Volkswagen Golf GTI, Super Responsive 200 Bhp GTI
It’s the sheer responsiveness of the new VW Golf GTI that sets it apart. That’s your first impression, and it stays with you. It all starts with the engine/transmission which combines plenty of power, and the right revs at the right time.
The success or failure of past GTIs has rested on the engine; and recently, VW’s sportiest car has not quite made it. The new Golf is different, thanks first but not only to that engine. It is VW’s first turbocharged direct injection engine they call it FSI and it’s a hit. It pushes the GTI to 60 mph in about 7.0 seconds, and gives it a top speed of 145 mph. Not bad, and that doesn’t tell you how good it is in between.
New direct injection turbo engine with 200 bhp
The 16-valve aluminum engine has variable valve timing and a variable intake manifold to help give a good spread of power. Maximum power of 200 bhp is developed at just 5,100 rpm, not the 6,000 rpm you’d expect. There’s plenty of torque available 207 lb ft (280 Nm) at only 1,800 rpm, which is
diesel speed. What’s more, although power is developed low down, the engine keeps shoving out around 200 bhp to 6,000 rpm. And it keeps revving willingly to 6,750 rpm.
Inside the car lives up to it’s name, too. Once you’ve settled into the seat, the felt how comfortable it seems, you grasp the wheel shaped like a racer’s. It has a fashionable straight bit at the bottom, and is shaped to fit your hands. Feels good. Move off, and you’re relieved that you can see the instruments a bit better than in the other Golf models the wheel tends to get in the way of some of the instruments normally. It’s good to see that the minor instruments are very small, leaving plenty of room for the speedo and tacho.
Hot off the mark, and a good cruiser
Zip off up the motorway and the speed rises quickly in the gears so you hardly have time to hear the delightful growl that comes with hard acceleration. The GTI soon shows itself to be an excellent cruiser and this is what most people will use it for quiet, with precise steering and plenty of power to get past people in the way. The ride is pretty good on the whole, but is definitely on the hard side on rippled road as at low speed.
Turbo DI plus DSG is great
The combination of the turbo DI engine and DSG is a delight. One big advantage of the GTI version like the Audi TT is that there are a pair of paddles on the steering wheel for rapid gear shifts.
The DSG box is unique in that is has a pair of wet clutches which are arranged so that when you change gear one is disengaged as the other is engaged all in microseconds. The result is that the power is transmitted without a break to the wheels when you or the controller shift gears.
There’s no clutch pedal, and you have the option of Drive, Sports, and manual in theory. In fact, these are not distinct modes, they overlap. Even so, the DSG allows you to accelerate faster than with a normal gearbox it takes about 6.6 seconds to 60 mph, against 7.0 for the manual.
Small gearshift paddles on steering wheel
You can use the paddles when in D, and change as many gears as you like. When the controller, Mr DSG, thinks you’ve finished messing about it goes back into D. That’s fine after all, this is supposed to be automatic, but unfortunately, you lose control in manual. You’ve pushed the lever across to the Manual slot, and are playing the gears, when suddenly Mr DSG will shift up a cog, just when you’re entering a corner and want to hold that gear. So DSG is good, but not an obedient servant.
DSG is terrific except when starting off
Some say the DSG is too good. A bit too complex to be perfect and do exactly what you want. I agree; occasionally it gets in a muddle. Especially when starting off from rest.
I mean, you just put your foot down and off you go like a rocket, don’t you? No, not always. Sometimes Mr DSG will decide you’ve got too much power on, and the car just crawls off this usually happens at a T-junction when you want to get out briskly.
If you shove the lever into Sport all is well. That’s if you’re quick and remember to press in the little button on the gear lever!
If you don’t, you’re stuck crawling along for a few seconds that feel like minutes when a big truck is bearing down on you. You think for just a couple of seconds that you’ve got an ancient slush box down there. It picks up power just in time to get out of the way.
Don’t get me wrong. The DSG box is fantastic most of the time, but you have to know about its quirks.
But the big question is: How does the GTI fare when put against the twisty, hilly roads we use? Just to make it more testing, the winter got very cold and there was some snow on the hills. Most corners were wet, with just a suspicion of snow or ice here and there.
