By Staff Reporter

The long wait is over and covers have finally come off the undisputed king of hot hatches. Now in its eight generation, the GTI follows the recipe that has kept it going for so long. The looks adopted are rather evolutionary than revolutionary. Most of the magic happens under the skin and inside.

Looks

Standing out in the look of the new GTI is a reworked bumper with a new honey comb design that features honey comb LED lights (this is possibly the option box that will get ticked by most). Also of particular interest is the new LED light design with a continuous light bar above the radiator grille that connects to the LED lights on either side of the car. True to GTI styling, a GTI badge as well as GTI specific red accents adorn the front. At the back, new LED light design, reworked roof spoiler, bumper and rear diffuser will be hard to miss. So too will the GTI lettering that moves to the center below the VW badge. The GTI will come standard with 17-inch alloy wheels whilst 18 or 19-inch shoes will be optionally available. All in all, whether you like it or not, the new design will give all a lot to think about.

Inside, the GTI goes digital like the rest of the Golf range. The old infotainment and instrument cluster give way to a 10-inch infotainment system and an optional 10,2-inch instrument cluster. Other buttons are eliminated or incorporated on touch button pads. A new steering featuring the new VW logo is introduced for an enhanced driving experience. A Porsche inspire shift-by-wire transmission is adopted in the DSG model which frees up space in the front.

Engine

The new GTI carries on with a 2.0 litre four cylinder engine that now kicks out 180 kW and 370 Nm (increase of 11 kW and 20 Nm respectively). The engine is paired with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission. We expect Mzansi to only get the DSG variant. More details will emerge next week at the Geneva International Motor Show.

Expect the new Golf GTI in Q1 of next year (2021).