The all-new Volkswagen Golf
GTI will allegedly premiere at the Geneva Motor Show this coming March, Autocar
reports. VW did not immediately respond to a request to confirm the news, but
we’ll update this story if they do.
It has only been three months
since the Mk8 Golf was introduced and clearly, the German car brand is wasting
no time in bringing its popular front-wheel drive performance variant to the
market. It’s not just the new VW Golf GTI that will launch this year as the all-new
Golf R could arrive as early as July’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
For quite some time, it was
claimed that the Mk8 Golf GTI would adopt an innovative hybrid powertrain.
However, it has since been reported the hot hatch will instead retain the EA888
2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder of the previous-generation model but
upgraded to deliver 242 hp in standard guise and 278 hp in a special
performance variant. In addition, the car will benefit from some added torque.
Like the Mk7 model, available transmissions will be a six-speed manual and a
seven-speed dual-clutch.
As the new Golf GTI will be
based on a developed version of the MQB platform, it will include MacPherson
strut front and multi-link rear suspension working alongside an adaptive
damping control system.
One of the biggest changes
made for the new GTI will be the abandonment of the three-door model meaning
the hatch will only be sold in five-door guise. Sticking with the visuals, the
car will receive the standard array of GTI parts, including beefed-up bumpers,
new air intakes, and a host of bright red accents.
