Preview: 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI
WORTHERSEE, AUSTRIA — How do you follow up with the latest generation of an icon? The Volkswagen Group empire is no stranger to the challenge, opting for an evolution in design rather than a complete overhaul. It happened with the Audi TT, it happened with the Porsche 911 (yes, I went there), and most recently, it happened with the 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI.
For the past 32 years, the GTI has put a focus on handling, agility and practicality, with each generation (or mark, as Volkswagen calls it) improving on the one preceding it while not messing around with the overall design. It was difficult to top the Mk. 6 GTI as it is an attractive hatchback, but Volkswagen seems to have done it rather well with the seventh generation, known as the Mk. 7.
The end result is something that is visually almost identical to the current model. In fact, all Volkswagen seems to have done outside is take a putty knife and chisel off some of the originally round edges. The mesh grille still has a single red stripe running across, which now continues into the slightly narrower yet edgier headlights. LED accents continue to border the projectors and turn signals.
Like the front fascia, the differences along the side and rear are subtle. The windows, tail lights and rear diffuser are nearly identical save for, once again, added edginess. Even the 18-inch alloy wheels retain the basic five-spoke design used since 2006, finished in an attractive diamond cut. Where Volkswagen seems to have taken a big risk is with the optional 19-inch wheels, sporting an attractive web-spoke design similar to the R8. Either way, they are wrapped in 225/45-series rubber.
When you get right down to it, the Mk. 7 GTI is a larger car, albeit slightly. Its wheelbase grew to 2,631 millimetres yet front overhang (the distance from the front wheels to the car’s nose) shrunk by 12 mm. The A-pillar is raked in a little more, which along with the slightly shorter height give the car a more aggressive stance. The Mk. 7 is also longer by 55 mm and wider by 13. The end result, however, is an overall look where non-automobile enthusiasts would be very hard pressed to tell the two apart.
But that is not the demographic the GTI targets. What matters is the chassis and handling. The Mk. 7 is very smooth and refined, much like the outgoing GTI. The rather stiff suspension sits slightly lower is very planted throughout the winding Austrian backroads, with virtually no body roll and steering that loves to let you know what’s going on under the wheels.
Weighing in at 1,351 kg, it is lighter than the Mk. 6 GTI and relatively on par with the Mazdaspeed3 and the Ford Focus ST. Directing power to the front wheels, the Mk. 7 GTI boasts VW’s ubiquitous 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder but still falls a little short of the competition on paper. It boasts a marginal horsepower boost to 210 at 4,500 rpm, but peak torque is the most significant improvement — 258 lb-ft at 4,400 rpm. This translates to an impressive zero-to-100-km/h time of 6.5-seconds and a very Golf R-like driving experience.
And that’s before the Performance package. Tick that box on the spec sheet and peak horsepower is bumped up to 230 and torque, while remaining at 258 lb-ft, is available much earlier at 1,500 rpm. This cuts one-tenth of a second from the GTI’s zero-to-100-km/h time, further enforcing the Golf R-like feel. The package also adds larger brakes on the front, vented discs out back and a hydraulic limited-slip differential. VW says this is the first use of such a unit in a FWD car, which can use the brakes to limit torque delivery to either of the front wheels. Translation: Torque steer is minimal. Oh my…
Like the current GTI, the Mk. 7 is available with your choice of a dual-clutch automatic or a manual gearbox, both with six gears. I sampled the six-speed manual GTI, which is an impressive unit to say the least. Shifts are crisp and direct, slotting into each gear easily and with very short throws. The clutch engages early and a hill-holder is standard, nullifying the intimidation hills can strike.
Inside, the Mk. 7 GTI is something you can expect from Volkswagen. Everything is screwed together tightly and materials are top-notch. The manually adjustable, trademark plaid seats hold you tight and are quite comfortable. New for the Mk. 7 is the option to have the plaid seats trimmed in Alcantara, although that particular option may not make its way to North America, like the LED tail lights.
The layout is not a significant departure from the Mk. 6 GTI, but there are enough differences to tell the two apart. The main one is with the handbrake — rather than the standard lever, it is now electronic. The differences lie within the details, like the thick, flat-bottom steering wheel reminiscent of the original GTI. Of course, the original was not laced with a barrage of buttons and switches. Similarly, another throwback to the original is the unique shift knob, shaped like a golf ball. That is just plain cool.
For many years, the GTI set the benchmark among hot hatches. However, contending with the likes of the Ford Focus ST, Mazdaspeed 3 and Subaru Impreza WRX, previous GTIs seemed to fall short as far as horsepower and torque numbers are concerned. It still does, but the deficit has shrunk considerably, especially with the Performance model.
The Mk. 7 GTI will hit dealers in Europe this year as a 2014 model, but we will have to wait until the first quarter of next year. Whether or not it can remain the king of hot hatches has yet to be determined, but it certainly makes a favourable first impression.
