Direct the firm flat-bottomed
steering wheel where you
want and it will take you
there—it’s a driver’s dream.
Horsepower is typically an important
number for vehicles, but for the Golf
it’s mostly in the torque figures. You
will be happy to know that both figures
are up in the 2.0-litre turbocharged
four-cylinder engine that’s mated to
a standard six-speed manual or sixspeed DSG automatic transmission.
Horsepower has been bumped up 10 to
a total of 210 and torque gets a massive
boost from 207 to 258. Keep in mind,
that you can also purchase an optional
Performance package that gives you an
extra 10 horsepower.
Most of the Golf’s excitement comes
down to the way it handles the road.
Regardless if it’s on regular streets,
curvy roads or on the track (yes, I’ve
done it), its control, balance and grip is
unrivaled for its segment. Direct the firm
flat-bottomed steering wheel where you
want and it will take you there—it’s a
driver’s dream.
If you’re looking for some extra fun,
put it into the new sport mode where
everything tightens for better stability
while absorbing those bumps and
cracks. In sport mode, that growl rises
as the rpm meter climbs. It’s just about
the perfect set-up that you crave from a
hot hatch.
As for those fuel economy figures
that Volkswagen was aiming for—I
managed a combined 9.8L/100 km.
There were plenty of highway stretches
along the route, but I had to push hard
given that I only had one short stint
with the GTI. The GTI rates at 9.5L/100
km in the city and 7.2L/100 km on the
highway.
The GTI differentiates itself from
the rest of the Golf line with 18-inch
alloy wheels, dual exhaust tips and
more aggressively designed bumpers
and lines throughout. Additionally, all
Golfs were stretched out in length and
width from its outgoing model, while
the roofline i ́