Volkswagen has unveiled the eighth generation of their iconic hot hatch, the GTI, at the Geneva Motor Show with more power, more features and more… styling than any previous version.
For the GTI, the big number is 245. As in 245 horsepower, a bump of nearly 30 from the seventh-generation model. Wheel packages range from standard 17s to optional 18s and …
I like the new design. I know like always, current owners are all hating on design.
for me question is Will it be reliable ?
Interior is pretty cool, and I'm glad they're keeping the manual!
However, those fog lights are a crime against the vision-unimpaired.
I think if i were VW id probably stay away from anything remotely looking like a swastica, like those fugly rims.
Before I read this article I read a Canadian article that said Canada may get the plug-in. It's possible it may come due to CETA - Canada Europe Trade Agreement.
The plug in GTI is the GTE, right?
I hope the clutch can take more than stock horsepower seeing as the last few generations, they all seem to slip with any increase in power...
Curious to see if they'll offer those seats in the US too.
Nice to see some cars that still use manual boxes. Warranty is always a consideration for the manufacturers as there are fewer and fewer owners able to drive a manual properly.
The 6th speed would be great in a car with a peaky engine like an S2000, but unless (as I suspect) the 6th speed is a looong fuel saver ratio like the American cars with ratios down around 0.5-0.6, it isn't really necessary.
Interested to see the engine changes to attain the new ratings. It's generally accepted the current gen car is significantly underrated. Did VW actually give this one more power, or simply re-asses the current rating? If it actually has more power, was it all software changes, or was there hardware? Latter one being the key point, as stronger internals, or a bigger turbo, hopefully a stronger clutch, might be something worth holding out for. Mixed feelings on the front end, might be better in person.
That interior alone is what made me buy my Mk7.5 Golf R vs waiting for the Mk8 R. Way too much electronica for me and I've had issues with first model year VW's being reliable.
Gotta figure the R is going to have at least 320hp tho...
TGMF said:Interested to see the engine changes to attain the new ratings. It's generally accepted the current gen car is significantly underrated. Did VW actually give this one more power, or simply re-asses the current rating? If it actually has more power, was it all software changes, or was there hardware? Latter one being the key point, as stronger internals, or a bigger turbo, hopefully a stronger clutch, might be something worth holding out for. Mixed feelings on the front end, might be better in person.
My Porsche guy said "Oh, they just put the Macan tune on it."
VW’s press release says “eighth re-interpretation” in the first paragraph.
That would make it the ninth generation…generation 1 + 8 new generations.
Nope, it’s a Mk8 so it’s the seventh re-interpretation.
They got the math wrong on the doors as well…should be two but they gave it four.
RX Reven' said:
They got the math wrong on the doors as well…should be two but they gave it four.
Nah. Four doors beat two doors in any car that's going to regularly carry people in the back seat.
What kind of transmission control is that little lever thing? Didn't Jeep have those killing people for a while?
They also didn't ditch the aggravating asymetrical wheels. All they have to do is make them regular five spokes, and it will be symmetrical on both sides, but NOOOOO....
Since at least one person brought it up, here's a close-up of the transmission dongle:
What's up with the unibrow?
I know this won't happen, but I just wish they'd make this one a little more "hot" than previous versions. Considering the success of the Veloster N, and CTR I'd wager at least in the US, there is a lot of demand for a Jackal and Hyde that is just as track capable as it is practical. The interior looks great though IMHO.
Looks fine, though I think the front end is a downgrade from the very handsome outgoing front-end and headlights, personally. I think it looks way "less sporty" than the outgoing front end. And I prefer the lower/stack-mounted touchscreen display rather than it way up on the dash like that which requires a farther reach, but whatever. With all the other cars slapping on ridiculous vents and cosmetic features these days, I'm comparatively fine with these changes on the GTI. 25hp bump is the only change that really matters to me (wonder if VW will let me run that tune on my 2018 under warranty.....).
