Volkswagen officially reveals the Golf 8 GTI

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As the Geneva Show closes in, Volkswagen has already shown its Touareg R and followed it up with a media release about the Golf 8 GTI, GTE and GTD.

The VW GTI “is an agile, raw, efficient and high-tech compact sportscar”, the Wolfsburg-based firm confirmed the newcomer is powered by an EA888 (evo4) 2.0-litre turbocharged and direct-injection 4-cylinder engine with peak outputs of 180 kW and 370 Nm of torque; don't be worried, fanboys, there will definitely be hotter versions to come! A 6-speed manual gearbox (MQ350) is standard in the Europen market, but we believe the local GTI will be exclusively equipped with the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission gearbox (DQ381 DSG).

 

The Golf 8 GTI is underpinned by a McPherson strut-type front- and a multi-link rear suspension (it rides 15-mm lower than its stablemates), but further incorporates a new Vehicle Dynamics Manager driving-dynamics control system that coordinates the workings of the electronic differential lock (XDS) and the lateral functionality of the adaptive damping system (DCC) – if so equipped.

 

Those who have studied the appearance of the Golf 8 will recognise that the premium hatchback's (standard LED) headlights are positioned low to form a striking crossbar in conjunction with the top of the hatchback’s slim radiator grille. In the Golf 8 GTI derivative, the crossbar is topped off by a distinctive red line that runs the width of the GTI’s front end.

 

The front bumper features a typically large, honeycomb-pattern lower air intake grille framed on the outside by swoopy black inserts. For a usually restrained design, the GTI is marvellously detailed: note the ornamental 5-piece fog light clusters that create a pair of X-shapes, one at either end of the lower bumper.

 

The GTI 8 GTI comes standard with 17-inch Richmond aluminium-alloy wheels accented by red brake callipers (18- or 19-inch rims will be optional) and its wider side skirts sills feature black cladding strips that extend into the motorsport-inspired rear diffuser. A spoiler extends the roofline at the back of the car and the GTI lettering has been reposition to appear centrally under the VW emblem.

 

The classic plaid fabric trim for the GTI’s sport seats makes another appearance in the 8th generation hatchback, but in a new checked design called Scalepaper. The seams of the grey-and-black design are red, which is complemented by the similar-coloured accents on the edges of the steering wheel’s lower spoke.

 

The featured car features single-zone automatic climate control (Climatronic), the aforementioned Press Drive comfort start system, LED reading lights and two USB-C ports. The Lane Assist lane-keeping system, Front Assist (Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Monitoring), Car2X (local communication with other vehicles and the traffic infrastructure) and We Connect and We Connect Plus online services are included, but obviously not all of those systems are confirmed for South African-spec GTI derivatives.

 

VW Golf 8 GTI

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