Volkswagen debuts eighth generation of Golf GTI

Saturday, 29 February 2020

The eighth generation of Golf has a new boss. Or, rather, bosses. Meet the new GTI, GTD and GTE.

First off, you'll notice the front end is a bit busy. There is a rather attractive almost-full-width LED light bar, split in the middle by the VW logo, and an optional quintet of lights embedded in each corner of the grille. The new light arrangements give the GTI a unique face and we quite like it.

New wheels are present, essentially a five-spoke riff of the standard eighth-gen Golf's rims, with red brake calipers hiding behind.

There are a lot of lights on the nose of the new GTI. We reckon it looks good though, especially that LED light bar.

Around the back is a new LED taillight design with three horizontal bars on each cluster. A new diffuser houses twin exhaust outlets while the GTI logo shifts from the lower corner of the vehicle to the centre, just below the VW badge.

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There's a new steering wheel inside the GTI, along with a stubby, rather Porsche-like gear selector.

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Power comes from the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder but has been upped to 180kW/370Nm. VW has confirmed a manual transmission will be available but the jury is still out on what New Zealand will get.

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Inside are the popular plaid seats with GTI-specific red stitching and accents, while the centre console has a new shifter that looks rather similar to what you would find on the new 992-series of Porsche 911.

The eighth-generation of Golf has a new trio of range-toppers, before the high-performance R arrives. From left to right: the new GTE, GTI and GTD.

The rest of the interior is similar to the vanilla Golf range but with slightly more red and a few GTI badges along with a slightly redesigned steering wheel.

Under the bonnet is the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot as before, connected to a six-speed manual as standard. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission is available as an option. Power is rated at 180kW while torque sits at 370Nm, leaving plenty of room for the range-topping Golf R, due soon.

Volkswagen isn't talking performance yet but we'd expect the DSG option to pip the manual to 100kmh, although the do-it-yourself shifter should be more fun to drive.

Also making their debut at Geneva are new versions of the Golf GTD and GTE, the former powered by diesel and the latter using a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The GTD uses one of the cleanest diesel engines ever built, so says Volkswagen (take from that what you will), cutting nitrogen emissions via 'twin dosing,' which adds a second injection of AdBlue and another catalytic converter to the exhaust system. A healthy 147kW will be available while torque is a claimed 400Nm. The GTD will only come with the dual-clutch transmission, no manual here.

Meanwhile, the GTE uses a 1.4-litre petrol engine connected to an electric motor, which is, in turn, fed by a 13kWh battery pack. This hatch makes the same 180kW as the GTI and the same 400Nm of twist as the GTD.

However, the extra weight of the batteries and other electrical gubbins will probably hamper performance.

The GTE and GTD variants both look identical to the GTI, save for the wheel design, exhaust configuration and a coloured bar next to the LED light strip on the nose.

The diesel gets a single, twin-exit unit and a silver strip while the GTE gets a blue bar and one hidden exhaust tip, to give the rear end a clean appearance. The GTI has the aforementioned pair of exhaust pipes and a red stripe.

Volkswagen NZ has confirmed to us that the new GTI is expected to launch here in the first quarter of 2021, with final specifications and pricing to be confirmed. It added that the GTE is under consideration while the GTD won't be released locally.