2019 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI Vs SCIROCCO R
Pradeep Warrier : This is a much anticipated test for me- the iconic Golf GTI ! I鈥檝e loved the Mk6 version for its looks right from its launch and now having driven it, I鈥檓 hopelessly smitten. With 210 bhp on tap, 280 Nm of torque from its turbo charged engine and a 0-100 km time of 6.9 secs, VW have nailed the balance perfectly for this segment. This is the quintessential hot hatch and in my books, no other manufacturer has quite anything to match it overall. Arnab Saha : Except of course that the Scirocco R just does it all better. It is a lighter, more powerful, more agile and may I add, better looking package. Try 255 bhp and 350 Nm to your GTI. And from the same engine, just in a better state of tune than the GTI. Oh, did I mention 0-100 km in 5.7 secs. That鈥檚 a whole 1.2 seconds less than the GTI. Now that you鈥檝e read the numbers, you must be feeling a little inadequate? Pradeep Warrier : The Scirocco R鈥檚 styling is obviously a big part of the car.
I love the looks and its stance on the road. But the Scirocco鈥檚 bhp and torque figures doesn鈥檛 change anything for me. The only inadequacy in your equation comes from the lack of sufficient doors on your ride. Honestly how do you expect your rear seat passengers to get out of the car without crunching their midriff? I know what ails you. Style over practicality: the perennial pitfall of youth. Arnab Saha : Not really, but let鈥檚 get on with how the cars handle. The Scirocco is obviously the better performer. The way this machine gets around curves beggars belief. Any corner the GTI can floor, the Scirocco will do it faster and better composed. And isn鈥檛 that the whole point of a hot hatch? You feel the difference those extra horses make every time you give it stick. And the torque on the Scirocco just keeps it ahead of the GTI everywhere except maybe at very low revs on the bottom end of the torque curve. Pradeep Warrier : I鈥檒l concede the Scirocco R is astonishing in the bends.
The limits of adhesion are phenomenally high and you鈥檇 be doing illegal speeds even before you reach those limits anyway - which is why I think the GTI makes a better road car. You can have your fun at a fairly decent turn of speed without being compelled to rip the performance envelop. The suspension is competent without being as harsh as the Scirocco鈥檚 and the ride quality much better for commuting. If I wanted to go railing round every bend, I would definitely opt for the Scirocco R - and use it on the track! Arnab Saha : Still, both cars get serious only when you slot the gear selector into Sport mode. In normal Drive mode the Scirocco is very docile and some would even say tame below 3,000 rpm. This car desperately needs a manual transmission to complement its lovely chassis and strong engine. The GTI also feels more like a family car when you opt for Drive mode. Pradeep Warrier : I agree, Sport mode is where both cars come alive, although the GTI carries more bottom end torque which it then gives away to the Scirocco as the revs build.
I quite agree that both cars are better sampled with a manual tranny. However the DSG gearbox almost makes up for the lack of a stick shift. The flappy paddles change gears so quick that I鈥檓 completely sold and have nothing to compare it negatively against a manual shift. Oh and what about the flat bottomed steering wheel. I just love the looks, the feel and the way these cars steer. Arnab Saha : Agreed, but even with your clear bias for the GTI, you have to admit the Scirocco鈥?steering is weighted heavier and communicates better. It must be to do with the car鈥檚 lowered stance, its firmer suspension and those 19 inch wheels - which by the way, looks a whole generation ahead of the GTI鈥檚 telephone dial wheels. Pradeep Warrier : They are called 鈥楧etroit鈥?alloys in VW speak; and ok, they do remind you of the old ringer. But those 18-inch wheels on the GTI are a whole lot more comfortable than the Scirocco鈥檚 19鈥檚 because you can get some flex on the higher profile tires. Try going over a speed bump in a Scirocco without using all you concentration.
