Thabiso Malimela Reviews. 02/06/2017
We previously did a rather detailed review of the much anticipated Volkswagen Golf 7 face-lift and while there was a lot to talk about, I felt I couldn’t do justice to the car that everyone really wants the hear or read about. Well fret no more because I too feel that the best-selling car in the Golf range deserves its own platform to showcase itself and hopefully give us an insight to its charm amongst South Africans and even world-wide (except in America, of course). The model dubbed GTI (Gran Turismo Injection) is flying out of showroom floors faster than you can say “vrrr pha!” and with the arrival of a new version, its seems that sales can only go up (God help me if I’m wrong).
Depending on who you ask, the Golf GTI is either a superhero or a supervillain. I suspect that mostly men will gravitate towards the latter due to the sexual and adulterous connotations attached to it, which is a shame really. The good news for GTI lovers is that VW is not perturbed nor are they holding back and have made sure that the new GTI continues to “slay” in the C-segment performance hatchback category. Although only being recently re-introduced, the 2017 Golf GTI shares the same platform as the car that won 2013 World Car of the Year after being named the “All The Car You’ll Ever Need Car of the Year” in 2012 by Top Gear magazine.
What’s New?
Before we get to the good stuff, let’s first swallow a bitter pill. Or two, because VW have two pieces of bad news for us. Firstly, purchasing the new Golf GTI will leave your bank account R545 800 lighter, which is R60 300 more than the outgoing model (based on June 2016 pricing) and that’s even before you start playing around with the optional extras (see below for the full list), so that price could easily go up to and even beyond R560 000. Secondly, purists will be sad to hear that VW have decided to drop the manual gearbox option which means we’re stuck with the DSG (Direct-Shift Gearbox). There are two reasons for this, the first being that sales for the manual option were too low (we don’t know the exact figures) and the second being that the DSG has become so fuel efficient that there is no technical justification for continuing with the manual gearbox. Let’s hope the GTI Clubsport doesn’t suffer the same fate (that’s if it is even coming). Assume the same with the Golf R and Golf GTD which hit our shores in July.
Now, time for the dessert! To ensure that the GTI is as fresh as ever, as is with the non-performance Golf, VW have done a lot of work with the interior with the addition of gadgets that will surely tickle your fancy. The GTI now comes standard with a 31.2cm digital instrument cluster called the Active Info Display already featured in Passat and Tiguan models, and is a clear derivative of Audi’s rather brilliant Virtual Cockpit. Another feature brand new and now standard to the new Golf GTI is an 8-inch Composition Media touchscreen infotainment system with a resolution of 800×480 pixels and accompanied by 8 speakers. If this seems a bit “basic” for you, you can up the ante by ticking the Discover Pro option on the optional extra’s roster for an extra R20 000. Adding such a large amount of money to your already range-topping Golf replaces the standard infotainment touchscreen to 9.2-inches with 1280×640 pixels, removes all the button controls around it and now adds an all new feature called Gesture Control which allows you to control your infotainment system with hand gestures and reacts before you even touch the screen. So now you can change songs and wave at haters at the same time – I like that! With that you also get App Connect with voice control which allows you to connect your Apple or Android smartphone to your car and use features such as Apple Car Play and Android Auto. This interior is lit, and I mean that literally because it also comes with interior ambient lighting which lights up the interior with red light strips.
In the direction of safety, the new GTI now comes standard with fatigue detection, ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) and Hill-hold Assist. New safety innovations include Adaptive Cruise Control with Front Assist and Autonomous Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Traffic Alert and Trailer Assist.
The exterior has received some attention too on this update, with most of the changes being applied in the front, which is awkward seeing how all the competition will be behind you. The new GTI receives a new front bumper with a new C-signature air curtain design and a new headlight design featuring new daytime running lights and high-beam assist. The honeycomb grille retains the red chrome strip which continues into the headlights while the new rear tail lights are darkened and feature LED lights with Audi’s flowing indicator turn signals – fancy! A feature that most South Africans will notice is the all-new 18-inch Milton Keynes wheel design (upgradeable to Santiago 19-inches for R8 100) which is quite a sight when seen in person, especially when the car is moving.
Beneath the low and adeptly sculptured bonnet lies the same powerplant you’ll find in the outgoing model. The 2.0 litre 4 cylinder turbo-petrol TSI now produces 169kW and 350Nm of torque, which is 7kW more than before but I doubt you’ll notice the difference. All 350Nm goes through a 6 speed DSG and a Transverse differential locking differential before going to the front wheels. 0 to 100km/h is possible in 6.4 seconds which also means you’ll be spending quite a lot of money on speeding ticket fines. But if you’re the type of person who likes to turn everything up to eleven, July brings a 213kW 7 speed DSG Golf R with all-wheel drive, as it always has been. The GTI will achieve great fuel economy due to the TSI technology VW have developed over the years (ignore Diesel-gate for a second). However, if you feel the GTI is still poor in that department, you’ll be pleased to hear that VW is bringing to our shores for the first time a diesel powered performance Golf – the GTD. It is capable of doing the same 0-100km/h sprint in 7.5 seconds due to it being down on power with only 130kW. Unsurprisingly, torque is up with a twisting 380Nm on hand. However, while your petrol-powered GTI will be laughing all the way to the finish line, you’ll be laughing all the way, period. Because while he is quicker, he has to stop more often for fuel. And because the GTD can achieve an unbelievable 4.4 litres per 100km, you can go harder for longer! And I apologise if that sounds like a slogan for a Viagra ad.
