Publications
Partners
• The latest Volkswagen Golf GTI will make its local appearance in early 2021.
• The newcomer is powered by the familiar EA888 engine with 180kW and 370Nm.
• Listen to the soundtrack of the new GTI in this video.
This week we reported that only 45 units of the Golf 7 GTI TCR are available according to Volkswagen South Africa. The TCR is the swansong of the seventh generation GTI and only 300 units were shipped over.
Power comes from a EA888 engine producing 213kW and 370Nm, 44kW and 20Nm than the normal model. It's fast too, Volkswagen claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.6 seconds, and says its the fastest Golf GTi ever. It uses a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox and only the five-door model will be made available locally.
It is priced at R669 000, arrives fully-specced and is only available in three colours: Pure White, Tornado Red, and Pure Grey.
The motorsport-derived model is in South Africa according to the manufacturer, and a delay due to the effect of the coronavirus. Another GTI that has been delayed is the incoming Golf 8 GTI.
The eighth-generation GTI will only make its local debut in the first quarter of 2021, Volkswagen SA announced in May. The new GTI will feature the familiar EA888 two-litre turbocharged engine with 180kW and 370Nm, an increase from 169kW and 350Nm.
Locally, we will only receive the seven-speed dual-clutch derivative, a six-speed manual is offered in other markets.
As with all generations of the GTI, power is sent to the front wheels.
If you're keen on hearing what the new GTI's four pot sounds like, the team at Automann-TV uploaded a video focused on the GTI's exhaust note. The test unit is a manual and outside temperature was around 30 degrees which isn't ideal for testing 0 to 100km/h times but is fine if we're only interested in knowing what the car sounds like.
The four-cylinder engines emits the traditional pops and bangs that we've come to associate with the GTI. There is even has a term called 'vrrphaa' in South Africa that sounds like the noise from the outgoing GTI.
There's footage of a cold start, acceleration times and several drive-by shots too.
The GTI will be the first derivative of the eight generation Golf to make its local debut, with a TSI and flagship R model arriving later in 2021. Locally, the GTI is Volkswagen's top-selling Golf derivative.
Watch the video by Automann-TV here below:
