Everyone’s quintessential hot hatch made quite the fumble during the transition from the dizzy heights of its predecessor into the current model. Somehow, the people at Wolfsburg decided that the new Volkswagen Golf GTI needed to fix something that was not broken in the outgoing Golf GTI Mk7, less digitisation and screens. Needless to say,
When much of the attention surrounding a new hot hatch is unfortunately centred around navigating the clumsy infotainment interface, you know you have messed up bad.
If you have ever tried to poke, stroke, tap or slide your way through the GTI Mk8’s interface, you’ll know how immensely frustrating it can be.
Further on from that though, the crux of the irritation perhaps pointed back to everyone’s favourite hot hatch losing a little of the aggression in its personality.
The hot hatch was always meant to be a dual-purpose everyday fun little car to drive. It had to juggle school runs and supermarket trips with spirited driving and accomplishing all that to the tenths. The Golf GTI was the textbook definition of that, always delivering on both fronts, especially the Mk7 that brought back some of that raw aggressiveness.
There was no doubting the Mk8’s outright power nor its ability to just cover huge lengths with immense speed, always a prerequisite for the hot hatch, but it just did not feel as fun to do so in anymore.
You may also be interested: Volkswagen Unveils Golf GTI Sepang Edition – A Tribute to Malaysian Motorsport
Volkswagen is trying to address that with the Mk8.5 GTI and it only has one last shot for a perfect send off. You see, after this the Golf GTI supposedly goes electric, so this will be one last petrol hurrah.
Subtle Cosmetic Enhancements
Visually, there is not much to talk about. The Matrix LED headlights have been reshaped slightly to appear sleeker on the Mk8.5. Below them, the large grille retains the honeycomb pattern and the five-point LED fog lights that integrates into the grille’s openings. Completing the front changes are visual ‘fangs’ that lend it a more square-jawed façade.
Everything appears sharp until you switch on the lights, and notice the headlights are linked by a lightbar that also illuminated the logo, perhaps a little busy in someone’s rear-view mirror.
At the rear, the LED taillights get a new 3D signature but weirdly, the Malaysian model keeps the previous 18-inch Richmond alloy wheels while the rest of the world gets new telephone-dial inspired 19-inch rollers.
Feels like home?
The cabin is a pleasant place to be in, regardless of if you are sending the kids to school or barrelling down your favourite B-road towards the next corner.
You may also be interested: Volkswagen Prepares to Electrify Iconic GTI and Golf R Line-Up with Groundbreaking Performance Models
Remnants of the digitisation are still present, a larger 12.9-inch touchscreen with a bank of haptic controls beneath that are touch sliders for the volume and climate control temperature. Finally though, the sliders are illuminated to give us mortals a fighting chance against the cold and deafening noise when the sun sets.
However, some key functions still require one too many touches on the screen to access, for instance, to adjust the climate control fan speed. It might seem menial but over our time with the car, it led to some vexation.
That said, the driving position is fantastic. The bucket seats are incredibly supportive and offer a wide scope of powered adjustability with lumbar support. You sit a little behind, your shoulders almost aligned with the B-pillar for perfect hand reach to the steering. Even with the rearward seating position, rear legroom is never an issue, keeping the practicality scale well into the positive still.
One of the most welcome upgrades, apart from the extra 20PS, is the return to physical buttons on the steering wheel, replacing the annoying haptics. That said, you will need some time to familiarise with the digital instrument cluster’s plethora of options.
Overall, the Mk8.5 GTI does all the normal stuff really well to keep the split personality somewhat balanced. It is spacious, had a big boot and is comfortable for daily driving.
Power is not everything
The venerable 2.0-litre turbocharged EA888 engine under the hood enters its latest guise as the most powerful ever fitted to a base GTI. It makes an extra 20 ponies to clock in at 261PS. While power was never the GTI’s selling point against its rivals, it made a name on the linear delivery and composed nature at going fast.
You may also be interested: Volkswagen Celebrates GTI Legacy with Most Powerful Golf Yet: The Golf GTI EDITION 50
You will notice the bump in power, especially at the top, but it does little to add some flair into the engine’s generally flat and one-dimensional personality. Still, very much forgivable given that the mill gets the job done with nary a fuss and has a broad powerband for versatility.
Sticking it to the road
The Mk8.5 obviously maintains the proven MQB platform, meaning MacPhersons at the front and multi-links out back. Volkswagen did state that the suspension tuning has been revised for different wheel sizes and even for models with Dynamic Chassis Control, which is standard here. This gives the driver 15 different damping options to fine-tune the ride.
