[Star Test Drive] Volkswagen Golf GTI, the 'Pocket Rocket' with exhilarating driving performance

*This content was translated by AI.

Verdict

The 'Golf Class', the only car that created its own class

Good

- Small yet packed with substance and spirited. It has all the elements that make you addicted to driving.

- A refreshing feeling of controlling 265 horsepower, an increase from the previous 245 horsepower.

Bad

- Why does the price keep going up?

- A huge 'desire to show off' regarding 'More! More! More!' tuning stirs within.

Competitor

- Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: Although a hatchback, it is practically the size of an SUV.

- BMW M135i: A pocket rocket made by a brand that focused on exciting driving.

Globally, the popularity of hatchbacks is not what it used to be. It is due to SUVs. Car brands know that making SUVs in various segments with the money spent on hatchbacks is more profitable. Paradoxically, how remarkable a car must a hatchback be to survive in such a situation! The Volkswagen Golf GTI is exactly that kind of car. Indeed, there seems to be no one who would dispute that this car is the best hatchback. Now, new hatchbacks highlight their larger size or greater spaciousness compared to the Golf as advantages. This is because the Golf has become the benchmark. This is a decisive reason why the Golf GTI must be noted among high-performance hatchbacks.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI tested this time is the facelift version of the eighth-generation model, commonly referred to as the 8.5 generation. It features applied logo lighting, increased output, and minor improvements such as enhanced infotainment.It is powered by a 2-liter gasoline engine with turbocharging based on the MQB Evo platform, driving the front wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG). The maximum output is 242 horsepower, delivering a peak torque of 37.7 kg.m. It accelerates from a standstill to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds. While these numbers may seem insufficient to describe it as outstanding, the Golf GTI feels distinctly different even when traveling at the same speed. It feels faster and more refreshing. It feels almost magical.

Before fully driving this car, the Volkswagen Golf GTI appears overly modest at first glance. Unless it has a red exterior color, one might even doubt its identity as a car capable of fast driving. However, upon closer inspection, distinct differences from the conventional Volkswagen Golf can be quickly found. The wheels and tires filled with the traditional GTI design completely fill the wheel houses. The front honeycomb-type bumper grille also catches the eye. From the rear view, the large mufflers filling both left and right sides draw attention. The interior is also unique, featuring semi-bucket seats embossed with GTI patterns.

Of course, the color arrangement exclusive to the GTI is an element that cannot be overlooked. The steering wheel wrapped in red stitching is styled with a D-cut design. The instrument cluster also sets the mood with a red theme. Nevertheless, the Volkswagen Golf GTI does not yet feel like a full-fledged high-performance car. The rest are aspects that must be created by the owner themselves while owning this car. The Volkswagen Golf GTI is precisely a car that can be cultivated like a 'canvas' where one can imagine and design their own high performance.Of course, the problem is that such people are gradually disappearing...

Depending on preference, many people have a particular fondness for front-wheel-drive high-performance hatchbacks. This is because the understeer unique to front-wheel drive is easier to predict, and one can enjoy agile feedback during initial acceleration. In this regard, the Golf GTI demonstrates movements almost like a textbook. The body's feedback to the accelerator is extremely fast. Above all, another advantage is that there is almost no perceived loss in output, as turbo lag is barely noticeable. Especially, the exhaust sound that rises as speed increases becomes a clear reason why one cannot help but love this car.

Chassis tuning is also impeccable. The suspension is basically somewhat stiff, though not unbearable, and at high speeds, it feels as if the car sinks into the road, exerting a heavy sensation. This is a characteristic feel of German cars, yet the Volkswagen Golf GTI feels like it has taken one step further. Nevertheless, the fact that this car is a compact hatchback serves as an element that makes one marvel at German hatchback technology.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI simply goes forward wherever you push it. The winding uphill mountain roads are the perfect stage for this car to demonstrate its peak sensation. It was easy to maneuver the car agilely even when diving into corners like a spear. In the process of continuously repeating deceleration and acceleration, the DSG's gear shifts are surprisingly elastic and meticulous.

These days, it seems that most of Volkswagen's gasoline cars are equipped with the EA888 engine. The 2-liter gasoline engine has been included since the sixth-generation GTI; perhaps due to various electrification issues, the engine in the Volkswagen Golf GTI tested this time feels like it is at the peak. Of course, there are cars that mount a turbo on a 2-liter gasoline engine to unleash monstrous power, but the Golf GTI has a clear output line and shows sufficient RPMs at driving speeds, so there is no regret regarding its output performance. Unless one enjoys the hardcore tension of something like the Mercedes-AMG A45, the Volkswagen Golf GTI felt like a car that compromises with reality while fully opening up the realm of tuning.

Recalling the days when I first test-drove the fifth-generation Golf GTI (Mk5), I thought how many awkward terms like 'hot hatch' and 'pocket rocket' were packed into this small hatchback. However, after driving this car for a few days, I feel that it is nothing short of a language of affection for the Golf. Since a hatchback born for practicality has been equipped with high-performance functions, it deserves to be loved. It was not difficult to find the reason why the Golf is always on the list of top cars in Europe.

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*This content was translated by AI.