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In an almost porsche-like way, vw evolves its iconic golf gti to even greater levels of performance and usability

- Greg Kable

Forty-four years. That’s how long the Volkswagen Golf GTI has been on sale. A rather decent run so far, then. The first-generation model, introduced in 1976, established the formula that each of its successors has carefully followed, with a decisive increase in performance and dynamics over the standard Golf together with a styling package that is as simple as it is subtle.

We limit our use of the word ‘iconic’ at MOTOR, but it’s a description that fits the bill better than any other here. The letters GTI have long become synonymous for enthralling hot hatch performance. And so it is with a good deal of interest and intrigue that we approach the latest version, scheduled for delivery in Australia by the second quarter of next year.

The new eighth-generation Golf GTI, driven here for the first time, receives a revised turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine from its predecessor – an engine dubbed the EA888 internally – developing the same 180kW as the previous Golf GTI Performance. It also has a reworked chassis that benefits from a range of electronic upgrades, including Volkswagen’s new VDM (Vehicle Dynamics Manager), with a centralised network for faster reactions from a whole range of different chassis functions, most notably the adaptive dampers.

Based on the same MQB platform as before, it’s an evolutionary step in overall engineering terms, but relative to the previous car, it has gained greater design distinction from the standard Golf. This is most noticeable at the front, where it has 10 individual LED foglights integrated into the honeycomb insert within the lower part of its uniquely styled bumper.