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The Wheels24 VW MK7 GTi long-termer certainly crept into our hearts very quickly, and Janine Van der Post has been trying to reach its claimed fuel consumption figures.
Volkswagen SA claims an urban cycle consumption of 8.2-litres/100km, an extra-urban cycle consumption of 5.2-litres/100km, and a combined reading of 6.4-litres/100km.
"Now, one of the reasons most Golf GTi owners love their cars is because of its sonorous burble (read: Vrrr-phaa!). And, most likely, a GTi driver's right foot would be stuck in the corner, or they would be playing with the throttle even if stuck in traffic just hear that exhaust system drone.
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What's my point? Most Golf GTi drivers will never reach that extra-urban claimed consumption reading.
Image: Warren Wilson
But that's the thing about fuel consumption readings, most of it is based on European figures, in absolute economical conditions. Here in South Africa are climate conditions vary, and so does our driving style - it's more aggressive.
With that said, it is also very possible to reach those figures, even if you're driving a Golf GTi.
On start up, my stomach always turns when I see that instantaneous reading begin at 43-litres/100km and then it slowly works its way down. Naturally the car needs to reach its optimum oil temperatures and your driving style also plays a huge part on those figures.
In traffic and the highway my average reading can be anything from 12.1-litres down to 8.6-litres/100km, however, I have managed to get it down to my lowest and best reading of 6.1-litres/100km. The latter is only possible when you're cruising at speeds below 80km/h.
Since I live in Somerset West and my daily commute is about 140km per day, it's not always possible to drive at such low speeds, and being stuck in peak hour traffic is not a considerable factor either, but if you can keep your driving speed at a constant 60km/h or less, the Golf GTi becomes an economical boon.
It takes some practice, and when you're not out on a joyride, the Golf GTI can most certainly be driven quite fuel efficiently.
Image: Warren Wilson