Updated Volkswagen Golf GTI gets more power and equipment

HOT HATCH’S extra outputs place the updated performance car out of reach of one group of drivers.

The five-door VW Golf GTI gets a power boost.

VOLKSWAGEN is giving the Golf GTI a boost as more powerful rivals swarm the market.

The German brand is giving the standard GTI the same grunt as the limited edition GTI Performance. The beefier 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine’s (180kW/370Nm) outputs rise by 11kW and 20Nm.

Volkswagen will no longer equip the GTI with a manual transmission — a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission will be the only option. There is still remaining stock of older, lesser powered GTIs available with a manual gearbox.

The latest GTI update should spell the end of P-Plate drivers tooting around town in the sporty hatch. The increase in power will see the power-to-weight ratio exceed the 130kW/tonne restriction — unless there is a dramatic increase in weight. Currently the GTI is one of the only hot hatches available to younger drivers — the restrictions apply to all eastern mainland states and South Australia.

Self-shifting: The VW Golf GTI will no longer come with a manual transmission.

Arriving in local showrooms from October the updated GTI is priced from $45,490 (before on-road costs), which is several thousand more than the outgoing version.

However, the extra scratch not only gets buyers more power but a swag of additional gear.

An active information display and a raft of active driver aids that includes: autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert are standard.

An electro-mechanical front differential lock and larger brakes borrowed from the Golf R add to the hatch’s spicy flavour.

Volkswagen will expand its sporty offerings throughout the second half of this year.

“In addition to this more go for your dough Golf GTI, by the end of next month we’ll bring you the new Polo GTI with 147kW/320Nm at $30,990,” says Volkswagen’s local marketing boss Ben Wilks.

“In the meantime, at the other end of the spectrum, the new Tiguan Allspace 162TSI brings GTI spark in seven seat SUV form.”