FIRST DRIVE: Up-powered new VW Golf 8.5 GTI

GTI. There are no three letters more iconic in the automotive world.

It’s a badge that carries unrivalled street cred and has made driving enthusiasts go weak at the knees ever since the MkI Volkswagen Golf GTI was launched back in 1976 and helped spawn the hot-hatch genre.

All eight generations of the Golf GTI have so far been available in SA but the local future of the celebrated moniker is in jeopardy for the first time due to our fuel quality falling behind engine emissions technology.

In the recent midlife upgrade of VW’s midsize hatchback range, dubbed Golf 8.5, the front-wheel-drive GTI and the higher-performing all-wheel-drive Golf R have both received engine tweaks that require the latest Euro 6 petrol available in Europe, while SA is still stuck on Euro 2.

Volkswagen recently confirmed it will launch the Golf in milder 1.4 TSI turbo variants in SA this year, but is still testing the compatibility of the GTI and R with our low-quality fuel before deciding on whether to bring them here possibly later this year.

While we await that decision, I got the chance to drive the Golf 8.5 GTI in Germany last week as a guest of Volkswagen to get a sneak preview of what local VW enthusiasts might expect.

At the home of VW in Wolfsburg, right outside the car factory, I collected a red GTI with tartan cloth seats — a popular upholstery choice in Europe that has never taken off in SA, where buyers prefer black leather.

Styling-wise the GTI falls on the conservative side of the hot hatch scale. It may not have the flamboyant styling of a Honda Civic Type R but stands out as Golf’s sporting model with a large honeycomb grille inset with five fog lights on each side as stylised chequered flags.

Exterior styling has been revised with new LED headlights and taillights, a revamped grille, and new colours and wheel designs. The latest generation of the IQ.Light LED matrix headlights are optional and have 15% more range than before.

In the 50th anniversary year of the Golf, the updated 8.5 version was unveiled in 2024 with interior tweaks that include an improved multimedia system with a bigger touchscreen, and a return to old-school buttons on the steering wheel. I was not a fan of the finicky haptic pad controls introduced with the Golf 8.0, and the physical buttons with their distinct “click” are far more user friendly.

Little else has changed inside the minimalist cabin and most things are controlled by the enlarged infotainment touchscreen, with quick-access buttons for the climate control, driving modes and driver assist functions.

The gear lever for the seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission is a stub, and there are paddle shifters on the steering column. The leather-wrapped sports steering feels good to grasp and is flattened at the bottom to provide more knee clearance.

The uprated 2.0l four cylinder petrol turbo engine has power hiked from 180kW to 195kW. Torque remains at 370Nm but is developed at slightly lower revs, and VW says the tweaks enable the new GTI to dash from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds — a half-second improvement. As before, top speed is a governed 250km/h.

There were patches of snow in the surrounding countryside but the roads were mostly dry, which allowed me to stretch the GTI’s legs on speed-unrestricted sections of the autobahn. It’s a brisk performer with a pleasantly free-revving nature, and it took little time to blitz to 220km/h before I had to tap off for traffic ahead.

At that speed on smooth roads, the GTI felt entirely composed with excellent directional stability. The car is not excessively aural but delivers a noticeable “Vrr-pa” in its Sports mode as acoustic confirmation of its athletic prowess.

Riding on 18” alloy wheels, VW’s hot hatch delivered a smooth ride on Germany’s well-kept roads and, despite high-speed blasts on the autobahn, the 9.2l/100km fuel consumption was respectably frugal.

The short drive didn’t include any twisty sections but our previous encounters with the GTI have revealed it to be a very composed handler, feeling self assured and forgiving in fast corners. The front-wheel drive car’s limited-slip differential helps keeps the nose hugging apexes and allows the throttle to be punched early out of corners.

Adaptive chassis control is an optional feature which allows the suspension to be softened or stiffened to suit driving conditions, providing the best of both worlds.

There’s nothing harsh about the latest GTI, which has grown into an ever more polished and civilised daily driver over successive generations even as it’s become faster. It retains the sporting essence of its predecessors in a more grown-up and sophisticated package.

If the GTI 8.5 is to be sold in SA and it’s priced right, it may find a willing audience among drivers who have grown up either owning previous cars bearing the venerated badge or admiring it from a distance.