Volkswagen Golf GTi Edition 30
Has it really been 30 years since the original hot Golf first arrived? Actually the first 1.6-litre four-speed GTi went on sale in Germany in 1976 so the German market got its hands on this anniversary model last year. So how are we celebrating? With this limited edition GTi edition 30, the latest in a series of anniversary Golfs we鈥檝e been offered over the years. Just 1500 Edition 30s will be available to UK buyers priced at 拢22,295 for the three-door, or 拢22,795 for the five-door we drove. Which makes it 拢1935 more expensive than the regular GTi. What do I get for my investment? The changes aren鈥檛 massive - this is a special edition, not a completely re-engineered car. Outside there are smoked lights, 18-inch multi-spoke wheels that look just like the ones fitted to the GTi CAR Magazine raced in the Volkswagen Cup last year, and various bits of colour coding on the normally black body kit. You might think differently but we think it looks awful - less like a performance car and more like a regular Golf 1.6 with a set of aftermarket rims.
The dimpled golfball gearknob makes a return, there are leather bolsters and headrests for the gorgeous tartan seats, red stitching for the best hot hatch steering wheel in the business and some pretty garish red edging to the floor mats. But there's no extra equipment, which means that while you get ESP, dual-zone climate control and six airbags as standard, you have to pay extra for things like a CD changer. I鈥檓 struggling here. Where鈥檚 the extra 拢2k been spent? Thankfully some of it did get spent on something useful - the engine. It鈥檚 the same direct injection 2.0-litre four but power has been raised by 30bhp to 227bhp and torque by 14lb ft to 221lb ft. So it鈥檚 even better to drive than before? Yes, it is. There are no changes to the suspension - although the GTi鈥檚 chassis wasn鈥檛 exactly in need of a makeover - but the engine鈥檚 extra sparkle really adds some urgency to the driving experience. Our one complaint of the regular GTi is that it鈥檚 sometimes too good for its own good and therefore lacks a bit of drama. But the 30 goes some way to answering that criticism. Let鈥檚 get straight to the point: we love the extra poke, like the leather on the seats and pretty much hate all the other changes. The problem is that the standard car is just so good that this really does feel like gilding the lilly. Having said that, we do think that Volkswagen should make the more powerful engine standard or at least available as an option on the regular car. If it doesn鈥檛, there are plenty of companies out there who can tweak your standard GTi for a few hundred pounds and from what we hear these software mods are undetectable by your dealer.
Lastly even with all the extra fun added in, the hot hatch still has the ability to be your only car, with the added versatility that its hatchback provides. Mercedes-Benz still has no plans for diesels in the U.S. While there are several new hot hatches to choose from, there鈥檚 one that has continued to be the benchmark for the class - the iconic Volkswagen GTI. Over the years we鈥檝e seen the GTI transform from a slightly more powerful version of the basic Golf to being one of VW鈥檚 most iconic models. VW has offered everything from a small turbo to even a six-cylinder engine under the hood of the GTI. Today the GTI options have been simplified with only one engine option and one body style, but that鈥檚 because it works. For the 2018 model year, the VW GTI has gotten a small facelift, which will have to hold GTI fans over until the all-new eighth generation arrives, which isn鈥檛 too far away.
On the outside the front and rear fascias have been slightly tweaked, but you probably wouldn鈥檛 be able to call out the details, unless you parked it right next to the 2017 GTI. The bigger news is that VW has managed to massage an extra 10 horsepower from the GTI鈥檚 turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine, compared to the 2015-2017 GTI equipped with the Performance Pack. The 2.0L now generates 220 horsepower and can be mated to either a six-speed manual or the six-speed DSG automatic transmission. The GTI SE and Autobahn trim levels also now get the Golf R鈥檚 brakes and to keep you from destroying the GTI, it now has forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking. Inside you鈥檒l find an eight-inch glass touchscreen that offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, but it still feels a generation behind some of the latest systems that VW鈥檚 rivals offer. The lovely plaid seats are still standard and if you prefer leather, that鈥檚 an option as well. In front of the driver there鈥檚 a small digital display, but overall the gauge cluster is not as cool as the fully digital system Digital Cockpit that鈥檚 offered in the Tiguan and Atlas.
