I still
remember rather vividly the Mk6 GTI being launched, and mind you it wasn’t too
long ago either, back then everyone was raving that it was everything the Mk5
GTI was but even better. Fast forward to today, the Mk7 GTI, is it everything
its predecessors were but way better? Oh, most definitely.
Just how do
you turn the standard Mk7 Golf into a GTI? For starters, VW’s new modular
chassis makes for a pretty good foundation, strong yet lightweight. Plonk in
the bulletproof FSI EA888 engine with its single turbo, variable cam timing,
direct-and multi-point fuel injection, and integrated exhaust gas recirculation
for a beefy 220 horses and propel the car to 100 in 6.5 seconds and onwards to
a top speed of 244km/h.
Outshining all of its
previous models, the Volkswagen GTI 2.0 is an impressively complete car, making
it the only vehicle you'll ever need
Performance
isn’t the only trick up the GTI’s sleeve, VW has even improved the fuel
consumption as well, so even if you drove like an absolute maniac (which I
did), I managed to clock 300km and my fuel needle was still a couple marks off
half way from a 50-litre fuel tank.
No other
vehicle in any category has ever given me this amount of driving fun/
performance/lunacy or whatever you call it and returned this much back in fuel
economy. Absolutely amazing.
Exterior
wise there are virtually no differences between the three or five door versions
of the GTI other than the obvious additional entry points, though telling the
garden variety Golf apart from the racier GTI is child’s play thanks to double
tailpipes one located at each end of the rear valance, stylish red-on-chrome
GTI wing vents located just after the front overhangs, a roof spoiler, and red
enlarged brake calipers and rotors.
The cabin is easily
the best in business with quality materials
The
headlamps are bi-xenon with cornering lights and the tail lamps are entirely
LEDs. Now I must add a point here, something which has been typically left out
by many other manufacturers that have given their vehicles bi-xenon headlamps
and rather ugly halogen, yellowed fog lamps.
The Mk7 in
this case comes with colour-coordinated white-lit fog
lamps to match the main headlamps, for a truly menacing frontal look especially
when viewed from the rear view mirror of any unsuspecting motorist. Now this
aggression is further accentuated by the trio of matt-black fin-like diffusers
that flank the lower intake grille and effectively separate the fog lamp into
three sections and become illuminated when you turn on the foggies.
Now that is attention to detail.
Inside, the
cabin is all business with just the right amount of red threading to highlight
the GTI’s sportiness without being overly garish. The driver gets a flat bottom
steering (highly crucial in any car with sporty aspirations) and ambient red
lighting running from the handle to the point which is nearest to your
shoulders.
The engine is a
masterpiece that will allow the GTI to reach a top speed of 244km/h
Though the
test unit didn’t come with the tartan fabric seats (rest assured this is still
available on request), the leather option were equally comfortable and
supportive, with heightened side bolsters to ensure you or your front passenger
stay in place whenever the GTI does a couple of Gs
through particularly tight corners.
Now the
highlight of it all, how does the GTI drive? The increase of 20hp can be felt
the instant you stomp on the gas, the engine pull is strong with the 18-inch
Denver wheels and tyres crawling into the tarmac and
giving you near instant levels of traction and acceleration. Power delivery is
linear with 350Nm buckets of torque spread throughout; all the way to its
6,900rpm redline. I did note that the bassy exhaust
came into a full ensemble after you pass the 4,000rpm mark.
The steering wheel
great to hold and those paddles make shifting easy – or of course you can let
the transmission change gears for you
VW’s
critically acclaimed 6-speed DSG transmission returns for a third outing in the
GTI to reel in all that immense torque, you get paddle shifters too should you
decide to get a little more involved, but I would typically leave it on auto as
the gearbox shifts up and down so quickly, human intervention has been rendered
near obsolete.
Suspension
wise, you get MacPherson struts upfront and a fully independent rear for pure
handling finesse. The Mk7 GTI also gets more accurate control of camber and
tracking, stronger lateral location and tubular anti-roll bars. Spring and
damper rates have been raised for exceptional ride quality without the expanse
of driveability.
The amount
of sheer mechanical grip the GTI has on the road is unparalleled; you need to
be either insanely fast or doing something stupid to unsettle the VW. Lift of
the throttle midway and the GTI would swing its tail playfully – something of
an indulgence on my part whenever the situation permits.
The Volkswagen GTI 2.0
has the sharp lines, with the pinched waistline that extends to the rear
taillights
But then
again, that’s not the real test of a GTI. The trick here is how the car feels
when you are going reasonably fast, which in my opinion should be where 90% of
GTI owners should be doing most of the time. In this sense, the GTI is the
perfect weapon, there’s now barely any under steer in the chassis, the
electronically assisted, variable-ratio steering is perfectly weighted,
superbly direct and brimming with feedback. Point the car into a turn and it
responds enthusiastically and dependably.
There are a
tonne of things going for the GTI, the ride is real,
authentic even, its fuel economy, ride quality, cabin design and finishing, the
list is extensive. The Golf GTI Mk7 has lived up to its lineage and surpassed
my expectations, it packs great build quality, a classy yet sporty design
inside and out, an awesome engine and a highly capable differential. The
biggest surprise for me was just how well the new GTI drives and rides. This is
the king of the hot-hatch hill.
