NEW VW Golf GTI review - Mk8.5 2025
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TechTranscript
00:00This is the new Mach 8.5 GTI and it's a way better GTI than it was before. More powerful,
00:08more usable and more likeable. And I'm going to tell you all about it in this review,
00:12so if you haven't already, please like, subscribe and ring the bell. Let's talk about it, shall we?
00:22Pricing and spec details for the updated GTI are still to be confirmed by Volkswagen Australia,
00:27but the brand has maybe given an indication of what it's thinking with the GTI lineup,
00:32with the recent adjustment to the GTI offering both option packs as standard for around $60,000
00:38drive away. I'm not saying that that's what will happen with this updated version and the price
00:43might actually go up because it does have extra equipment that you will really like. Some of the
00:47highlights that you might expect to be standard include matrix LED headlights with LED daytime
00:52running lights and an LED light strip and LED VW badge on the front as well. These new alpha-esque
00:5819-inch wheels, I think they look fantastic, but I don't think you're going to hear the end of
01:04people saying, geez, that looks like an Alfa Romeo. But hey, there's also going to be new LED lights
01:09at the back too and it does look a little bit different from the outside. And on the inside,
01:14there's a new 12.9-inch touchscreen media system with a bunch of changes that have been made
01:18inside in terms of the usability of that technology and that will be standard in
01:23Australia too. You can expect we'll probably get leather trim as an option or maybe as standard,
01:28we'll have to wait and see.
01:32I think the biggest threat to the Volkswagen Golf GTI in terms of rivals is actually an enemy
01:37within. It's the CUPRA LEON and it does have a few different variants available including a GTI
01:43spec version and also a Golf R spec version with more power, more torque and all-wheel drive for,
01:50well, relatively decent money. In fact, it seems like a pretty good buy, that CUPRA LEON,
01:55especially that VZX model at just over $60,000. So I think it could be a really, really great
02:01option if you are after the Golf theme or the Golf vibe, but you want a different look that
02:06this car doesn't have. Now, there's other alternatives out there that you might want
02:10to consider. The Honda Civic Type R is bloody fantastic, but it's a lot more money and a lot
02:15more powerful. In fact, it's a weapon of a machine and it does deserve its $70,000 plus price tag,
02:22but I can totally understand if that's too much for you. Yeah, it might not be the right car for
02:27you as an alternative to this, but if you're on the budget end of the hot hatch market,
02:32then maybe the Hyundai i30N could be a really good choice for you. It comes available as a hatchback
02:38and also as a sedan. So depending on what you need for your family, or maybe you just like the
02:44look of one over the other, it could be a really good choice too. It's bloody fun to drive. Alright,
02:48which one do you think? Let me know in the comments.
02:53You might think that this looks just like the Mk8 GTI, but it does have some subtle differences.
02:57Look at that front bumper. It has been redesigned with a more macho look and I reckon that it looks
03:03very, very smart indeed. I'm actually even okay with the fact that it's got the rather chintzy
03:08illuminated VW badge, but hey, that does have some wow factor. And so do these 19-inch wheels. These,
03:16you can't tell me, don't look like an Alfa Romeo wheel. They look bloody fantastic though,
03:20I reckon. And it does have the same sort of proportions as before, 4.3 meters long or so,
03:26and I'm just maybe not so sold on this sticker. Obviously that doesn't come standard.
03:32This GTI badge on the side maybe doesn't do it for me. Now, let's have a look at the back. There's
03:38also some changes to the rear lights. As you can see, they've got the sort of ice block sections
03:45in the inlays and they look pretty smart, I reckon. And you've still got the existing pop to
03:51open boot opener and the existing decent size boot for a car of this size. You'll see the number on
03:58your screen now, and it does have a couple of clever features in the back. You've got a 12-volt
04:03port, you've got shopping bag hooks, you've got little storage caddies on either side of the car,
04:08and there's no spare wheel in this particular car because it's for the European market and they
04:14don't want one. So I would want one, personally. You can lower this floor down as well, which does
04:20make it even more practical. As we've come to expect of the GTI, it's a really practical hatchback
04:26that happens to go really, really fast. Let's take a look inside, shall we?
04:32It looks and feels more high-tech and still very much a Golf GTI in here. Yes,
04:37you've got the tartan fabric on the seats in this particular car and the new 12.9-inch
04:42touchscreen media system here as well. It does have a bunch of functionality and a bunch of features
04:49which are, well, better than the existing screen in the existing Golf GTI Mk8 version.
