Has the iconic GTi lost its soul? Well, after examining these pictures, we believe that the reign of the iconic GTi has finally come to an end with this 8th generation version. Reasons are simple.
This Golf GTi looks like a facelift to the Golf GTi Mk 7.5 which was not the best seller in our region.
The nose treatment shows more of a facelift than an all new car as the bumper treatment with the 10 additional small lamps at each corner looks like a simple after thought.
The front fenders look like they were carried over from the Mk7.5 and the new diamond cut alloy wheels fill the fenders nicely.
The rear of this GTi looks just like the previous version and it will be difficult to tell the Mk7.5 from the Mk8 when following this car in traffic.
The biggest changes are on the inside where now there is a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel that sits behind the steering wheel, with GTI-specific graphics. The centre of the dashboard is occupied by an 8.25-inch touchscreen display. Like with its sibling brands from the VW Group, the focus is on a ‘younger’ cabin experience and so there will be ambient lighting with 30 selectable colours that move around the dashboard and also the foot-wells. Not to worry, there will still be a new GTI-specific gearshift for the six-speed manual versions.
The GTi seat has been changed for this sportier version with an incorporated headrest that is not adjustable.
This new VW Group hot hatch will be powered by VW’s EA888 evo4 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine which is now claimed to provide 242bhp (which is good rise in power over the previous 228bhp) and 370Nm of torque which are very impressive figures. This will allow for a possible 0-100km/h run in about 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h will easily be reached.
It continues to be a front wheel drive hot hatch with a possible 6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission provided.
Handling should be like before, top notch as this latest GTI will ride on an updated version of the current model’s MQB platform with struts up front and a multi-link independent rear suspension. A new Vehicle Dynamics Manager system will control both the limited-slip differential and adaptive dampers. Drivers will be able to pick from Comfort, Eco, Sport, and Individual drive modes.
The full lineup of this Mk8 Golf will be on display at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show and all the technical details will be released at the show. Deliveries for the right hand drive markets will start with the Golf GTi’s biggest market, England in July this year and Malaysia should be seeing this new GTi sometime just before Christmas.
