Golf Gti Game
The Takeaway
The seminal hot hatch, Volkswagen's Golf GTI remains the definitive car in the segment. Maintaining an ethos of evolution over revolution, VW's latest Mk 8 GTI is an incredibly capable machine but doesn't stray far from its roots.
- The VAQ limited-slip differential at the front axle leads to a much pointier car, making the GTI turn better at all phases of any corner you throw at it.
- As expected, the seats are bolstered incredibly well, holding my five-foot-eleven frame securely in place during spirited drives.
- The new exhaust note enhances the burly noise signature of the EA888 power plant, now producing pops and bangs on the overrun.
Specs
- Base Price: $29,545
- Engine: turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (EA888 evo-four)
- Horsepower: 241
- Torque: 273 ft-lb (at 1,750 rpm)
- Transmission: Six-speed manual (or seven-speed DSG)
- Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive
- MPG (combined): 28
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What's In A Name
A trailblazer in the hot hatch segment, the Mk 1 GTI arrived in 1976. GTI is a reference to "Grand Tourer Injection," a direct fuel-injection system that made that introductory vehicle so special. Aside from the obvious advantages over carburetors, Volkswagen's fuel-injection system was designed to power long-distance journeys without sacrificing performance.
Many also associate the GTI with its stylish interior, featuring focal points like the plaid seats and golf-ball shift knob—details that almost never came to be in the first place. Hiring one of its first female designers in 1964, Volkswagen brought Gunhild Liljequist on to its Department of Fabrics and Colors in Wolfsburg, Germany. Tasked with spicing up the interior, Liljequist was inspired to go for tartan following her travels through Great Britain. The golf-ball shift knob she added was a completely spontaneous idea—merely an expression of her interest in golfing and sport.
Volkswagen recently invited me to drive the U.S.-spec GTI on the beautiful roads surrounding Asheville, North Carolina. After logging thousands of miles behind the wheel of my three-pedal Mk 7 GTI daily driver, I was keen to get a feel for how the newest iteration stacks up.
Driving Impressions
And I can confidently say VW has done it again, somehow managing to make the GTI even better. Considering the Mk 1's humble beginnings pumping out 110 horsepower from its naturally aspirated 1.6-liter engine connected to a slightly tweaked chassis, it's amazing to see the latest iteration with more than twice the power and cornering ability. However, despite the new vehicle being a spaceship in comparison to its progenitor, it remains just as much of a riot to drive.
Daniel Byrne
Unsurprisingly, the twists and turns of the drive route showcased the capabilities of the Mk 8 throughout all phases of any corner I threw at it. The end result was a package that felt up on its toes, almost like a sentient being that was committed to making sure I was having fun.
Starting with corner entry, the braking package punches well above its weight. With the Mk 8's 13.4-inch and 12.2-inch vented discs front and back, respectively, you can stamp on the pedal as late as you dare and the ABS system will sort things out without being intrusive. Threshold braking into some of the tighter switchbacks on the drive route, I could start to feel the back end wiggle around, but nothing to the point where I felt like I was losing control.
Despite the lack of a golf-ball shift knob (more on that later), the six-speed manual transmission in the Mk 8 is a joy to use. Rowing through the gears requires a relatively firm hand, but the shifter landed nicely as I was going up and down the box. My well-calibrated arm says it's not as notchy as the transmission in my Mk 7, but I'd really have to drive both vehicles back to back to confirm. I'm happy to report that, below deck, the pedal placement allowed for easy heel-toe downshifting thanks to the close proximity of the accelerator and brake pedals.
Daniel Byrne
Daniel Byrne
Through the middle of the corner, VW's VAQ limited-slip-differential eliminated a ton of the understeer that I experienced with the previous-gen car. Compared to Mk 7 and 7.5, the new car doesn't feel inherently front-wheel driven as the steering loads up. While the diff does allow a little bit of understeer if you carry enough speed, it was always able to find the grip to keep me between the lines.
Volkswagen's latest iteration of its EA888 turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder power plant really shined on corner exit. Producing peak torque—273 foot-pounds—at just 1,750 rpm, the latest vehicle dug itself out of slower corners without breaking a sweat. As the drive route began to double back on itself, this allowed for some textbook point-and-squirt driving, which never failed to put a smile on my face.
Interior
Despite my disappointment that VW no longer includes the golf-ball shifter, plaid seats remain. The rest of the seats' properties are no surprise for a GTI, either: well bolstered, easy to adjust, and comfortable. I'm most at home with the seat positioned as low as possible, and I'm happy to report that the driver's seat was quick and easy to drop down—with room to go even lower. Volkswagen says they made a conscious effort to position the seat, shifter, and pedal box for better comfort and engagement, and it really shows.
Daniel Byrne
VW's new interior switchgear includes a redesigned steering wheel, which I'm not a big fan of. While the haptic touch buttons work well, the piano-black plastic was a fingerprint magnet. Before handing the vehicle back, my hour or so of drive time had left quite a few prints on the wheel. Nothing permanent, but not attractive either.
Daniel Byrne
Volkswagen
While I spent the majority of the drive listening to the pops and bangs from the exhaust, I ran some of my favorite music through the nine-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo—available in the SE and Autobahn trim levels. After giving the stereo a proper workout with classic hip-hop, classic rock, and pop, I was thoroughly impressed with the bold mid-range. While bass is relatively easy to get right, achieving the delicate balance with mid-tones and higher frequencies is the mark of a great stereo system.
My only other gripe inside the cockpit was the lack of tactile buttons for common controls like air conditioning, volume, and seat heating. While the touch-sensitive controls weren't difficult to use, the solution seems like one step forward and two steps back. I really had to make a conscious effort to make sure I was adjusting the right setting just the way I wanted it. However, in the grand scheme of things, these don't inhibit the driving experience very much.
Exterior
I'll be the first to admit that I was really unsure about the aesthetics of the Mk 8 GTI following its debut. However, after seeing it in person, I have to say that I couldn't have been more wrong. In the flesh, the new GTI maintains roughly the same silhouette as the previous generation, with minor changes throughout.
Daniel Byrne
The most notable alteration is the front fascia, which boasts an all-new light package along with a steeper hood rake and more hexagonal elements below the main grille. While the wheelbase remains unchanged from the previous car, the vehicle itself is nearly an inch longer. The final package looks really sharp and maintains the inherent GTI aesthetic that we know and love.
Straying further away from the cookie-cutter style wheels seen in earlier GTIs, the Mk 8 comes standard with 18-inch wheels, while the Autobahn package boasts 19s—both featuring a very angular and aggressive design. The smaller wheels come wrapped in 225/40R18 all-season tires, and the upgraded 19s are shod with grippier 235/35R19 summer tires.
The Verdict
At the end of the day, it was hard for me to walk away from Volkswagen's latest hot hatchback without turning around to admire its design. Being such a capable package under the skin, it's going to leave Volkswagen's design and engineering teams with quite a headache in making the ninth generation even better. If you have the money, go and buy one with three pedals. You won't regret it.
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Source: https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a38237434/volkswagen-mk-8-gti-review/
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