04:56It does take some learning still though. There's still a lot of technology built into this screen
05:01and you will have to spend a little bit of time learning how things work, but there are some nice
05:07handy options for you to quickly jump to on the screen up here. You can adjust your drive modes
05:13just by hitting the home buttons up the top here, and also there's a home bar for your climate
05:18control down here as well. There's still a volume slider there for the sound system. You don't get
05:25the rotary dial system that you get in the new Tiguan, which is a bit of a shame because it would
05:31be a nice addition to this car because there's otherwise only the buttons on the steering wheel.
05:35Yes, buttons thankfully, not haptics, and that does make a difference to the drivability of this
05:40car. Let me tell you, it is improved. It does feel a bit more, well, livable instantly in terms of the
05:48technology interface with the driver. You've also got this digital driver info screen. This car also
05:55has a head-up display, not sure if we'll get that as standard or as part of an option pack in
05:59Australia, and it's got heaps of other great features too, just like the existing Mk8. You've
06:04got USB-C ports there, this handy little shelf, you've also got a wireless phone charger there,
06:09there's your usual tiny little shifter, a little section there for your keys, you've got a pop-out
06:14cup holder thing here so you can push it away if you need a bit more space or press the button,
06:18things will pop, and then you've got a little centre covered console area too. Lined sections
06:24in those bottle holders which I like, nice finishes on the inside, and look, is it as blingy
06:30as some of the other cars that you might be able to find out there for this $60,000-ish price tag?
06:36Probably not, but it's not about that, it's about functionality and driver-friendliness,
06:42and it is a more driver-friendly interior than the last version of the GTI, thanks to these
06:47changes that have been made. Let's check out the back seat quickly and I'll show you what it's
06:51like in terms of space. I'm 182 centimetres or 6 foot, this seat is set for my driving position,
06:57yes I've got knee room, I've got foot room, and I do have some really great storage options on the
07:02back of this seat, a map pocket and device pockets up here, they're on that seat as well.
07:07You've also got climate control for the back here as well, no fan speed adjuster but you do have
07:13directional air vents which is great, and a couple of USB-C ports down there. Yes, you can see that
07:18that does have a big transmission tunnel intrusion for a car of this size, so it's probably going to
07:23be better as a four-seater, and if you've got child seats you can fit them in the ISOFIX points in the
07:29window seats, and there's three top tethers as well. It's a practical little car in terms of the
07:34usability back here, got decent sized bottle holders with lining as well, a flip down armrest
07:40with some extra cup holders, and that also flips down to offer you a load through or ski port to
07:47the boot. Very, very handy I reckon, and yes there's plenty to like about this back seat experience,
07:54nice soft elbow pads on the doors too, that's soft as well, that not as soft as it probably
08:01could be, but hey, I like it, it's comfy enough and it will be comfy enough for a family of four I would say.
08:10This is where things get juicy people, the new version of the GTI comes with a 2.0 litre
08:15turbocharged petrol engine with 195 kilowatts, 15 kilowatts more than the previous version,
08:22and it is a fantastic engine. Standard is a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch auto, and just like
08:27all GTIs should be, it's front-wheel drive and it gets the power down beautifully. Let me show you
08:32that right now. Rightio, so this isn't necessarily representative of what the Australian drive
08:40experience will be like, because as you can probably tell I'm not in Australia, I'm in Germany
08:45to test out this car very briefly while I've got a chance to, and it is very, very usable, just like
08:52every other Golf GTI that I've driven that's come before it. It's a lovely thing and it just is so
08:58easy to live with on a daily basis. It's in comfort mode right now and it just rides beautifully, it
09:05steers with a real lightness and directness, and it's super duper friendly for just the day-to-day
09:13stuff that you might find yourself doing more often than not, and that's why this car has such
09:19broad appeal, because it has always been a really, really usable car in terms of just being able to
09:26toot around town and see the beautiful sights, like the lady painting the fence there, and you
09:32really just get a great drive experience for this thing as a car. It's just a really impressive car
09:39to live with, like I am right now. I mean, I wish I was. I don't necessarily want to live in this town,
09:45but Germany's nice. Right, so what about if you press the Sport button and you maybe want to find
09:51out what this new 195 TSI engine is all about? Well, you might also find yourself thinking, well,
09:58do I need to put it in Sport mode? No, it's gone into Sport mode. The ride has instantly stiffened
10:04up a little bit because it's got adaptive dampers, as you probably would expect, and I'm just about
10:08to go up a twisty little road and see what it's like. Okay, yeah, so 195 kilowatts, let's see what that
10:18feels like. Oh, this road is maybe not the greatest piece of surface, but far out this engine...