We found that the best, as is often the case, requires ramping up the powertrain to Sport and leaving the damping plus steering in Comfort. However, most of the time, Comfort across the range was more than sufficient to get everything done.
If you are headed for a track day, something between Comfort and Sport is the best as maxing out the damping makes it unbearable save for a perfect surface. Here, we do recommend taking your time to figure out the best damping that works for you as it adds another dimension to the already capable GTI’s dynamics.
Drive it like you stole it
The problem with juggling dual roles in a hot hatch is that the split is rarely perfectly balanced and the Mk8 was persecuted to have lost some of the rawness from the Mk7, leaning towards Dr. Jekyll more than Mr. Hyde.
However, most of its rivals are the opposite, gaining some aggression and ceding away the calmness that dictates its daily usability. One might argue that the onslaught of hotter hatches in the mould of the Golf R and fire-breathing Mercedes-AMG A45, a little restraint works in the favour of reigning in a regular hot hatch to more sensible levels.
The seven-speed DSG is the only gearbox option and while many lament the lack of proper manual hot hatches here save for the Honda Civic Type-R, the truth is we are slowly but surely beginning to forget the third pedal.
You may also be interested: 2026 Volkswagen Golf R-Line Mk8.5 Priced From RM 180k In Malaysia, 1.5L Mild Hybrid, 150hp/250 Nm
Shifts are quick and you rifle through them. The DSG suites the revised engine’s power much better as the mill pulls hard throughout the powerband from 3,000rpm onwards, and really takes it up a notch as it nears the 6,500rpm redline. As monotonous as the engine’s personality is, there is no questioning how hard and torquey it surges in the upper revs.
Maybe an unwanted characteristic of numbing the GTI surfaces in the shifts, as relying on downshifts to slow down for corners is a bit laggy and feels like there could be a little more room for revs to compensate.
You may also be interested: Volkswagen Bids Farewell to Manual Golf GTI and Golf R
Another downside in the Dr’s win is the steering. Volkswagen assures us the Mk8.5 has had it reworked but it still does not feel as communicative. For daily driving it is perfect but push a little and you will be wanting for more feedback push even more and you might feel like you are about to be ghosted.
Even under Sport mode, the weightage is increased but is plainly artificial. Launch into a corner and you will get it out cleanly but the chatter that always lets you know what the front is up to is gone.
A huge contributor to pulling you through that corner is the electronically controlled XDS+ differential with a multi-plate clutch. The locking factor is not as aggressive but in this case, it works in its favour.
Wrangle it through a corner and you don’t get that feeling of it locking up tight to yank the nose into the corner, instead calmly blending into a natural line, allowing predictability and smoothness. Get close to the limit and you will the steering lighten a little as the diff locks.
On bumpy roads, especially mid-corner, the GTI displays a hint of shimmying but nothing alarming.
Initially, its reserved nature is so calming that you end up being lulled into driving in a civil manner, casting the impression of the GTI losing its killer instinct. That is not the case. Pushing the Mk8.5 unlocked levels that proved its personalities extended well beyond being double-faceted and drivetrain combination was key to widening that spectrum. The caveat is that you need to consciously do so.
To really get the most out of it though, you will have to intentionally spank it. Use the paddle shifters, set the dampers stiffer and go hard. The limits will surprise you.
Brakes are sufficient and bite well though they can be sensitive at times so you will need to learn how to rightly modulate the pedal into a corner.
The rear is compliant and does not come around aggressively with mid-corner lift, just the right amount to set up a quick exit trajectory.
Wrapping those Richmond alloys are Bridgestone Potenza S005 rubbers that is a flawless match for the GTI. It works well with the diff and chassis dynamics, even in the wet. However, it channels in a ridiculous amount of road noise and resonance into the cabin, further amplified by rough surfaces.
Conclusion
The GTI will always be the perfect hot hatch. While its rivals gave prominence to the performance side and made the Golf appear to be diluted, the truth is it just evolved and developed more than two facets to increase its already impressive versatility.
It covers ground quickly and is capable of doing so for a family in comfort. We still find it hard to forgive that tweaking the climate control fan speed requires a touch too many, but in the end, it is hard to not appreciate the breadth of the Mk8.5’s capabilities that shows it has redefined the segment.
You may also be interested: Volkswagen Sets Malaysia Book of Records with Largest Gathering of Golf Models at 2024 Golf Fan Fest
Specifications
Engine: 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, Direct-injected, Turbocharged
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (DSG)
Price (as tested): RM 257,012 (w/o insurance)
We like: Usability, practicality and accessible performance
We don’t like: Complicated climate control fan speed