South Africa is the land of the Golf GTI, so it goes without saying that the arrival of a new iteration of Volkswagen’s hot hatch tends to whipcar enthusiasts into a frenzy. We spent aday driving the all-new model around the Cape ahead of its official local launch to find out how much has changed and, ifit’s better than the “7.5”.

What’s new on the Golf GTI?

The 19-inch wheels fitted to this example are optionalthe Golf 8 GTI has 18-inch wheels as standard.

Now in its 8th generationand “rest assured,” Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) tells us, “it won’tthe last of its kind”, the Golf GTI has finally landed on our shores. To be fair though, while it may seem like a long time since its international launch a year ago, Mzansi is actually one of the first countries to receive this iteration of the GolfGTI, owing to the model’s incredible popularity in our market. The primary reason for its delayed arrival is not “Covid-19”, at not least directly – VWSA ascribes it to the global semi-conductor shortage, a problem that has forced the VW Groupto sourceits own EMS chips…

Nevertheless, the Volkswagen Golf 8 GTIis here now, so we should be celebrating the latest iteration of South Africa’s favourite hot hatch. The new model uses the same platform and same engineas its predecessor, but (as I will duly explain) with differing results. If ever there was a nameplate that pushed evolution over revolution, it’s the GTI.

A major update has occurred within the cabin – inside, the GTI has moved to a fully digital affair thanks to a new infotainment system with haptic feedback forthe touchscreen and steering-wheel buttons.

The same, but better, GTI engine

The 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol engine has been upgraded to produce peak power of 180 kW.

Those that live in aworld ruled by kilowatt (kW) top trumps will probably criticise the Golf 8 GTI for producinglower peak outputs than its rivals.However, it’s not as simple as that, becauseeach manufacturer has a different method for determining their engines’ outputs and it’s quite likely that VW “underquotes”its figures, whereas itsrivals don’t. The newcomer’s engine is the same as the unit in the Mk 7 and 7.5, but has been livened up to produce180 kW and 370 Nm of torque. The claimed 0-to-100 kph time is 6.4 sec,thanks to a brisk and beautifully refined 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DSG).

The Golf 8 GTI’s engine performance issurging – and refreshingly linear;small-capacity turbocharged engines tend to serve up a wadof torque at low revs, but the Wolfsburg-based brand’s hot hatch is evidentlytuned to avoid that. The 2.0-litre 4-cylinder powerplant continues to produce acceleration right the way to the rev limit and then smoothly transitions to the next gear without any fuss or so much as a hint of hesitation. The marketing slogan for our launch day was #Vrrpahh, which evokes the classic DSG bang that so many of us have heard echoingthrough our suburbs2 minutes before curfew starts.

I have to say, the usually percussive vrrr-pah! (apologies,VWSA, but that’s the way we spell the uniquely South African neologism on our SentiMETAL merchandise) feels very muted from inside the cabin, but that might just be because of the well-insulated cabin or to cater for a more, um, upmarket clientele. I expect many buyers will be stopping by aftermarket shops to enhance their GTIs’vrrr-pah!

What’s it like to drive the new Golf GTI?

The interior is all touch and haptic receptive now. It’s a luxury performer.

Make no mistake:the MQB platform underneath the new GTI is NOT identical to that of the outgoing GTI (7.5). A new aluminium front subframe (similar to that used on the previous Clubsport S) saves around 3 kg, while there isa raft of structural upgrades that increase overall stiffness and the rear suspension has been firmedup to improve stability. Therevision to therear suspension, in particular,has made a noticeable change to the GTI’s handling behaviour at speed. It’s rock-solid at the rear providing real confidence when you pile on the pace.

The steering too, is reassuringly weighted and quick, making the 8th generation of Volkswagen’s hot hatchmuch more responsive than its predecessors. I must have fiddledaround in the GTI’s touchscreen menu for 20 minutes before I found the ESC-adjustment toggle, but the exhaustivesearch was worth it… The Sport option in the ESC settings allows for a little more front-wheel slippage when the hot hatch puts down its power, well, at least before it has to rein in the fun(when “racy” turns into “unsafe”). ESC Sport seems to be a nice sweet spot; itallowsyou to explore the front-endlimits without overdoing it.

Admittedly, the Golf 8 GTI’s handling is not the last word in fun-to-drive dynamics– not that it’s been the benchmark for that in the hot hatch segment for a number of generations. It’s fast, yes and very stable when changing direction, but it never seems like there’s much more to explore when you really push it.

When the transmission is in manual-shiftmode, the throttle response to a downshift is slightly delayed, which is a little frustrating when you want that immediate response to a prod of the throttle. I suspect, however, that over the course of a lap of any circuit it will beat out the outgoing TCR by some margin.

Is the all-touch interior any good?

The one-piece leather sports seats are standard and very comfortable.

The Golf 8 GTI introduces a button-free interior (save for a few shortcut buttons situated around the hazard lights) that makes the touchscreen infotainment screen the port of call for all adjustments you want to make to the car configuration, audio system and climate control. The steering wheel too has touch-sensitive buttons that provide haptic feedback to let you know you’re adjusting things, but as I mentioned on the Tiguan we drove a week ago, I don’t think it’s any better than a standard button.

It’s certainly a good idea to get acquainted with the menu configuration before driving off as there is quite a lot to work through. Some functions are easy, like climate control and seat heating, but vehicle settings can be more difficult to work out. Thankfully the menu structure is very similar to that of a modern smartphone, so it’s intuitive.

The standard leather, one-piece seats are excellent and look particularly sporty, plus they’re electrically adjustable. The cabin, as a whole, looks modern, well put together and is luxurious in a way that Volkswagen does so well. In fact, the Golf 8 GTI’s cabin is the new benchmark in terms of appeal in the premium hatchback segment…

Golf GTI price and after-sales support

In a bid to match its rivals (or what’s left of them) the GTI has landed in South Africa with a starting price of R669 300, but if you start loading the options on, don’t be surprised if you get close to R800k for a fully loaded model. The GTI is sold with a 3-year/120 000 km warranty and a 5-year/90 000 km service plan.

Summary

An evolution of the previous version, but its formula for success is still “quintessentially GTI”.

The new Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI represents an evolutionary improvement over its predecessor. It was already a popular car and the new model’s improved power delivery, better handling and more luxurious interior will only add to the mass appeal of the package. The muted tailpipe expulsions will have aftermarket tuners hurriedly getting louder Vrrr-pah!pipes to market so expect your local WhatsApp group to be busier than ever with complaints.