10:29It is... this is a different experience to the previous versions of the GTI. Wow, the way that it
10:37gets the power down, there's just so much traction available. Oh, and that tricky electronic front
10:44diff thing is doing a brilliant job. It hoons this car. I'll take matters into my own hands and go
10:53I'll take matters into my own hands and go manual mode here as well.
10:58Oh my goodness, I better slow down. Not the Autobahn here. Okay, so the claimed 0-100 time
11:06for this new version of the GTI is 5.9 seconds. I'm in Sport mode, I'll put it back into
11:14Sport Transmission, so I'm not doing the manual shift thing, and there's a straight line ahead
11:19of me with 100k an hour speed limit, so let's see what it does. Put a timer on your screen. Ready? Go!
11:32Wow! Yep, yep, it's quick. It is a quick new GTI, there is no denying that. This feels more powerful
11:44than before. It feels more manageable in terms of getting the power down as well, and look, the
11:50adaptive suspension is doing a terrific job over this patchwork surface that I've just found myself
11:55on, and it is just, as I would expect, a brilliant car that's brilliant. And look, a lot of road
12:04surfaces in Australia are quite similar to what I'm driving on right now, and let me say, this car
12:10just has a beautiful ride comfort to it, and look, I'm in Sport mode. It shouldn't be super comfortable,
12:16but it is, and that's maybe where this car sits a little bit differently to some of the other
12:22rivals in this class, which are more punishing to drive on a daily basis. The GTI hasn't been like
12:29that ever in my experience, and it's not like that now, even though it's got much more power than
12:35before. It is still super liveable, this vehicle, and obviously, it is a GTI, so it has terrific
12:42steering as well. Like, it just has this beautiful dynamism to it, which allows it to feel way quicker
12:50and allows you to push a little bit harder as well, because you can trust what's going to happen
12:55when you do turn the wheel, and you can trust the reactions of this car, because it is almost innate,
13:03the way that it behaves, the way that it handles itself on the road, and it is just an absolute
13:10cracker. So, it's clear to me from this quick drive of the GTI in Germany that this car does the same
13:18thing that GTIs have done for a long time. It blends a depth of capability in terms of dynamic
13:24driving, but it's just so liveable on the daily as well, and like lots of new cars, there are some
13:30safety features that might annoy you a little bit. I haven't necessarily found it to be too
13:34overbearing in terms of the lane keeping assistance or the speed sign recognition system as well.
13:40Look, that might be different in Australia on roads that I know the speed limits for,
13:45that's where I typically find that speed sign recognition stuff to be the most annoying,
13:49but hey, early impressions, this thing, a peach.
13:55Right, so what about fuel consumption? Well, there aren't any Aussie numbers confirmed just
13:59yet, it might depend on the spec, but hey, the European number is on your screen now,
14:05and if you're wondering what I've seen during my time in this car, which included urban and faster
14:10driving, highways, and a bunch of other stuff as well, you'll see the number on your screen now,
14:15and I think that that, if you can replicate it on a daily basis, very good, very good indeed.
14:22You can expect that the Mach 8.5 version of the Golf GTI will carry over the five-star
14:26ANCAP safety rating from 2022 for the previous take on this theme, and that means you're going
14:32to get things like autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection,
14:37there's also an adaptive cruise control system with traffic jam assist and lane keeping,
14:42which means it can start, stop, and also steer for you in some instances,
14:46there's a surround-view camera system in this version as well, which does make a big difference
14:49to being able to see around the car, but you also get front and rear parking sensors with
14:53manoeuvre braking, which can stop the car if it thinks you're going to bump into something as
14:56well. Now, when it comes to airbags, dual front, front side, full-length curtain,
15:01front centre, and rear side airbags in this car too. Nice!
15:08This could be worth waiting for, I'm sure.
15:10Nice!
15:14This could be worth waiting for, I'm telling you people, this is one of the
15:17greatest hot hatches that I've ever driven, and I've driven quite a few of them.
15:21This new engine, and the way that this car behaves with that new engine,
15:25really does transform the GTI into something that is far more focused than it ever has been,
15:31in my opinion, could be the greatest GTI yet. So, tell me what you think in the comments,
15:35will it be worth the money? Will it be worth the wait? If you haven't already,
15:38please like, subscribe and ring the bell, and I'll see you in the next one.