Well, it's finally here, folks. The 2021
Volkswagen Golf GTI has landed in Aussie showrooms. It's much more expensive than
before, it has a lot more standard equipment, the familiar GTI underpinnings. This is an
obvious move upmarket for many deem to be the original hot hatch. You can no longer get
the GTI with a manual transmission, and it's a lot quieter than Golf GTI's of old as well
because of tougher European sound regulations. The question is, does the latest version
of the GTI really resemble the blueprint? [pause] The GTI famously introduced and popularised the
hot hatch genre with its introduction in 1976, and has been a mainstay in Volkswagen's line-up ever
since. For 2021, the GTI introduces base pricing that is $11,000 higher than its predecessor
just three years ago. But for that, there's new styling, a completely over-hauled dashboard
interface, and much more standard technology. Styling changes to the GTI for 2021
are headlined by a new front end, it's this really cool new LED lights that take
full effect at night where you get an LED strip that runs the entire width of the bonnet. It
looks really cool.
There's also five new fog lights on either side that's encompassed into a
new honeycomb grill and front end apron design. Elsewhere, naturally for a GTI, there are
side skirts along the side of the car, new LED tail lights, and two
bulbous exhaust outlets at the rear. The GTI is complete with 18-inch alloy wheels
shod with Goodyear rubber and red brake callipers, while under the bonnet resides an unchanged EA888
engine matched solely to a seven speed wet dual clutch automatic transmission. Whereas overseas
markets get the option of a manual transmission, Volkswagen says the take-up in Australia
is simply too low, which is a great shame. Now this is where the Golf GTI has taken the
biggest step forward. There are a load of changes inside the cabin, including a new 10.25-inch
center touchscreen display that's matched to a new virtual cockpit display as well. There's
more odds and ends storage courtesy of this new fly-by-wire gear shifter which liberates a little
bit more space. But you also get some really nice technical touches as well, four USB-C points
across the cabin, three-zone climate control. And while there is much more of a
minimalist theme inside the cabin, I've actually found it quite user-friendly.
As
with the regular Golf, it can appear a little bit foreign at first. But I found that you are
able to shortcut a lot of basic commands with the touchscreen so you're not going through
two or three-step processes to do something like recirculated air conditioning. All in all, a
really great place to be, and as with all Golfs, there's a really good array of storage,
space and comfort inside the cabin. The standard GTI still gets Tartan
seats made popular by the 1976 original, and passenger amenity is strong across both
rows. The use of materials and presentation here is first class, and goes some way in
justifying the GTI's higher purchase price. Safety also takes a significant step forward
in this MK8 generation with the full gamut of expected standard equipment. But enough of all
that, it's time to find out how the GTI drives. The fundamentals of the GTI experience are largely
the same as before.
And that's no great surprise given all the internals are carry over. What
you're getting is quite a competent little hot hatch, one that has no troubles dulling down its
power, has a really nice usable two-litre engine, and it's a really sporty premise as well. But
the great thing about the Golf GTI is that it does that without detracting from road comfort
and refinement. It's still a car that you could happily spend eight hours in doing
interstate trips you can commute in, and it's not in any way jarring or anything
with the way that it controls itself over bumps. Central to the all rounder
theme is the GTI's engine, which offers an official 6.3 seconds
sprint to 100 k's an hour from rest, but will also deliver a claimed fuel
consumption rating of seven litres per 100 k's.
The EA888 engine is as relevant as ever. It
works really well. The seven speed wet dual clutch automatic transmission is also a willing
accomplice. You get a little bit of glitch upon taking off, but other than that, the changes are
razor-sharp and swift. Complaints with the GTI, well, it'd be really nice if there was a stand
alone manual option with the dual clutch automatic transmission. The old model used to be able
to put it into a manual gate and it would hold gears. Around the circuit here today, I
have found that there's been occasions where it will automatically shift up even though
you've asked it not to. But the other complaint is really the lack of noise. It'd be really nice
if those European sound emissions didn't dictate less sound form the car, so it does kind of
take away from the theater of the Golf GTI. Where the GTI makes a bigger
impact is road manners.
It is still at the pointy end of the hot
hatch brigade for road compliance, comfort and refinement. It screams
daily driver more than anything else. With that in mind, it means that the GTI
is a good performer on a circuit, but it's not exactly gonna set the world on fire if
you are a regular track time enthusiast. The electronic differential at the front, at times,
has trouble putting the power down. It really does miss the involvement of a manual transmission.
And when you really push it beyond sort of the performance envelope, there are some limitations
with this car's tires and everything else. Civilised go fast manners have
long been the GTI's calling card so there's little surprise the brief
carries though to this latest generation. Volkswagen's evergreen hot hatch is sweetened with
a five-year unlimited kilometer factory warranty, and the option of upfront care plans that kept
servicing costs to as little as $460 annually. Now, while this is a much more expensive
and decidedly more upmarket version of the Golf GTI than what we've seen in the
past, I think the important thing here is that the fundamentals still resemble that
original Golf GTI blueprint that was brought to the table in 1976.
In time, it'd be really
nice to see something like a Golf GTI original, or even the return of a manual transmission
to bring down that entry point. I think if your Volkswagen can do that, then
they've got a real winner on their hands..