Volkswagen Golf GTI
More performance for hot Mk8
Volkswagen will renew its GTI range mainstay next year as the hot Golf returns for its eighth generation – and the first prototypes have been seen lapping the Nürburgring track.
Following the reveal of the new Mk8 Golf due at the end of this year, the GTI variant is expected to have the wraps pulled off it in the middle of 2020. It will receive a number of upgrades, including more power, a greater range of advanced technology and reduced weight.
The design adopts the familiar cues of previous GTIS to mark it out from the regular hatch, which has already been seen with barely any disguise. These include different front
and rear bumpers with larger air intakes, chunkier wheels and tyres covering larger brakes, the familiar split dualexit exhaust and a rear spoiler.
In a reversal of its original plans, Volkswagen has decided not to make a more radical switch to hybrid power. Instead, the eighth-generation Golf GTI is set to retain much of the hardware that has made the seventh-generation model such a success.
It will have an updated version of the Audi-developed EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine used in the current Golf GTI. As with the existing car, it will be offered in two forms: a standard version with around 252bhp and a 286bhp Tcr-badged model, which will replace the current GTI Performance.
An increase in torque will also establish new levels of performance for the Ford Focus ST rival, with the TCR mooted by insiders to break the six-second 0-62mph barrier and hit 155mph flat out. To the delight of enthusiasts, the six-speed manual gearbox will again join the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic option.
The next-generation Golf will be underpinned by a further developed version of the existing model’s MQB platform, featuring a Macpherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear. The platform is said to be around 50kg lighter thanks to more innovative material use.
Engineers say a lot of attention has been focused on improving steering accuracy, with a heavily reworked system bringing a more direct ratio and improved feedback. The brand’s electronic differential lock will also be uprated.
Technology advances inside will come in the form of a new digital cockpit combined with a head-up display, a larger central screen and a more tactile control system.