a slight breathiness when you initially open the throttle, like a throttle body gulping in air. The lighter steering is fine for normal driving, but a bit of weight, not exaggerated, mind, is a reassurance when the speeds rise. There’s a little too much of a dead zone around the straight-ahead for my liking, but it’s not a deal-breaker.
I’m keen to experiment with the DCC settings, expecting to switch between the usual Comfort, Sport and maybe Race options. No? Oh. Instead there’s a bar chart running across the large central display, ranging from Comfort to Sport, with an unbelievable 15 settings to choose from. My heart sinks. It’s driving mode hell x100.
Except, hang on a minute. The screen is swipeable like a tablet’s, and it soon dawns on me that Karsten Schebsdat and his dynamics team have been very clever. Far from feeling overwhelmed with options, I start to simply adjust the car on the fly; I don’t worry about hitting the exact setting out of the 15, it’s more like an approximate area that feels right out of the corner of my eye. And what changes they bring. For starters, the settings run past the factory Comfort and Sport at either end of the spectrum. This means Silverstone-appropriate firmness at one end, but what happens when you go full soft?
As I trundle slowly down a rural high street I flick it all the way to the left and purposefully aim at a manhole cover in the name of science. Blast. The car’s a left-hooker and I must have misjudged it. Try again. No, can’t have missed that one. And again. And some catseyes for good measure. Even on the 19-inch rims of this car (18s are standard) the ride quality is spookily good. It just glides over anything, and bump and noise suppression is spectacular.
This means two things. Firstly, if you’re using your GTI as an all-rounder it’s going to make those mundane, everyday journeys a breeze. Secondly, the GTI’S ability to hurl itself down a typical B-road is significantly enhanced by this ability to breathe with a road; about a third of the way along the bar chart from full comfort seems to offer a good mix.
The turbo motor growls and kicks early (well below 2000rpm) then surges along on its formidable
‘Configured appropriately the GTI devours the toughest of B-roads’
mid-range torque before getting a little breathless at the top end, as we suspected it would. Braking is powerful, albeit with a rather soft pedal feel, but the GTI turns in keenly, working both ends of the car without the hyperactive adjustability of a Mégane. You can sense what the engineers were after: enough entertainment to make it a fun drive, without scaring anyone who has switched off the ESP net. There’s not too much torque-steer on the exit, although if you’re too aggressive you can still overwhelm the front Bridgestone Potenzas, but most of the time there’s only a wriggle from the wheel as the diff does its work, and decent traction enables a good exit out onto the next straight. ESP set to off, of course.
Obviously, there will be a seven-speed DSG option (for an extra £1500), and most cars will be ordered thus. Being evo, it’s the manual that holds the most appeal, and the action is good enough, with a definite two-stage feel each time you pass through the gate. First to second feels a bit ponderous, but that might just be this particular car, while heel-and-toe work is doable but it’s quite a stretch from accelerator to brake, and the throttle’s quiet response in the first few millimetres of its travel doesn’t make it any easier. It’s all stuff you adapt to, though, with miles.
The more time I spend with the GTI the more I like it. I soon learn the best approximate DCC settings for most types of UK roads, and configured appropriately the car just devours even the toughest of B-roads. Even if you’re not really in the mood to try, its across-the-ground pace is formidable.
On reflection, I think it’s even harder to make a really good Golf GTI than a Golf R, or a fast Renault. You’ve got to make it deeply desirable and eminently useable for customers who have never thought about a cornering line in their entire driving careers, but also make it satisfy and inspire those who care deeply about driving. On first acquaintance I think the Mk8 does a fabulous job of that, revealing further layers of engaging competence the more you drive it, yet never forgetting what it needs to be in life.
Engine In-line 4-cyl, 1984cc, turbocharger Power 242bhp @ 5000-6500rpm Torque 273lb ft @ 1600-4300rpm Weight 1354kg (182bhp/ton) 0-62mph 6.3sec (est) Top speed 155mph (limited) Basic price £33,460 + An alluring blend of the best GTI ingredients
- Based on this first drive, very little evo rating ★★★★