Road test review: Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR

Monday, 7 September 2020

The Volkswagen Golf is 45 years old - here are the first seven generations, in silver.

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI TCR
Base price: $65,990
Powertrain and economy: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol inline four, 213kW/350Nm, six-speed automatic, FWD, combined economy 7.5L/100km, CO2 172g/km (source: RightCar).

This is the $66k Golf GTI and it’s a cracker.

Vital statistics: 4268mm long, 1799mm wide, 1482mm high, 2626mm wheelbase, 19-inch alloy wheels.
We like: Superb performance, superb looks
We don't like: On the expensive side, dated interior.

If it didn’t have those decals, you wouldn’t know it was a special edition.

Volkswagen has unleashed its fastest GTI ever upon our roads. Is it worth saving eight grand over the all-wheel drive Golf R?

A $66k Golf that isn’t an R? Really?

Until you drove it, that is. The engine has been tuned to offer 44 more kilowatts than before.

Really. And it would have been even more expensive if VW fitted the Akrapovic exhaust as standard. But consider that price puts it exactly against the Civic Type R Mugen Equipped we tested back in May.

**READ MORE:

The exhaust is new and louder than before, with DSG parps on the upshifts and subtle burbles on the overrun.

* Road test review: Hyundai Ioniq PHEV

* Volkswagen debuts eighth generation of Golf GTI

The brakes are bigger and bite harder than in the standard GTI too.

* New Zealand's electric vehicle future

* Spain's Seat Leon Cupra is plain good fun on Kiwi roads

The interior is fine but it’s notably older than the GTI’s rivals. Physical knobs for the air-conditioning is so last decade.

Both the GTI TCR and the, er, Civic TR ME (sorry) are limited run (37 units in this case), special-edition variants based on an existing model. However, whereas the Mugenised Civic comprised of more body kit and not much else, Volkswagen has given the GTI TCR some proper performance improvements as well as visual upgrades to justify that price.

Okay, spill. What performance improvements are we talking?

Power still comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder but there are 44 more kilowatts here, 213kW versus 169kW in the normal GTI. Torque is the same, 350Nm kicking in from 1700rpm. Hitting 100kmh takes a claimed 5.7 seconds, though it actually feels a mite faster from the driver’s seat.

To go with the boost in power, VW has given the TCI a different (louder) exhaust system, improved brakes, a locking front differential, 20mm lower suspension and the firm’s Dynamic Chassis Control. A six-speed DSG automatic is the only option, sorry manual lovers.

Volkswagen NZ even took the speed limiter off, for some reason, so the TCR will blitz past the usual 250kmh mark. I was told 300kmh could be seen but that sounds a bit optimistic and I'm not keen on risking prison time to find out. Think of it as a weight-saving move instead; the TCR weighs 1355kg compared to the 1377kg of the normal GTI.

Visual changes come in the various red accents inside and out, a chunky rear diffuser, black roof, black roof spoiler, side decals and carbon wing mirrors.

How does it all come together?

This car is freaking awesome. The tricky diff doesn’t totally eliminate torque steer but it does a damn good job and the dynamic suspension keeps the whole car hugging the road, despite the frequent undulations in the tarmac.

Adding power to a front-driver is never a simple task (I’ve driven some other turbo’d Golfs that prefer to eat their tyres and torque steer rather than accelerate) but the TCR has no such issues. That’s possibly due to the normal GTI being underpowered compared to rivals like the aforementioned Civic Type R, which offers 228kW. The new figure of 213kW still isn’t going to send the Civic packing but it’s much closer this time around.

While an Akrapovic exhaust would have been nice, I understand wanting to keep the TCR as far from the Golf R’s price as possible. And, to be honest, the standard exhaust is great. It doesn’t quite have the theatrics of an aftermarket unit but it has a pleasant roar under acceleration and offers appropriate DSG parps on the gear changes. Hold out until the redline for maximum aural enjoyment.

Speaking of the gearbox, the comparisons with the Civic Type R continue. Honda only offers a six-speed manual – and a thumping good one at that – while VW sticks a six-speed dual-clutch automatic in and calls it a day. Do I miss shifting gears myself? Honestly, not really. That DSG transmission is brilliant. Changes are seamless, near-instant and almost as satisfying when using the wheel-mounted paddles.

A manual will always be the more rewarding system to drive but while the Civic Type R is happiest when driven at 100 per cent on the race track, the GTI was always more of an all-rounder. That means driving in the Real World, where a clutch pedal becomes a nuisance. On that note, while the lowered ride height does mean the TCR rides harder than the vanilla GTI, it’s still handily more comfortable than the Civic.

The steering is very good too, offering linear tracking and good feedback to let you know exactly where the wheels are pointing. It’s heavy enough to feel sporty and engaging but not so much so that it’s irritating. Combine that with the planted front end and lower ride height and you’ve got a proper hot hatch. Forget the all-paw hyper hatches of the world, this is where the fun is.

Is there anything this does wrong?

You can think of the TCR as the seventh-generation Golf GTI’s swansong. That means it’s still using an old interior that looks dated when compared to the latest from its rivals. Some will call the physical air-con knobs refreshing but the cabin won’t be pulling away potential Audi or Mercedes buyers.

Any other cars I should consider?

The Civic Type R Mugen Equipped version is $65k (if there are any left) while the regular Type R is $59,990. Hyundai still offers the i30 N in manual for $54,990 and is set to get a dual-clutch automatic in the near future too. If you want something a bit more French, the Renault Megane RS already has a dual-clutcher, which will cost $62,990.