By James Stinson
For drivers of a certain age, the letters GT and I mean the hottest of hot hatch performance. And while there aren’t as many hot hatches around as before, there’s still plenty of demand for VW’s performance focussed Golf.
VW has just given the latest Mk8 Golf a major refresh, including VW’s latest infotainment system – complete with ChatGPT integration – plus a sharper design that incorporates an illuminated Volkswagen logo at the front. There are also new hybrid drive systems, including plug-in hybrids with an increased all-electric range of more than 60 miles.
VW hasn’t forgotten about the GTI either. With 261bhp – an increase of 20 bhp over the previous GTI – the latest sporty Golf is capable of sprinting from zero to 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds.
A raft of other enhancements includes Volkswagen’s latest IQ.LIGHT LED matrix headlights, which have a range of 500 metres. There is also an illuminated Volkswagen logo at the front, as well as redesigned LED tail light clusters and striking 18-inch Richmond alloy wheels.
The impressive cabin space includes a revamped infotainment system that is controlled via a visually free-standing 12.9-inch touchscreen or the latest Volkswagen IDA voice assistant with ChatGPT integration. Premium sports seats featuring the distinctive GTI check pattern, along with additional red decorative stitching, emphasise the fact that this interior is unmistakably a Golf GTI.
The car is equipped with a seven-speed direct-shift gearbox (DSG) as standard; gears can also be selected manually using paddles on the GTI-badged multi-function steering wheel, which now has physical buttons in response to customer feedback.
Other standard features include keyless access, heated front seats, three-zone Climatronic air conditioning, rear-view camera, adaptive cruise control, Lane Assist, Traffic Jam Assist and Emergency Assist. Prices start from £38,900.