FIRST LOOK
JUSTASYOUwouldn’tweartrainerstoa
businessmeetingorbroguesatthegym,cars
tendtofeelmostathomein a particularrole.
However,theVolkswagenGolfGTIis a better
multitaskerthanmost– probablybecauseit
hastraditionallycombineditsagilehandling
andlivelyperformancewithlooksthatare
almostasunderstatedasanyotherGolf’s.
So,is it thesamestorywiththisnew,Mk
version?Well,it pushesthingsa littlefarther
thanusualbyaddinga gapingfrontbumper
venttothetwinexhaustsandredfrontgrille
pipingthatwe’vecometoexpect.Butoverall
itsappearanceis stillmoreRussell& Bromley
thanReebok.Infact,in someareasit looks
moresubtlethanever,witha wheeldesign
reminiscentofthatusedonSkoda’sKamiqSUV.
Asrecentlyaslate2018,Volkswagen
plannedtousemildhybridtechnologyto
RIVALS
HondaCivic
TypeR
Fastandfunyet
surprisinglyeasyto
livewith,theTypeR
is thecartobeat.
RenaultMéganeRS
A morehardcore
takeonthehot
hatch,buthugely
rewardingonthe
rightroad.
16 April 2020 whatcar.com
LIGHT THE WAY
LED headlights are
standard to improve
visibility, while a strip
light that runs through
the front grille is
offered as a cost
option.
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-wheel-
drive 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,
to reect its extra power and equipment
compared with the previous version.
boost the GTI’s acceleration and efciency,
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 dual-
clutch 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 specic 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,
Volkwagen Golf GTI
Latest version of Volkswagen’s iconic hot hatch brings more
power and tech On sale Autumn Price from £32,000 (est)
Sporty wheel and red screen graphics are GTI touches
Steve Huntingford