After a lot of ups and downs between South Africa and Germany over fuel quality, the VW Golf GTI 8.5 has officially gone on sale in the country for R908Â 000. Being hailed as the undisputed king of hot hatches, we were straight off to Gerotek to see what this upgraded car could do.
Just because the Golf GTI 8.5 makes 15kW more power than the Golf GTI 8, at 195kW to 180kW, this does not mean it is automatically quicker or better on the roll. History has shown, as indicated in the stat block below, that some generations have been faster than others, despite bumps in power.
Previous GTIs were slower
The Golf GTI Mk5 with its 147kW could only hit 100km/h in 7.34 seconds. The Golf GTI Mk6 saw the power climb to 155kW and the 0-100km/h time decrease to 6.32 seconds. But then things took a dip for the worse.
The Golf GTI Mk7, despite making 162kW, now could only get there in 6.36 seconds. And if you thought that was an anomaly, you would be wrong. The Golf GTI Mk7.5 with 169kW went even slower at 6.58 seconds.
It was only with the unveiling of the 180kW Golf GTI Mk8 that the times improved and a sub-6 second run was achieved for the first time with 5.88 seconds. Much was expected of the Golf GTI Mk8.5. But it would have to go quicker than the claimed 5.9 seconds for it to outrun the previous generation Golf GTI Mk8.
More boost added
Both generations still run the IHI IS20 turbocharger, but on the Golf GTI Mk8.5 some extra boost has been added to the mix thanks to improved thermal management. While some mapping has also been done on the engine and the seven-speed DSG box to allow for a quicker spool-up and more torque to be available in the lower gears.
The car felt nippy when we drove it on the street. A little bit like a Golf GTI Mk8, but with some adrenaline added to make it feel more alive. With launch control duly activated at Gerotek, the new Golf GTI Mk8.5 did what we expected.
Better than claimed to win
A time of 5.81-seconds was recorded. So, better than claimed and faster than the Golf GTI Mk8. It was also an advantage that it held right through to the top with 200km/h coming in at 20.93 seconds to 21.35 seconds.
Where the turbo’s quicker spooling really came into its own was in the roll-on acceleration tests. In every segment from 60-100km/h to 80-120km/h, the new car was quicker. Even in the 100-200km/h run, the time came in at 15.14 seconds to 15.88 seconds.
Bottom line. The new Golf GTI Mk8.5 is faster than the old Golf GTI Mk8 – and remains the undisputed king of hot hatches. Overall, it’s a performance package that is almost impossible to beat.
New versus old
We have covered this already, but it’s always good to talk about it again. What sets the Golf GTI Mk8.5 apart from the Golf GTI Mk8?
Front with new sharper lighting design. The car now comes equipped with newly developed LED Plus headlights. A horizontal LED strip in the grille comes as standard, complemented by the signature red line that has been the hallmark of the GTI since 1976.
For the first time, the Volkswagen logo at the front is also illuminated, the ‘V’, ‘W’ and surrounding circle framed by fine light contours both inside and out. It all combines to create an unmistakable GTI light signature.
Completely redesigned hardware
At the rear end, you have new LED taillight clusters. And from the side you see the new 19-inch Queenstown alloy wheels. Three individual red-on-chrome GTI letters positioned near the A-pillars replace the narrower badge of the predecessor.
VW completely redesigned the hardware and software of the Golf GTI’s infotainment systems. And thankfully the operation has been significantly improved and simplified thanks to brand new graphics and a new structure for the touch display.
The Golf GTI Mk8.5 offers Discover Pro (with navigation function as standard). The system features a bigger 12.9-inch touchscreen. The new tablet-style display is designed to be visually free-standing.
GTI specific interior
Premium sport seats with integrated head restraints and Vienna leather are fitted as standard. Red decorative GTI stitching on the seats, centre armrest, floor mats and multifunction steering wheel emphasises the GTI identity.
The sports steering wheel is finished in perforated leather at nine and three o’clock. And the trim at six o’clock features GTI lettering and red accents. An exclusive GTI feature is the engine start/stop button, which pulses red after the doors are opened until the engine is punched into life.
A MacPherson front axle and a four-link rear axle do duty. While there is individual ESC control for those who want to push the limits on the track. Braking is taken care of by a 17-inch brake system.
Improved dynamics
Four main features of the Golf GTI Mk8.5 running gear are progressive steering, the Vehicle Dynamics Manager, a front-axle differential lock and the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) system. All four components have been further developed and adapted to this GTI.
The Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual driving profiles are available. The running gear is also included in driving profile control by means of the optional DCC. The car is always going to be on the firm side, as it should be. But it’s such a blast to drive hard, you will hardly notice it.
Better all round
The VW Golf GTI Mk8.5 has addressed the shortcomings of its predecessor. It is more aggressive-looking. It is also faster and sharper on the road. And the interior is upgraded to make more sense to a user now.