Performance Pack
Hopefully in 2018, look out for the Golf GTI Performance Pack, which is like a GTI except in every way that has to do with performance (hence the name). The engine is tweaked (using witchcraft perhaps) and will produce 180kW and 370Nm of torque. 0-100km/h times fall to 6.2 seconds before hitting an electronic wall at 250km/h. When 180kW becomes too much too handle, a new limited slip differential will be there to ensure that all 370Nm are put down to the ground and not wasted on wheel spin(skrr!). Brakes have received a performance treatment too with 340mm and 310mm internally ventilated discs in the front and rear respectively. The calipers are painted in the usual GTI red and have GTI badges to tell people that you can stop as fast as you can accelerate. VW have added red GTI badges on the front and rear so people, once again, can put some extra respect on that!
So why should I spend my money on it?
Usually, people ask me why they should buy a GTI. And most of the time I tell them to go and book a test drive because you just cannot describe a feeling to someone. Feel is where all cars from the VW Group (Audi, Bentley, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti and more) have their competitors trumped. If you like, you can split this “feel” into three sub-categories, namely build quality, refinement and drive quality. Entering the GTI should be accompanied with “grand entrance music” because everything looks gorgeous and futuristic. Every material feels like the material it looks to be – if it looks like metal, then it is! It feels as if VW’s interior department also make jewellery or designer handbags in their spare time because items such as the flat-bottom steering wheel or the gear selector feel like they belong in your hands. You end up pressing random buttons because they just feel good to press. The well-lit cabin is divine and I’m still wondering how VW managed to make the Golf feel bigger from the inside than what it looks like from the outside. Honestly, you can get out of a Bentley and straight into the GTI and you’d barely notice the price difference. To see a product this low down the price range (compared to much more expensive VW products) punch above its weight in terms of build quality and refinement just gives you a perspective on VW’s recipe for success – quality on a grassroots level. The wizardry continues when you put the gear selector in the drive position and take the GTI for a spin. The GTI’s sport suspension and transverse differential locking contribute to the surreal handling of the car. You wring the car around a bend, expecting the front wheels to lose composure but to your amazement, they almost never do. It maintains a line through the corner like no other road car in this price bracket. And when the road finally goes straight, you can enjoy the linear torque delivery of that sweet engine while you throw the rev counter needle up and down the rev range. Still don’t want to buy? Good news is that the old GTI won’t be hard to resell, if you were thinking of jumping ship. All the other competitors will give you at least two of the three elements of “feel” described above. And even if they do give you all three, it won’t be in as wonderful a package as the Golf GTI. The only criticism I can draw from the new GTI (or any other GTI) is that even though all that tech helps you go faster and makes the car a whole lot safer, it also translates into a numb driving experience with the driver left fairly disconnected from what’s happening on the road. You’ll be left wondering if you’re really as good a driver as the GTI makes you out to be while you corner like Schumacher.
Summary
VW has once again given us a variety of first in class features which more than speaks for the Golf’s continuing success. It tells us that the Golf is the pioneer in its category and all the other cars are, at best, second best. The Golf has always been a car that fits in every situation just right, and now even lovers of the outdoors can enjoy the GTI because it now comes with Trailer Assist. It is still early days but with this kind of attitude towards this segment, VW’s new Golf and Golf GTI looks like it’s taking the crown. Again.
Optional Extras
(All prices include VAT and CO2 emissions tax)
| Paint | |
| Item | Price |
| Metallic/Pearlescent Paint | R 1 100 |
| Oryx White | R12 650 |
| Exterior | |
| Item | Price |
| Panoramic Sunroof (Tilt & Slide) | R11 500 |
| Manually foldable towbar | R7 300 |
| Trailer assist system including Park Assist and Park Distance Control (Front & Rear) | R3 150 |
| Interior & Convenience | |
| Item | Price |
| Active info display | R8 000 |
| Adaptive chassis control including driving profile selection | R12 700 |
| Smokers package: ashtray and cigarette lighter in the front | R350 |
| Wheels and tyres | |
| Item | Price |
| “Santiago” 19″ alloy wheels | R8 100 |
| Audio & Communication | |
| Item | Price |
| “Discover Pro” Radio with Satellite Navigation, USB interface also for iPod/iPhone including AUX-IN jack and Bluetooth | R20 200 |
| DynAudio sound system | R8 800 |
| Safety & Security | |
| Item | Price |
| KESSY Keyless entry | R4 850 |
| Blind spot monitor with rear traffic alert | R3 500 |
| Park Distance Control (Front & Rear) | R4 750 |
| Parallel parking assistant “Park Assist” including Park Distance Control (Front & Rear) | R6 850 |
| “Rear Assist” rear view camera | R3 200 |
| “Rear Assist” rear view camera (in conjunction with trailer assist) | R3 200 |
| Adaptive cruise control with Front Assist and Autonomous Emergency Braking System | R5 000 |
But what if I don’t want a GTI?
It is understandable to not want the GTI solely because there’ll be too many on the road very soon. Many cars in this class offer some unique features of their own that will make you think twice before buying the Golf. Here are some of them:
- Mercedes A250 Sport
- BMW 125i M Sport
- Audi A3 2.0T FSI
- Renault Megane GT Turbo
- Ford Focus ST
Thabiso Malimela Reviews. 02/06/2017 #TheAutomobileGenius
