Volkswagen Golf GTI Hot version of the latest Golf bene ts from a power hike and advanced tech
Latest version of Volkswagen’s iconic hot hatch brings more power and tech On sale Autumn Price from £32,000 (est)
JUST AS YOU wouldn’t wear trainers to a business meeting or brogues at the gym, cars tend to feel most at home in a particular role. However, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is a better multitasker than most – probably because it has traditionally combined its agile handling and lively performance with looks that are almost as understated as any other Golf’s.
So, is it the same story with this new, Mk8 version? Well, it pushes things a little farther than usual by adding a gaping front bumper vent to the twin exhausts and red front grille piping that we’ve come to expect. But overall its appearance is still more Russell & Bromley than Reebok. In fact, in some areas it looks more subtle than ever, with a wheel design reminiscent of that used on Skoda’s Kamiq SUV.
As recently as late 2018,Volkswagen planned to use mild hybrid technology to boost the GTI’S acceleration and ef ciency, but ultimately it decided in the interests of more overtly sporty road manners to update the existing turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine instead.this now produces an extra 13bhp in standard form, meaning it matches the 241bhp of the outgoing GTI Performance model. Meanwhile, the successor to that car – which is likely to be called the Clubsport – packs 296bhp.
As with the Mk7, you’ll be able to specify a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox (which can be controlled manually via paddles mounted on the steering wheel). Although Volkswagen is still to release performance gures, a 0-62mph time of around 5.5sec seems realistic with a dualclutch gearbox tted to the standard GTI.
The decision to continue to offer a manual gearbox, when so many rivals are abandoning them, was apparently to appeal to enthusiasts. For the same reason, a limited-slip differential is now standard to boost traction out of corners. However, for the rst time, there will be no three-door GTI model, mimicking the decision to drop this slow-selling bodystyle elsewhere in the Golf range.
Similarly, the interior closely follows the formula of lesser Mk8 Golfs, so you get twin digital screens (one for instrumentation, the other for infotainment) and a voice control system that recognises natural speech instead of requiring you to remember speci c commands.there are bespoke sporty touches, too, including red on-screen graphics, a at-bottomed steering wheel and the traditional tartan-trimmed seats.
Other standard equipment includes keyless entry and start, lane-keeping assistance, automatic emergency braking, climate control and ambient interior lighting that lets you choose from 30 colours. Meanwhile, the list of options includes 19in alloy wheels (in place of the standard 18s) and the Akrapovic sports exhaust system that so dramatically improves the sound made by Volkswagen’s sporty T-roc R SUV.
In addition to the Gti,volkswagen is readying successors to other hot Mk7 Golfs, with the 197bhp diesel GTD and 241bhp plug-in hybrid GTE both due before the end of this year. A new version of the four-wheeldrive Golf R, which hikes power from today’s 296bhp to 329bhp, will follow in 2021.There are even plans to introduce an R Plus, with around 350bhp.
It seems likely that this agship model would cost around £45,000, undercutting other mega-hatches such as the Mercedes-amg A45. Meanwhile, the price of the standard Golf GTI is likely to rise to about £32,000 to re ect its extra power and equipment compared with the previous version.