Practical with comfortable seats
We soon found that the car is nothing if not comfortable, thanks to the excellent seats and driving position. Also, the GTI is a very practical car with four seats, a reasonable boot and plenty of modern conveniences. Not to mention electronics: there’s the ABS, traction control, cruise control, ESP (stability control) and an electronically controlled lock-up differential. Phew. Who’s in charge?
Clear of the traffic you start to enjoy the growl at mid-speeds, and the flighty rip up through the revs till the box shifts up at about 6,700 rpm. There is no shortage of gears to match the situation. In the gears, the GTI revs up to about 40, 60, 80, 105 and 140 mph in the intermediates. The top speed is 146 mph.
Great performer on twisty roads
So much for the facts. In practice, you tool along in D, but if you want to overtake one car, it is best to slip into Sport, and let Mr DSG do his stuff. But if you’re on a twisty road, then the manual is the answer. With six speeds, you keep dabbing on the up and down paddles to get the most out of the engine, which seems to have plenty of power at almost any speed. It’s one of those engines that pushes out power where you need it – 3,000-6,000 rpm and it flaunts it. Some other engines have the power, but only share it with you at high revs.
Comes into its own on twisty roads
The GTI handles really well around twisty roads, and you make rapid progress. It would be better of the paddles were a bit larger. Great fun.
On twisty roads, you’re in manual, and as you approach an unknown bend, you drop a cog or two, and then when you realize its much tighter than you think, you dab twice more on the down paddle, and there you are with plenty of power to get through fast. What’s more, the shifts are so smooth almost unbelievable that your passenger doesn’t know you’ve changed down.
In these conditions, the GTI can be driven fast with little effort you find you’ve covered the ground faster than you’d expected. The super-responsive engine, the DSG box, precise steering and good handling work well together, making you feel that the package is right. And the seat is that good you never notice it.
Good steering feel
The GTI has electro-mechanical power steering an electric motor provides the power assistance instead of the conventional hydraulic pump with variable ratio. The idea is that the steering is light at low speeds, but heavier and lower geared at high speeds. A good idea.
At very low speeds, the steering is quite quick good round hairpin bends. When you’re driving round twisty roads you don’t know that well, you need to use more lock than on sportier cars; I felt I was continually turning the wheel quite a lot each way. Maybe the steering needs to be dependent on lateral acceleration as well as speed.
That aside, the steering is good. There’s more feel than in the past, so you know when the outer wheel is scrabbling for grip on a bumpy corner, or lifting off the road which it does occasionally on hard acceleration. You can also feel the build up of under steer, but not as early as I’d like.
The strong under steer is masked a bit
The GTI isn’t the sort of car that gives you confidence that you can do what you like with it straight away, but it earns your respect as you pile on the miles. If you accelerate into a corner, the car under steers wide, and when you switch off the ESP it just does it a bit more – but there isn’t a huge difference between the two. The basic handling of the car is not bad at all. The GTI turns in well for a front-driver, but if you pay attention you can feel the slight hesitancy before the car turns in.
Nor does it have the all-round control of a good rear-driver. For example, accelerate hard out of a T-junction, or out of a slippery tight turn, and you get severe axle tramp while the electronic diff tries to sort things out. That’s just like any ordinary front-driver.
But very controllable a good package
The GTI is much more controllable than most front-drivers. Hurl the car into a tight bend, and you can lift off at the apex, which lets the tail come out just enough to kill the under steer, straighten the car out so you can pile the power on, heading straight out. Very nice. Go a bit too fast, and the under steer is stronger, so lifting off doesn’t really do much.
Overall, though, the new GTI is a well balanced four-seat GT car a useful alternative to a sports car for many capable of cruising quietly and fast for hours, yet a bowl of cherries when it comes to twisty roads. You always seem to have plenty of power. The DSG gearbox is very good and it adds a lot to the experience.
More than middle-age spread
But the weight. Ugh! The new car weighs almost 3,000 lb, whereas the first Golf GTI weighed just 1,800 lb. Talk about obesity! OK, so it’s a 2-liter, not 1.6, and there are all those extra features. But do we need them? Just think how the new GTI would go if it weighed in at about 2,400 lb. That’s just a dream the way the industry is going these days.
And what about the looks? I can’t say the new deep grille does anything for me, but at least VW has realized they need to make the GTI look different! It’s also a bit strange that the GTI grille looks so like an Audi grille. Someone slipped up there. Inside, they’ve done a good job, with an interior that is very different from the cheaper Golfs. If you need four seats, this would be a good choice.