Volkswagen's Golf is living proof no
car company should be without a staple-diet small car. It is hard to
imagine VW falling for that trap given its roots with the ubiquitous
Beetle. We have just spent a few days road testing the GTi Golf – a
genuine pocket-rocket if ever there was one. Yet, the galloping Golf
had humble beginnings. More than 30 years down the track – and
some 1.7 million Golf GTi's later – Golf GTi is firmly entrenched
in the hot hatch premium segment. Not bad for a car that was planned
to have a 5000 limited production run.
Our test car was the three door variant
with auto DSG transmission which at $41,490 is just $1500 shy of the
five door model. We'd fork out the extra $750 for two more doors any
day. But, that's a matter of choice and need - and applies to any
three door car with a five door sibling. This sixth generation GTi
continues the tradition of quick cars with great handling and
generally responsive four-cylinder engine. Our only complaint is some
lag when hitting the throttle hard from a standing start. When the
grunt does kick in the GTi takes off like a startled rabbit. We
tested take-offs in both automatic mode and using the manual shifter,
but with the same result.
Interestingly we have found a similar
response from DSG transmissions in other VW, Audi and Skoda product –
they share components – and have found the transmission uneasy or
jerky in slow traffic conditions. Once underway the DSG transmission
shines. The shifts are rapid and the engine and gearbox are superbly
linked. Drivers have the manual choice of either using the gear
shifted by flicking it across and punting back and forward between up
and down shifts, or using the steering wheel mounted paddles – left
to down shift and right to up shift.
The 2.0 litre 155 kW engine makes this
the fastest-ever Golf GTi at 6.9 seconds from 0-100 km/h. If VW could
eliminate the lag, it would be even quicker. For those who prefer a
pure self-shifter a six speed manual is available in the three door
at $38,990 and five door at $40,490. Peak power is delivered between
5300 – 6200 rpm while maximum torque of 280 Nm is delivered between
1700 – 5200 rpm. Emissions are down to 180 g/km from 197 g/km on
the previous GTi.
Volkswagen have used an extended
Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) to control the extra power –
torque steer is minimal – which also assists in reducing that other
bane of front wheel drives – understeer. GTi gets it's own sports
suspension and sits lower than the standard Golf by 22mm at the front
and 15mm at the rear. This, along with styling, makes the GTi appear
wider and flatter. For those who like to control the car's ride VW
also offer adaptive chassis control with normal, comfort and sport
mode which alters the damper unit settings. This was not fitted to
our test car and after some enthusiastic cornering tests our thoughts
are most people would not benefit from the technology – the
handling and cornering are already sharp.
The GTi is as safe as it is snappy.
There are seven airbags – including a new knee airbag - ABS,
Electronic Stability Program and the car has five star European NCAP
safety rating and a similar Australian ANCAP rating.
Externally the car has subtle changes
to denote the GTi status. The car is still a clean-lined variant of
the Golf. The grille has a large honeycomb design airdam and is
framed on either side by vertical fog lamps. A small GTi badge is
situated on the grille. Down back a diffused separates large, round
twin exhausts. There's a small rear wing and a single GTi badge on
the rear door.
The interior is a cross between classy
and sporty. Red and black tartan sports seats are a highlight and are
capped off by red stitching and headrests that feature the GTi logo.
The steering wheel which has remote audio and trip computer
functions, is flat bottomed. The front seats are comfortable and
suited to hot climates and the ergonomics are practical.
One of the lesser highlights of any
three door hatch is getting into and out of the rear pew. The VW
system has a small lever to lift at the top of each of the front
seats. This allows the seat back to move forward and the seat itself
to slide forward – in this case with a little effort. It's then
easy to gain entry. The back pew is set up for three passengers, but
the middle seat is a little hard and not conducive to long distance
travel. The window seats are much more comfortable with reasonable
leg room depending on the height of the front seat passenger. Head
room is not an issue but shoulder space is at a premium with three
passengers. Best to consider it as a four passenger car unless in an
emergency.
There's a padded centre armrest that
folds down, and can also be folded out to a ski hatch for long items.
The rear seat benefits from air conditioning vents at knee and foot
level, under the front seat. Front seat passengers get individual
climate control. The rear seats have a 60/40 split fold which takes
the luggage area up from reasonable to excellent. The bottom line
with Golf GTi is that it's a drivers' car and in that aspect it
performs extraordinarily well.
FEATURES
ABS
Brakes: standard
Air
Conditioning: standard
Automatic
Transmission: optional DSG
CD
Player: standard
Central
Locking: standard
Cruise
Control: standard
Dual
Front Airbags: standard
Front
Side Airbags: standard
Stability
Control: standard
Traction
Control: standard
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE:
Capacity:
1.984 litres
Configuration:
In line four
Compression
Ratio: 9.6:1
Bore/Stroke:
82.5 mm x 92.8 mm
Maximum
Power: 155 kW @ 5300 – 6200 rpm
Maximum
Torque: 280 Nm @ 1700 – 5200 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven
Wheels: front
Manual
Transmission: six speed
Automatic
Transmission: six speed DSG
DIMENSIONS,
WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length:
4199 mm
Wheelbase:
2574 mm
Width:
1785 mm
Height:
1464 mm
Turning
Circle: 10.9 metres
Kerb
Mass: 1380 kg
Fuel
Tank Capacity: 55 litres
Towing
Ability: 1300 kg (kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION
AND BRAKES:
Front
Suspension: Independent MacPherson struts
Rear
Suspension: Independent 4-link coil springs
Front
Brakes: ventilated discs
Rear
Brakes: discs
PERFORMANCE:
0-100
km/h Acceleration: 6.9 seconds
FUEL
CONSUMPTION:
Type:
95RON
Combined
Cycle (ADR 81/01): 7.6 L/100km
GREEN
VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse
Rating: 7.0 /10
Air
Pollution Rating: 7.5 /10
STANDARD
WARRANTY:
3
years/ 100,000 m
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