Back in 1976, Volkswagen introduced the 1st generation Golf GTi. The Golf GTi quickly became a crowd favorite, as the powerful engine and lightweight construction allowed the Golf GTi to keep up with supercars back then. After 46 years, the Golf GTi is still a hot hatch for many people who are on the market for a high performance vehicle. With the 8th generation, Volkswagen Malaysia started locally assembling the latest Golf GTi to keep the car priced competitively in Malaysia. This time round, I’ll be checking out the latest Volkswagen Golf GTi and see if this car manages to live up to the hype.
For the exterior, I quite like the design of the latest Golf GTi, as it looks sharp and sporty from all angles. The Golf GTi sports a sharper looking front end, and the front bumper also features a large air inlet to make it look sporty. Above the front bumper, there are sleeker looking full LED headlights and daytime running lights to give the car a more modern look. Just like all modern day Volkswagen, the Golf GTi also features a light bar that runs across the front grille of the vehicle. 
At the side, I was surprised to find that the door mirrors cannot be folded electrically. In my books, this is something that Volkswagen should not have left out, even just to keep the cost down. Moving to the rear, the latest Golf GTi gets fancy looking LED tail lights. To remind the other road users that this is a GTi, there are GTI logos located at the front and the rear of the vehicle. Lastly, the Golf GTi is fitted with a set of 18-inch rims that blends in well with the overall design of the vehicle. 
Stepping on board, I was greeted by a whole new dashboard layout and design that was different from the other Volkswagen models. This gives the feeling that Volkswagen has moved into a new era of dashboard design, which is refreshing. With this new design, Volkswagen managed to create a minimalistic looking dashboard by incorporating most of the in car functions into the infotainment screen. On top of that, the ambient lighting is also more prominent around the dashboard to make the interior look more youthful. 
To complement the design of the dashboard, Volkswagen fitted the Golf GTI with 2 larger 10-inch screens to be used as the infotainment screen and instrument cluster. For the instrument cluster, it now comes with the GTI specific graphics inside it, where a large tachometer sits at the center of the instrument cluster. Beside the instrument cluster, the similarly sized infotainment screen now controls most of the in car features and settings. This may be a good way to simplify the dashboard, but it requires more effort to change simple settings, such as the climate controls, which are rather distracting to the driver. On the plus side, this infotainment system does come with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay as standard. 
Being a car designed for the driver, the Golf GTi comes with semi bucket sports seats up front. Both front seats are snug and supportive, and it does come with cooling and heating elements to keep the driver and front passenger comfortable. On the driver side, the driver gets a sporty feeling steering wheel that is nice to hold on to. And for the passenger side, the Golf GTi gets ISOFIX mounting points on the front passenger seat. This means that the Golf GTi comes with 3 ISOFIX mounting points around the vehicle. 
As for the rear seats, my initial impression when I first opened the rear door, is that the legroom for the rear seats looked tight. But when I climb into it, I still find myself with a decent amount of legroom to feel comfortable. Headroom space wasn’t an issue as well, but shoulder room could be tight, if 3 people were to sit in the rear together. Behind the rear seats, the boot space for the Golf GTi measured in at 374L. The size of the boot can be further increased by either lowering the boot floor, or folding down the rear seats, making the Golf GTi a very practical hot hatch. 
Being a Volkswagen product, the Golf GTi is naturally powered by the familiar EA888 engine. The EA888 engine is a 2.0L turbocharged 4 cylinder engine, mated to a 7-speed DSG powering the front wheels. This engine has the ability to produce 245PS at 5,000 – 6,200rpm, and a peak torque at 370Nm at 1,600 – 4,300rpm. The Golf GTi has the ability to accelerate from 0 – 100km/h in just 6.3 seconds, and to a top speed of 250 km/h. 
As a performance base vehicle, the EA888 engine inside the Golf GTi felt like a totally different engine from the other Volkswagen models. The engine felt more eager to go into higher RPM, and it also sounded much fruitier than the other version of this engine. This may be due to the sportier exhaust set up that the Golf GTi is equipped with. For the driving experience, I would break it down by the drive mode as the drive mode changes the characteristics of the car quite drastically. 
Starting with the Eco and Comfort modes, these are the modes that are best suited for daily drives. In these driving modes, the engine idles at lower RPM, the throttle response is less sensitive, and the exhaust note is also quieter. But these settings do not make the Golf GTi feel sluggish at all, as the power from the engine is still available on tap. Apart from that, the suspension is also in a softer setting, and the steering is not as precise as in the Sport mode. This setup allows the Golf GTi to be driven in a more relaxed manner.
When the mood hits, the Sport mode will turn the Golf GTi into a different driving machine. The car is now a lot more driver focused with a sharper throttle response, quicker gear change, and louder exhaust note. On top of that, I can hear different kinds of noises such as the intake noise, turbo spool, and wastegate release coming from the engine, thus enhancing the driving experience. And if the engine has been warmed up, there are pops coming out from the exhaust as well. 
Apart from the engine, the handling characteristics also change when the car goes into Sport mode. Sport mode will stiffened up the dampers, tightens the steering wheel, and provide a more sensitive electronic differential. With these settings, the driver can now feel more of the roads, and the car has the ability to corner at a higher speed. This is due to the increased confidence that the car gives, especially with the stiffer dampers that reduces the body roll of the vehicle. On top of that, the sharper steering wheel allowed the driver to get more feedback from the front wheels, and the electronic differential will keep the car in line when cornering. On the flip side, the stiffer suspension also made the ride busier and bumpier, as the driver will get to feel even the smallest bumps on the road.
For those who want to customize their driving mode, there is an individual mode where the driver can select their desired settings to suit their driving style. As for the brakes, the brakes on the Golf GTi are strong, and I really like the feedback that I get from the brake pedal, as it feels solid and assured when stepping on it. Safety wise, the Golf GTi is only equipped with basic safety systems, while the driver assistance systems are kept to a minimum. For a car that was designed for the car enthusiast, I think it’s forgivable to skip out on the other driver assistance systems. The Golf GTi is equipped with 6 airbags, Driver Alert system with fatigue detection, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), EDL (Electronic Differential Lock), and ASR (Traction Control) on top of the other basic safety systems. 
As a car enthusiast, I really enjoy my time driving the Golf GTi around. To me, I think the Golf GTi suits my needs over an Arteon, even though the Arteon is a much bigger and capable vehicle. Priced at RM 227,012.00, I’m really surprised that Volkswagen can keep the price of the latest Golf GTi as close to its predecessor as possible. If you’re on the market for something fun to drive yet practical, the Golf GTi will definitely fit into your lifestyle easily.
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