FRANKFURT: Just as the VW Golf has shaped the compact format across the industry, its sporty GTI offshoot has set a dynamic tone in this class since 1976.
In September, just a few months after the launch of the eighth generation, the latest GTI model is set to roll into dealerships in Europe.
Starting at around €35,000 (RM173,000), the GTI gets you a two-litre engine with 245hp that can hit a top speed of 250kph and sprint from 0 to 100kph in 6.3 seconds.
VW isn't yet giving efficiency numbers for this sports car, available as a manual and with a double clutch automatic.
So that the GTI's muscles can also help it drive fast, there is a significantly modified chassis, while all electronic functions are networked by a central computer.
This driving dynamics manager is intended to further bridge the gap between an emphatically sporty set-up and high long-distance comfort, VW announces.
As with each of the seven GTIs before it, the new sports car is once again visually very different from the mass production model: for the first time, an LED strip extends across the entire hood, making the GTI unmistakable even at night.
There is also a diamond pattern in the front air intake, somewhat reminiscent of the original honeycomb grille. At the side, striking sill strips catch the eye, while at the rear a diffuser with tailpipes pushed far outwards is the key feature.
The interior's digital setup is strikingly similar to previous generation. For anyone who finds the screens and sensor strips too dull, VW says the new start button will pulsate before starting in a flaming GTI red.
