This is it. The Golf Mk7 might have been on sale for a while now but the only Golf that really counts amongst us petrolheads is the GTi. And the Mk7 GTi will be on sale in Germany from 5 March and in the UK from 26 March, with deliveries due in June.
The new GTi will be showcased in public at the Geneva Motor Show and for the first time will be available in two versions - the 217bhp GTi and 227bhp GTi Performance, which also gets a Limited Slip Differential and larger brakes. Both versions develop 258 lb ft.
Both versions of the GTi are powered by a 2 litre, 4 cylinder, turbocharged TSI unit, mated to either a 6 speed manual or 6 speed DSG gearbox. The GTi will cost £25,845 for a manual and £27,260 for the DSG. The GTi Performance will cost £26,500 in manual form and £27,915 in DSG.
As well as a more powerful engine Golf GTi's have to stand out from the rest of the standard range and the Mk7 does with red painted brake calipers, 17 inch 'Brooklyn' wheels, a rear diffuser, smoked LEDs, tartan seats, a black rooflining and red ambient lighting in the cabin. It also gets a sports steering wheel, gear lever and instruments, trim strips and stainless pedal caps (which are pretty pointless).
It also gets the horrendous Stop/Start system and electronic parking brake found in the rest of the Mk7 range.
Specifications:
- Engine: four-cylinder TSI (turbocharged direct petrol injection); front transverse; displacement 1,984 cc; bore/stroke 82.5/92.8 mm; compression ratio 9.8:1
- Power GTi - 217bhp
- Power GTi Performance - 227bhp
- Torque - 258 lbs ft
- Fuel consumption - 47mpg
- CO2 emissions (manual) - 139 g/km CO2
- 0-62mph GTi - 6.5 seconds
- 0-62mph GTi Performance - 6.4 seconds
- Top speed GTi - 152mph
- Top speed GTi Performance - 155mph
- Unladen weight: 1351 kg
