Golf MK 8 GTI: 7 Previous Golf GTI models Distilled Loveliness

The Golf MK 8 GTI week has been one joyous turn after another, dispelling every poo-poo from those tragic know-it-all forum warriors.

I approached Golf MK 8 GTI with not a little trepidation, because it could all have gone horribly wrong. Volkswagen might have gotten little men with pocket protectors to shred GTI’s heritage, but not a bit of it. They’ve glued in all manner of computers and sensors, and now there is fancy comfortable suspension. Surely hot hatches are meant to shatter bones, and make the daily grind an absolute chore. You buy them in the hopes of one day bragging that you beat Sir Jack’s record “down the track.” Bullocks, you won’t, so don’t bother trying. Stop being such a knob.

Download brochure and full specification HERE: 2021 Mark 8 Golf GTI brochure specifications

Above: This Week 2021 Golf MK 8 GTI Full Review

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ABOVE: Golf MK 8 GTI

Golf 8 GTI is a Gentle Rebirth of the GTI nameplate

Punters have said MK 8 looks like a MK 7.5 Golf, but you can bet your left nut, that if VW had made Golf 8 different, those same idiots would be bitching about MK 8 not being a real Golf. Worse still, those mental midgets haven’t been closer to a MK GTI than the ad on the evening news.

Thrifty old VeeDub has form, after all, doesn’t the current Porker look like the first one? The smell of burning martyr aside, the reason Golf 8 looks so much like Golf 7.5, and 7, and 6, is because that is the Golf shape. In fact, comes only comes secind in the Vox-Pops, to the venerable Beetle.

Fully automatic LED headlights squint, like an Olympic sprinter at the blocks. A new light bar cuts across the grille, which is something else the tiny-dick brigade whined about. 5 LEDS are mounted in an X shape in the lower grille, to form a signiture fog light. I have no doubt there’ll be someone crouched in a corner somewhere, rocking back and forth trying to conjure a MK 6, because that’s all they can afford. But, that’s another story.

LED Rear lights normally dark and brooding, put on the most beautiful display at night.

Clever old VW has left the look alone, and MK 8 Golf is all the better for it.

Download brochure and full specification HERE:

Inside:

As you approach, automatic walk-up unlocking awakens the GTI with a satisfying clunk. Another thing that has passed into modern lexicon, is the solid “thunk” as the door shuts. How many brands have said their door-shuts sound like just like a Golf?

Tartan is back, baby! This is a proper Golf GTI, Yessiree.

If seat hugs you tighter than a Bunny-Boiler, it is the look and feel of the tasty cabin that grabs you by your bits. It is all class, especially if you’ve just stepped in from another brand. I say this because the prices have gone up, but the quality has gone up with it.

Space is plentiful even in the back seat. The cargo hold has a cool double-floored setup with a space saver spare underneath.

The interior has been completely reimagined. They’ve nicked the dashboard concept from Touareg, and cut it down to fit. There is a mass of black which comes to life after a quick stab of the starter button. All this delicious piano-black, you guessed it, has been complained about. I love it, so they’re all wrong.

The “Innovision” dash has different views, and each can be individualised. One view has a dial to tell you how many kilowatts you’re consuming, but the only time you’ll need it is the one time you should be looking out the windscreen, right?.

The plastic is fabulous quality, everywhere except for the tops of the rear doors where it is as hard as nails. Why cheap out on rear doors? Everyone seems to be at it, as if rear passengers are second class citizens. The peeps in back do have their own climate control zone, so all is not lost. You also have 2 USB-C charge ports in the back, with a further 2 in the front.

The crisp, clean look is aided by the centre console, now devoid of a big, ugly gear lever. In its place is a tiny 3cm stump for D/N/R, and a button for PARK. Forward of that is a Qi charger.

The 10” Discover Pro touch screen is augmented by a tasteful panel with 4 touch buttons (climate, driver assist, automated parking, and drive mode) and the hazard flasher

There are a trio of sliders under the main screen, audio volume in the middle, and temperature on either side. They aren’t backlit and are the only switches in the cabin that don’t appear in the nightly light show.

The light switches sit on the other side of the steering column. Not having a dial or stalk for light makes me nervous, but then, a lot of things do.

Try experimenting by saying “hey Volkswagen”. You can ask her to do stuff! Hoorah. I tried temperature, but I’ve no doubt it does a load of other things as well. It refused to make a phone call, so I resorted to “Hey Siri instead. CarPlay and Android Auto are wireless so you are probably never going to touch a button again.

There is navigation too, but the highlight of the 10” screen is the IQ-drive. That menu is where you fettle the driver assist settings.

Finally, like the rest of the controls, steering wheel eschews clunky old-fashioned pressers, for shiny new press/touch/slide controls. In fact, the cockpit has more than a touch of Enterprise about it. My only problem is that touch buttons really get in the way in enthusiastic cornering. Random menus keep popping up in the driver display. Maybe that’s just my fat sausage fingers getting in the way again.

Download brochure and full specification HERE:

The Drive:

Fancy schmancy active suspension has utterly transformed the GTI drive experience, and rightly so. Once reserved for GTI’s AWD sister, Golf R, drive modes now give you the option of Limo like comfort, or a grown-up track set-up.

I rather think most people will select comfort, and leave it there. It is brilliant.

IQ drive is an extension of the lane centering and active cruise control. It is great on the open road, as you blaze your way up the east coast. Or, at least it would be if Covid hadn’t clipped our wings. IQ Drive steers, changes lanes, and checks speed, and it holds the set speed even on steep downhill runs.

When you get to that twisty mountain pass, Sport Mode transforms your GT into a rather well-mannered handler, without forcing your organs to shift at the first hint of imperfection. Directional changes have the confidence of Brabham, with finesse if a fine Mozart concerto. Golf GTI is composed, no matter what is chucked at it.

At first, I was slightly disappointed with the 180kw engine. However, once taken by the scruff of the neck, 370Nm is the flip side of the nanna-mobile you drive around town. There are burps and farts as the 7-speed DSG shifts with the snappiness of a Doberman.

6.4 0-100 is nippy without being neck snapping, and I like that.

It doesn’t take much to get those front wheels a-scramblin, but there is only the mildest torque-steer. Honestly, every drive is a joy.

One thing Hot Hatches are known for, is being unnecessarily harsh. Modders will be throwing themselves off cliffs in droves, because Golf 8 GTI is sublime as is. Modifying it would be a blasphemy. It is something one might do if trying to make up for undiagnosed insecurities elsewhere in one’s life. Leave it as it is.

Download brochure and full specification HERE:

Conclusion:

Golf 8 GTI looks stunning, yet is subtle and unassuming. The drive is spectacular, with hot-hatch hugability. There is plenty of room, and the cabin looks tailored and tidy, with materials and design that scream quality.

Price: $53,100

Engine: 2.0L Turbo Petrol, 95ron

Power: 180kw370Nm

Trans: 7-sp DSG (8 sp auto in other Golfs)

Econ: 7.0L/100k

0-100: 6.4 seconds

Sound & Vision package $1500

Head Up Display (windscreen projection surface for displaying speed, driver assistance system messages or navigation instructions)
Harman Kardon 480W premium audio system
8 + 1 (centre) speakers, subwoofer and 12-channel amplifier, there are four sound settings for a more personal listening experience.

Luxury package $3800