Latest version of the king of hot hatches costs R54k more than outgoing Mk 8 model.
Last month’s price announcement of the long-awaited Volkswagen Golf GTI in 8.5 guise was a harsh reality check for car buyers with aspirations of driving the undisputed king of the hot hatches off the showroom floor.
The latest reiteration of the iconic hatch will set you back R908 000. That is R54 600 more than the price of the outgoing Mk 8 Golf GTI.
The long delay for the Golf GTI’s local introduction was due to South Africa’s poor fuel quality. But “intensive” work according to Volkswagen has enable the German manufacturer to finally introduce it in Mzansi.
ALSO READ: Golf 8 GTI heading Volkswagen’s Festival of Motoring line-up
Golf GTI makes a Pitstop
In this week’s episode of The Citizen Motoring’s Pitstop podcast, we discuss the pricing of the Golf GTI. The price tag, which get uncomfortably close to the seven-digit mark with the addition of a few extras, is out of reach for most buyers.
As before, the 8.5 version is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder TSI turbocharged petrol engine. It develops 195kW of power and 370Nm pf torque sent to the front wheels via seven-speed DSG.
VW claims it will spring from 0 to 100km/h in 5.9 on its way to a top speed of 250km/h. We think it will probably clock an even faster sprint time than claimed. VW claimed a time of 6.4 seconds for the Golf GTI 8 and it clocked 5.88 seconds during our test in 2021.
Lots of goodies included
Dynamic Chassis Control System and XDS electronic front differential are both included as standard.
The new Golf GTI rides on 19-inch Queenstown alloys, comes standard with LED Plus headlights and illuminated VW badge.
In the cabin it features 12.9-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and integrated satellite navigation, 10-inch digital cockpit instrument cluster, panoramic sunroof, alloy pedals, adaptive cruise control and reverse camera.
