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The latest VW Golf GTI, which is due to make its debut next week at the Paris motor show, uses the reskinned Golf's wide, shallow upper grille to underpin the front of the hot hatch with a dominant, road-eating lower grille.

"The effect is to visually widen the GTI to make it look much more aggressive and sporty," said exterior design chief Mark Lichte.

The aggressive styling of the new Volkswagen Golf GTI will become the family look for the next generation of GTI-badged Volkswagen...Read the full article

"Same alloys, slightly re-painted". This smacks of major cost cutting. Tut Tut.

The increased quality inside the cabin is very noticeable but the overall design of the car is a huge disappointment. While the standard Golf looks ok, in my opinion the GTI really misses the mark from a design point of view. The other thing is I yet have to read an article posting about the weight of the mk6, I wonder how much bigger it got...Right now I'm thinking either mk5 GTI or mk5 R32 over the mk6.

In terms of design, I'd stick with the Mk 5 GTI.  The only redeeming features of the new model are possibly the side view mirrors and steering wheel.  Couldn't VW at least manage to include a new set of rims to go with the car? 

kirin98:

In terms of design, I'd stick with the Mk 5 GTI.  The only redeeming features of the new model are possibly the side view mirrors and steering wheel.  Couldn't VW at least manage to include a new set of rims to go with the car? 

Spot on. I think the new one looks good, but there's not enough about it to make me want to buy one over a decent second hand MK5 version. However, I'm glad they kept the old rims - they look great and it also means that if I do buy a MK5 it will still look up to date.

This was originally reported as the same engine as the new A4 (2.0TFSI 211PS).  However the A4 Avant manages 0-62 in 7.1s vs. the new GTI's reported 7.2 and CO2 figures are reported elsewhere as 178 g/km vs. 160 g/km for A4 Avant.

As the A4 is a heavier car, this must be an inferior engine, but why when the Audi engine is avilable?

All new Golfs have been evolutionary. The mark six, GTi or other, is no different.

I could not agree more. I even recall it was Autocar who published the exclusive that said it would have the variable valve Audi 2.0TFSI engine.

So, Autocar, or anyone sensible, why are VW missing such an obvious trick here?

At least a new engine with more power, less emissions, better performance and better consumption would offset the more visible carryovers from the Mk V, like those blingy wheels....

 

To not use this latest engine , and fit old model wheels is totally illogical.

Rather have the scirocco.

RobotBoogie:

All new Golfs have been evolutionary

I agree, but now it's hard even to see where the evolution is...

Bottie:

I could not agree more. I even recall it was Autocar who published the exclusive that said it would have the variable valve Audi 2.0TFSI engine.

As far as I know, the Golf GTI VI's engine is the same as the Audi 2.0TFSI, in say the A4, being the EA888 and not the previous EA113, but as you say, it does not have the Audi Valvelift System head, which gives the circa 50-70Nm greater torque and a litre or so less fuel consumption per 100km.

I suppose all one can say is VW Audi need to keep a distance in the marketplace. Audi pushes their Valvelift System as part of the reason and price-justification for buying say an A4 over a Passat or a Superb. Plus VW themselves need to keep headroom above the 210PS GTI for a 4wd successor to the R32 with probably a version of the Audi S3 motor or TTS motor instead of a thirsty V6.

Well at least we get a bit of red around the grille - although I remember studiously removing it from one of my Mk1's years ago!

 Agree on the wheels as well, they don't look good.