There's no such thing as a bargain driver's car, and that applies to the latest iteration of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, too. The hot hatch premiered back in January with revised styling and a few other tweaks, including a power boost, and is now on sale.
The Wolfsburg car marque has announced that it starts at €44,505 in its homeland of Germany. This equals $47,992 at today's exchange rates or nearly as much as a brand-new BMW 3 Series (€45,200/$48,742). To its excuse, the premium compact sports sedan is far less punchy, as it comes with hp (156 ps/115 kW) in the base 318i configuration, taking 8.6s to 62 mph (100 kph).
Meanwhile, the latest VW Golf GTI front-wheel drive compact hot hatch is almost three seconds faster. The acceleration takes 5.9 seconds and it can do 155 mph (250 kph) flat-out. Powering it is an updated 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which produces 261 hp (265 ps/195 kW) between 5,250 and 6,500 rpm and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque from only 1,600 rpm.
Volkswagen's Golf GTI comes with IQ.Light LED matrix headlights that are better than its predecessor, 17-inch Richmond alloys or optional 19-inch Queenstown wheels, twin exhaust pipes, and the typical GTI gizmos and emblems.
Photo: Volkswagen
Inside, it has sports seats for the driver and front passenger, red decorative stitching for a sportier vibe on the steering wheel, seats, center armrest and floor mats, exclusive start/stop button, pedal caps in brushed stainless steel, and black headliner. The hot hatch is also equipped with the brand's enhanced Digital Cockpit Pro and has a 12.9-inch touchscreen display. The automatic air-con, voice assistant, and others are also included, and customers can choose various options, including the Vienna leather package.
The rest of the Golf family comprises the base model, Life, Style, R-Line, and Edition 50, in this order. Pricing has yet to be released for the latest GTE, but the rest of the trim levels start at €27,180 ($29,310), €29,280 ($31,574),€34,350 ($37,042), €34,300 ($36,988), and €36,660 ($39,533), respectively.
Volkswagen's Golf Mk8.5 family will soon grow to include another member. The automaker recently announced the unveiling of a special edition GTI on May 31, which we think is the Clubsport 50. This upcoming vehicle will most likely feature more power compared to the regular Golf GTI, as well as additional gizmos on the outside and in the cockpit and probably some chassis tweaks. We wouldn't be surprised if it enjoys 300 metric horses, which translates to 296 bhp/221 kW.
Later, VW will also introduce the range-topping variant of the series, the Golf R. The model will retain its all-wheel drive character and will probably boast more power than its predecessor, which has 315 hp (320 ps/235 kW).
VW still sells the pre-facelifted Golf GTI in our market. It starts at $31,965, and for the R, you're looking at a minimum of $45,665. These prices exclude the destination charge, as well as well as the usual dealer fees and any options you might be interested in.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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