It still kills me that VW continues making the stupid directional-style wheels and then just putting them on both sides. When I bought my 2018, the first thing I did (literally one week later) was get rid of the stupid wheels that point "forward" on one side and "backwards" on the other side. Maybe I'm just OCD or something, but that drives me crazy. Plus they're not attractive wheels going either direction.
By the way: 245hp minus 220hp = 25hp, not "almost 30hp" lol.....
Also, I appreciate that the little "cell phone cubby" at the bottom of the center stack now has a light in it. It's always annoyed me that mine does not have a light there, sicne I usually have small stuff in there that I can't see at night.
I dig the seats. Hate the wheels.
I'd love my GTI (mk6) with 40 more hp, but not at the risk of clutch slip.
goingnowherefast said:I know this won't happen, but I just wish they'd make this one a little more "hot" than previous versions. Considering the success of the Veloster N, and CTR I'd wager at least in the US, there is a lot of demand for a Jackal and Hyde that is just as track capable as it is practical. The interior looks great though IMHO.
Then they start bumping into the Golf R, though. 245 is a tricky number, because it's kind oif in a no-man's land between the 215-ish hp hot hatches like the Mk7 and the Focus ST, and the mega-hot hatches like the Golf R and the Type R and, to a lesser extent, the Veloster N, which is underpowered but dynamically awesome. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the players adjust. Are we basically seeing 250 becoming the new 220?
By the way, I'm going to Germany in May, and I contacted VW for a press loaner. They weren't going to have any Mk8s in the fleet by then, but they're hooking me up with a Polo GTI. Pretty stoked to try that out, and feeling pretty good that, like the GTE and GTD, it's not going to cost me money when I fall in love then come back to the US.
I'll also say (because I didn't notice it initially) that I prefer the near-perfect analog gauges in the previous gen with only a center digital display. The gauges on my GTI are one of my favrite things in the car to look at. Not a huge fan of the fully-electronic gauge displays. They do look fairly cool (though not on par with the Audi cousins) but I don't feel like they're as crisp as real gauges, and just don't excite me at all. They actually look kinda cheap.
The lack of climate control knobs is also on my "not a fan" list. I like to do that stuff by touch, not by having to look at a big touchscreen to select my HVAC settings.
The more I look at this, the more I like my 2018 GTI, even with less power. The new one externally looks acceptable, but I really don't like the dash changes overall.
But, I guess they had to add new toys when they took away the monster warranty that they were giving post-dieselgate (mine is 6year/72k bumper-to-bumper). Keep your toys, I'll take the bigger warranty as a selling feature. With the current warranty, I wouldn't even consider a VW.
JG Pasterjak said:Then they start bumping into the Golf R, though. 245 is a tricky number, because it's kind oif in a no-man's land between the 215-ish hp hot hatches like the Mk7 and the Focus ST, and the mega-hot hatches like the Golf R and the Type R and, to a lesser extent, the Veloster N, which is underpowered but dynamically awesome. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the players adjust. Are we basically seeing 250 becoming the new 220?
same issue Subaru had with the WRX vs the STi 2009+ years.....The WRX was actually faster in the 1/4 mile. Subaru rated the STi at 305 and the WRX at 265, but almost everyone figured out real fast that the WRX's real numbers were closer to 290 or so.....and you can bet it stole sales from the STi for $10k less and pretty much just as fast, without the diffs.
The 225 on my Mk7 almost seems quaint these days. I mean, Honda Accords blow that away. Even 245 seems pretty average for a "performance' car these days, at least on paper. The GTI makes up for it with it's stellar handling and balance and brakes, to a good degree.
GTE sounds intriguing. I like the idea of a sporty-fast hybrid, I like the idea very much.
mr2s2000elise said:I like the new design. I know like always, current owners are all hating on design.
for me question is Will it be reliable ?
My 2015 - first year of the mk7 mind you, has been dead nuts reliable. And an unmitigated pleasure to drive.
Also for those looking for more power- check out the APR website. It is very descriptive about claimed vs actual factory horsepower and actually bases their gains on actual numbers, not factory reported. I haven't done stage one yet but iirc it's +96 hp max gain with no hardware changes. And carb legal.
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