THE FAST SHOW (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 68

With each generation, the Volkswagen Golf GTI becomes more polished, but not every evolution of this 'Gran Turismo Iniezion' (or 'GTI') model has proved to be a real step forward. This MK8 model though, was, combining fresh technology with advanced chassis dynamics, plus a little of the original GTI DNA still remained. Let's check the original version of this MK8 Golf GTI model out as a used buy.

Modelsword count: 4

5dr Family Hatchback (GTI)

Historyword count: 353

Before Volkswagen dreamed up the Golf GTI, there was no such thing as a 'hot hatchback'. Now the phrase has entered everyday parlance and virtually any manufacturer that has a hatchback also has a hot one - or a warm one at the very least. It was 1976 when the original version of this car was born and since then, through numerous generations and with the help of countless imitators, it has brought performance, handling and fun to the masses on an unprecedented scale. The Golf GTI we look at here was the mark eight and claimed to be the best yet. But did that mean 'best of breed' or 'best in class'? This car, after all, might have long defined the hot hatch genre but it's rarely been recognised as the most accomplished car in its sector. In fact, to be brutally honest, there have been some distinctly average Golf GTI models over the years, the low point reached in the Nineties with unremarkable third and fourth generation models. All that changed though in 2005 with a completely re-developed fifth generation version that also lent its platform and most of its 2.0-litre turbo mechanicals to the slicker MK6 design that followed in 2009. For the first time since the Seventies and early Eighties, a hot Golf was a credible driver's choice once again. By 2013 though, Volkswagen's iconic shopping rocket was beginning to be overtaken by a whole host of rivals, all of whom offered more firepower and greater technical superiority. Another big step forward was called for - and this MK8 car's predecessor, the seventh generation Golf GTI, represented exactly that, thanks to its extra power, hi-tech MQB platform and more sophisticated suspension and steering. This eighth generation 'CD1'-series model that arrived in 2020 didn't re-invent that modern-era Golf GTI formula, but it did develop it quite a long way - as we're about to see. It was joined in 2021 by a 300PS GTI Clubsport model. Here, we'll focus on the early 2020-2024 straightforward GTI versions of this model, the cars produced before the mid-term facelift that arrived in mid-2024.

What You Getword count: 915

Because with this eighth generation GTI model, styling chief Klaus Bischoff and his team had to keep basically the same structure as before, they were a little limited in how much could be done to fundamentally change the design of this car, by now only offered in a single five-door hatch body style. Within those constraints though, quite a lot was done here, much of it aimed at creating a low visual centre of gravity, primarily achieved through the wide air intakes at the front and the striking shoulder line. You'll note the main differences at the front, where traditional model line touches - things like the classic 'GTI' badging and the red strip across the radiator grille - are blended into the lower, more menacing nose that was a feature of this eighth generation Golf design. Full-LED headlights fitted with the brand's intelligent 'I.Q. Light' matrix beams were standard and an LED strip in each headlamp mirrors the red grille line when the daytime running lights are activated - or when the driver approaches with the key. You might find the wide lower grille and fairy-light LED front foglamps to be a little fussy, but there are some undeniably nice touches - like the way the radiator grille illuminates as a continuation of the headlamp LED daytime running light strip. Much less is different from the side, where you might pick up the fact that this variant rides 15mm lower than a regular Golf. The profile is characterised by three elements; this 'GTI'-branded front wing signet badge; wide black lower side skirt sills featuring a splitter design similar to that found on race cars; and unique 18-inch 'Richmond' alloy wheels with red brake calipers, which could on request be upgraded to larger 19-inch rims (the biggest ever fitted to a Golf GTI). Full-LED tail lights feature at the rear and the GTI lettering was positioned centrally under the Volkswagen emblem. This hot hatch variant appears to be even flatter than less powerful Golf models thanks to a roof spoiler that extends significantly towards the rear and is painted in vehicle colour at the top, with glossy black at the bottom. Lower down, a sporty diffuser distinguishes this car from lesser Golfs and, in keeping with GTI tradition, this eighth generation model's exhaust system had one tailpipe on the left and one on the right. Inside, there's certainly plenty here that'll be familiar to Golf GTI regulars; like the GTI sports seats in tartan with their black side bolsters and the three silver double spokes on the dished sports steering wheel. The manual model got a dimpled 'golf ball'-style gear knob too. Despite this, the over-riding impression for loyal owners will probably be of just how different everything is. Not really because of freshly added detail touches like the pulsating starter bar, the extra steering wheel touch controls or, on the DSG auto variant, a much shorter, stubbier drive selector. No, what was primarily different here lay with the adoption of what Volkswagen called a completely 'digital' cabin. As on an ordinary MK8 Golf from this period, this came courtesy of the brand's so-called 'Innovision Cockpit', which fuses a 10.25-inch digital instrument binnacle screen with a 10-inch centre-dash screen. With the 'Digital Cockpit Pro' instrument binnacle screen, the virtual gauges were embellished in this hot hatch model with stylised GTI-branding and a smart honeycomb background. This display is a little smaller than the 'Virtual Cockpit' screen you'd get in a rival Audi S3, but it works in much the same way, a 'View' button on the steering wheel offering a choice of four graphic layouts. Anything this instrument binnacle display can't tell you - and much that it can - will be covered off by that 10-inch centre-dash touchscreen we mentioned earlier, which was a decent step forward from the 'Composition Media' monitor fitted to the previous generation model - which already was better than rival set-ups. This replacement 'Discover Media Navigation' system put this Golf even further beyond its competitors' reach in this regard, when it comes to clarity and ease of use. You'll have to get used to a few things about it though, primarily the curious slider at the bottom of the screen for volume control, which not everyone likes. Enough with screens and digitalisation. What else do you need to know here, apart from the fact that as usual on a Golf, build quality's impeccable. Maybe that the ergonomics are predictably faultless. And that the seats (which come with integrated headrests and lumbar adjustment) are brilliantly supportive. The combination of these tiny front quarterlights and slim A-pillars mean good frontward vision too. Over-the-shoulder vision isn't quite as good; the large C-pillars rather get in the way, so it's just as well that rear parking sensors were standard-fit. A rear view camera wasn't. In the back, thanks to the extra 16mm of length between the wheels with this MK8 design, there was a fraction more legroom than in the MK7 model, so a pair of six-foot adults could be accommodated reasonably here, providing front seat occupants don't slide their seats fully back. As for the boot, well your sales person might reference the fact that the 381-litre space provided here is 40-litres more than you get in a rival Ford Focus ST. Pushing forward the conventional 60:40 split-rear bench you get frees up 1,237-litres across a load area that'll be virtually flat if you have the boot floor in its upper position.

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