With the Volkswagen Golf 8 here to stay for a while, it was only a matter of time before Volkswagen started declining it into various guises. Hotter guises, that is.
Among those, the first one to make a debut is, according to a recent report coming from Autocar, the Golf GTI. It will be followed by the GTD, which will supposedly share the stage too in Geneva, and later on (read summer 2020) by the Golf R.
What will the new Golf GTI bring, exactly?
Well, according to said outlet, the GTI will be offered with two power outputs, both based on Audi’s 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine that’s currently in use inside the Mk7 Golf GTI. Sure, the engine will get a handful of updates but the core will be the same. Even more important, customers will get to choose between a ‘lesser’ variant with 242 horsepower on tap and a beef-up model, reportedly churning out 287 horsepower.
Torque is believed to be way over 258 pound-feet for the base VW Golf GTI and north of 273 pound-feet of twist for the range-topping model. Moreover, it’s expected that the latter will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in around 5.6-5.7 seconds onwards to a top speed of 155 mph. Helping the hot hatch in its performance endeavours will be either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch.
Those looking to taste electrification in the new Golf GTI will be disappointed, though. Volkswagen doesn’t have any plans to make it a hybrid, which is not the end of the world, really. Oh, and hear this out. According to Road & Track, Volkswagen isn’t sure whether to bring the standard Golf in the States or not, but the Mk8 GTI and Mk8 R will definitely be available on the U.S. market.
VW’s highly-versatile MQB platform will trickle down the new GTI, albeit with the required tweaks here and there. What’s more, Autocar mentions that Autocar} by reworking the current electro-mechanical setup for ‘added levels of feedback and a more direct ratio.’
There won’t be three-door Mk 8 Golf GTI anymore, as just a five-door body is to be offered for the new generation.