Volkswagen yesterday conducted an online press conference to reveal more details of the hot
hatch, as it draws closer to its market launch. The EA888 2.0 litre TSI turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine – now in its
fourth generation – carries over unchanged, but the uprated Performance variant
is now the standard tune. With 245 PS and 370 Nm, it makes 15 PS and 20 Nm more
than the regular Mk7.5 GTI, all routed to the front wheels through either a
six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission.
Also lifted from the previous Performance
version is the electronic locking differential, which now comes as standard. It
joins XDS+ torque vectoring by braking and they’re all managed by a new Vehicle
Dynamics Manager, a centralised controller that coordinates their functions.
The system also controls the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) adaptive dampers,
which can adjust their settings up to 200 times a second based on the road
conditions. Volkswagen says it has been able to completely eliminate understeer
in the corners, partly due to the ability to significantly increase the
differential’s locking torque in Sport mode.
There’s also a new Individual drive mode
to complement the Comfort, Eco and Sport settings. Instead of using the
presets, drivers can now adjust the DCC damping with a slider, which can now go
beyond the Comfort and Sport modes for either maximum softness or stiffness.
The GTI is all about performance, of course, and Wolfsburg has sought to
provide a more dynamic and predictable steer whilst maintaining the delicate
balance between ride and handling. To that effect, the chassis – which still
consists of MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear –
has been revised with new wishbone bushings, springs and front bump stops.
Spring rates have been increased all
around, but more towards the rear – they’re up five percent at the front and
15% at the rear, giving the car greater agility and a better handling balance.
The front subframe is also now made out of aluminium (first seen in the Mk7 GTI
Clubsport) to shave off three kilograms in weight; it’s been optimised to
provide maximum rigidity.
Also added is a “progressive” steering
system with a variable ratio, which appears to have been lifted from Audi. Like
the standard Mk8 Golf, the GTI features an electronic brake booster, but with
bespoke tuning to provide more precise pedal feel close to the ABS activation
zone. All in all, Volkswagen says that the new GTI provides greater driving
pleasure, with greater agility in tight low-speed corners and higher rear-end
stability at higher speeds, plus more neutral steering and higher cornering
grip. The company claims the Mk8 is four seconds faster than the Mk7 around
Ehra-Lessein’s 3.3 km handling track, as well as being three kilometres per
hour faster through slaloms and lane changes.
Unlike the past few generations, which
utilised bespoke front bumper designs, the latest GTI wears the same body
panels as the R-Line version of the cooking Golf, albeit with a few detail
modifications. As before, the grille carries a red stripe that leads into the
headlights, reaching all the way into the Mk8’s trademark “tails”. The
headlights feature LED illumination as standard and can be optioned with for
IQ.Light matrix technology, while the grille can now be had with an illuminated
strip for the first time, joining the LED daytime running lights. Speaking of
lights, the GTI is available with X-shaped LED fog lights, housed within the
honeycomb mesh of the full-width air intake. The latter is flanked by
concentric black trim for a more aggressive look.
Along the side, the GTI-badged front
fender insert has been retained, visually extending the headlight’s
aforementioned “tails”. Black trim on the side skirts continue the look for the
front splitter, while the wheels measure 17-inches for the standard Richmond
units. Buyers can also specify 18- or 19-inch rollers, the latter with slightly
wider tyres than before. At the rear, you get a larger tailgate spoiler, a new
centrally-mounted GTI badge and a deeper rear diffuser-like insert, housing
real round tailpipes. The exterior additions are not just for show – the drag
coefficient has lowered from 0.3 to 0.275, while lift has been reduced at the
rear. Engineers added a bit of lift on the front axle, again in the interest of
balance.
Subtle additions can also be found on the
inside, with the meaty flat-bottomed three-spoke steering wheel getting a red
accent on the bottom spoke and GTI badging. The sports seats continue with a
tartan pattern on the inserts – now in a new “Scalepaper” design – and feature
a bold red stripe around the headrest. Models with a manual transmission retain
the golfball-style dimpled gearknob, also in a new design.
Chief designer Klaus Bischoff said that a
GTI owner will want to continue to show that they have a GTI, one that is
stylish yet subdued. “Not too loud, not too silent,” he said. The standard kit
list in Europe includes the range-topping 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit instrument
display with unique graphics and a centre rev counter, a 10-inch touchscreen
for the navigation system, a 30-colour ambient lighting system, stainless steel
pedals, keyless entry, autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist and
car-to-x (vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure) communication.
