Volkswagen Golf GTI gets a makeover
Company credited for inventing hot hatch raises the bar another notch
SINCE the mid-1970s, Volkswagen’s replacement for the iconic Beetle found its niche as an affordable little hatchback. Adding the Golf GTI with a stronger engine and a sporty interior for 1983 — called the Rabbit GTI in North America — began a series that existed through seven generations.
The eighth iteration of the frontwheel-drive GTI and the hard-core all-wheel-drive Golf R arrive here this fall but without the accompanying basic Golf models tagging along. It would seem that VW buyers in this bracket prefer the somewhat larger Jetta sedan or the new Taos utility vehicle.
For 2022, the Golf GTI receives a complete restyling, but that might only be noticed by sharp-eyed fans of the marque. The most obvious changes include the larger honeycomb grille with integrated fog lights, a reshaped hood and headlight pods that are narrower. The wider rear roof pillars and integrated roof spoiler give the GTI an elongated appearance despite the car being only 1 inch longer. The distance between the front and rear wheels is the same as before.
The GTI’S interior has a standard 10.25-inch digital gauge display with a large-sized tachometer directly in the driver’s line of sight. In place of control-panel switches are touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel.
An 8.25-inch infotainment screen is part of the redesigned dashboard, which also gets the honeycomb-trim treatment.
Well-bolstered front bucket seats are of the sport variety, and their standard plaid-cloth inserts maintain a theme that began with the first-generation GTI. Stainless-steel pedal surfaces are also standard.
The GTI comes with a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder that puts out 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. That’s a gain of 13 horsepower and 15 pound-feet over the previous model.
A six-speed manual transmission is standard. Optional is a seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters. It’s of the dual-clutch vari
ety, which usually means very quick shifts and improved fuel economy over conventional automatic transmission designs.
Volkswagen says the GTI will hit 60 mph from rest in slightly more than 6 seconds.
Manual-transmission fuel economy is rated at 24 mpg in the city, 34 on the highway and 28 combined.
The R comes on strong with 315 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, which is a nice little bump from 288/280. A zero-to-60 mph time in the mid-4-second range is stated. The R comes with a six-speed manual gearbox.
For 2022, the GTI’S suspension has been tweaked for improved comfort and cornering control. According to VW, the front springs have been stiffened by 5 percent and the rears by 15.
The base S trim starts at $30,550, including destination charges. That gets you heated seats and steering wheel, LED headlights and downward-facing side puddle lamps that illuminate as the driver approaches.
The S also has active-safety technologies, such as emergency braking, pedestrian/cyclist detection and lane departure with lane-keeping assist.
The SE adds a sunroof, a 10-inch touch screen with navigation and a nine-speaker Harmon/kardon-brand sound system. There are also gloss-black, 18-inch wheels.
The top-ranked Autobahn loads up with tri-zone climate control, premium ventilated leather seat coverings, power-adjustable driver’s chair, head-up information display — which projects basic information onto the windshield — and 19-inch wheels. Also included are constantly adjusting adaptive shock absorbers.
On the GTI’S option list are adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with rear-traffic alert, and radar- and camera-based semiautonomous driver assist.
Volkswagen isn’t the only automaker to eliminate base-level hatchbacks. For 2022, the Hyundai Veloster will only be offered as N performance model with a 275-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
The hot-hatch crowd will be pleased, but anyone seeking inexpensive variants will have to look elsewhere, but it’s likely that they already have been.