A thrilling game, this Golf

I NMarch this year, Volkswagen Passenger Cars Malaysia (VPCM) introduced the “refreshed” Golf family, consisting of the Golf TSI in Sportline and R-Line variants, the Golf GTI and Golf R. Retaining the charisma of past models with “unmistakeable design” and updated with details such as redesigned bumpers, new conceptualised headlights and LED tail lights, VPCM stated that there is a Golf for everyone and it was certain that the range will fulfil the expectations and desires of Golf fans here in Malaysia.

Well, it would be nicer if Malaysia gets three-door versions of all those variants (only 10 units of the incredible Golf R were brought into Malaysia) too, plus the cabriolet, diesel and stationwagon variants as well. Then, VPCM would really fulfil the “expectations and desires” of local Volkswagen and Golf fans. Sorry, I’m digressing.

Among the four variants, the Golf GTI is undoubtedly the most iconic. The first Golf GTI invented the hot hatch category when it was launched. No surprise then that it was awarded as the “Most Influential Car of All Time” by UK motoring magazine Autocar UK. Seven generations on – the current Golf range is referred to as the “7.5” for being at the halfway point of its life cycle, the GTI is still as engaging, thrilling and most importantly, fun, as it has always been. In short, it is still a “hot” hatch!

While the Golf R I borrowed from VPCM earlier has a lot more power, an extra gear and superb handling (largely due to its all-wheel-drive system), enabling it to keep up and even scare some sports cars that cost twice as much, it also costs significantly higher (to buy and to run) than the GTI. I am glad Volkswagen did not label the R as “GTIR” and made it a “hotter” version of the GTI. I see the R as the Golf (not GTI, mind you) to humiliate many, more expensive cars on both public roads and during track days. No matter what Volkswagen says about the R’s practicality, it has too firm a ride for my liking. To me, the R is a performance-oriented Golf (that hates even the smallest of potholes and bumps) while the GTI is a practical hatchback that enables its owner to have some fun and thrills in their daily commute. It has a much better balance of all that hot-ness and practicality as a daily driver.

Its 227hp @ 4,700-6,200rpm and 350Nm @ 1,5004,600rpm are very generous for a little car weighing about 1,350kg. Even with four people in its stylish cabin, it still has the grunt for a fun drive (provided that the three passengers are as adventurous as the driver, of course). The GTI and I went up north and down south during our eight glorious days together recently, and on the trunk roads, highways and uphill and downhill zig-zaggy stretches, every moment behind its “three-spoke leather-covered flat-bottomed sports steering wheel with brushed aluminium inserts and decorative stitching” was pure driving fun very few road cars can provide. As it was only a front-wheel-drive, unlike the AWD Golf R that demands a seriously-focused driver (while embarrassing that Porsche Cayman, for example), the GTI gave a more thrilling drive due to it being “less perfect”, grip-wise, if you get what I mean. It kept me on my toes more than the R did, and that’s where I (think I) relied a lot more on its Adaptive Chassis Control (ACC) system to keep me out of trouble. Don’t get me wrong, an enthusiastic drive in the Golf GTI gets my adrenaline pumping each time, but without it being overwhelming. You see, the ACC’s electrically-controlled dampers constantly adjust to the road conditions, the driving situation and driver’s requirements. Selected via and integrated within the functionality of the driving profile selection, the driver can choose between three damper settings – Normal, Comfort and Sport. Starting from the Normal setting, the driver can change the basic character of the car towards sporty or more comfort-oriented driving. In each setting, the ACC adjusts the damping to the particular driving situation (up to 1,000 times per second) which means it offers an optimum level of driving comfort and enjoyment at all times. Particularly on windy roads and poor surfaces, using ACC offers sporty and yet comfortable driving. Yup, it did its job very well, indeed, delivering the kind of driving fun Golf GTIs are renowned for. It has the thrilling ride, handling and speed to cater to almost all your spirited driving needs. There is still no worthy rival to this Golf GTI, at least not in the Malaysian market. Many of Volkswagen’s rivals came up with their own versions of hot hatches over the years, but somehow, none have yet to really pose a credible threat. The Golf GTI is still seen as the benchmark, the car all others are compared to, thanks to the two Volkswagen employees who originally (and secretly) came up with the idea for a “Sport Golf” (the initial name of the concept that gave birth to the Golf GTI) that could mess with Porsches.

WHAT’S GTI AGAIN?

There’s a long story behind it, but in short, it stands for Gran Turismo Iniezione (or Grand Tourer Injection), first made popular by an Italian car model’s variant in 1961. The model was of the two-door coupe and convertible grand tourer type, and the GTI variant was fuel-injected, which back then meant it had improved performance over the carburetted variants. With fuel injection the standard in modern times, the term is now applied to various “hot” hatchbacks, even though they do not have the luxury traditionally associated with Grand Tourers. And when it comes to the Golf GTI, the acronym has become synonymous with high performance.

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