The gradual decline of the hot hatch over the decade has been heartbreaking to watch with legendary models from former big hitters in the class such as Renault and Ford no longer produced.
Unfortunately, the coming years will likely see more of the same as the world shifts further to electrification.
Thankfully there are still some great hot hatches such as the iconic Volkswagen Golf GTI, now marking 50 years of sporting practicality.
Recently updated enough to gain extra .5 in its generational name, the Mk8.5 Volkswagen Golf GTI aims to right the wrongs of its Mk8 predecessor, most notably that model’s confusing infotainment system and a backward step in quality compared with the Mk7.5 it replaced. The Mk8.5 has also introduced sharper styling, physical steering wheel buttons and new standard features such as an even larger touchscreen in a bid to keep it fresh.
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Now priced from $58,990 plus on-road costs, the Mk8.5 is $2900 more expensive than the Mk8, but the additional equipment and things you can’t see but definitely feel such as the extra power and fruitier exhaust only add to the GTI’s value equation.
Other standard kit for the Mk8.5 GTI includes 19-inch alloys, LED exterior lighting with an illuminated front VW badge, adaptive dampers, tri-zone automatic climate control, a 12.9-inch touchscreen, wireless smartphone mirroring, sat-nav, a 10.2-inch digital driver’s display, 30-colour cabin ambient lighting, a chunky leather steering wheel with paddle shifters and safety features such as nine airbags, AEB, adaptive cruise and lane guidance, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive high beam.
The trademark GTI tartan trim? It’s thankfully still present, though buyers can spend an extra $3900 to add leather trim, heated and ventilated front seats and an electric driver’s seat with memory.
Other options include $300 ‘Kings Red’ metallic paint, a $1900 sunroof and a $2000 Sound and Vision Package with a 360-degree camera, head-up display and 480W Harman Kardon audio. Unlike many cars, the GTI’s talent doesn’t improve with options, so it’s easy to get away with an unoptioned example, as our test car was.
While some may wince at the $60k+ drive away pricing of the GTI, the formerly-$40k bargain Hyundai i30 N is now a minimum $55,000 drive away proposition. Want an i30 N Premium with metallic paint? That’s almost $60,000 drive away, and while the i30 N is more powerful, the price gap between the N and GTI has shrunk considerably.
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Under the bonnet of the Mk8.5 Golf GTI is the VW Group’s charming ‘EA888’ 2.0-litre turbo-four, in this tune making 195kW of power and 370Nm of torque. It’s the most powerful standard GTI ever, now quick enough for a 5.9-second 0-100km/h sprint and top whack of 250km/h. Adding to the quick feel are the instant shifts from the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which slurs at low speeds but is otherwise faultless. Volkswagen claims the Golf GTI will use 7.2L/100km of 95RON premium unleaded, and we achieved 8.4L/100km in our mixed testing.
The Mk8 set a new standard for dynamics for the Golf GTI thanks to its then-new ‘Vehicle Dynamics Manager’ central control system for the chassis, stability control and differential lock. The Golf GTI’s handling and agility was taken to new heights and became quite a serious hot hatch option, so have things changed with the Mk8.5? Well, thanks to some minor changes to the suspension, it’s actually even better than before.
The adaptive dampers have been reworked and now offer a total of 15 different settings, from soft and compliant to too stiff and reactive for Australia’s variable-quality roads. It can be left to pre-set comfort and sport modes, but playing with the individual mode adds extra magic to the GTI experience. Just a bit stiffer than the middle feels about right for bump absorption and body control for fast driving, while the steering only adds weighting – not feel – in its sport mode, so leave that to how you want it.
An i30 N is still ultimately more old school and fun than the GTI – the Golf is just too refined, and we love it for that – but the 15kW boost in power and snappy DSG ‘box make for a surprisingly fast hot hatch with high grip limits. Plus, unlike an i30 N, when it’s back in comfort mode and in A to B driving, it becomes a regular Golf with its excellent refinement and easy to drive nature. Small wonder that the GTI makes up such a big portion of overall Golf sales.
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The interior of the Mk8.5 Golf has been improved compared with the Mk8, with a quicker and easier to use infotainment system now housed in a larger 12.9-inch touchscreen, as well as new physical buttons for the steering wheel replacing the former touch capacitive ones. There have been minor trim changes and the digital driver’s display has also been upgraded – it overall feels more expensive inside than the Mk8, though still not quite to the highs of the luxurious Mk7.
The new 12.9-inch touchscreen – as we saw in last month’s test of the lower-spec R-Line – has been greatly improved for the Mk8.5 with quicker reaction times, a reworked menu layout and more shortcuts such as the temperature panel on the bottom of the screen for easier usability. It’s well featured too, but some layout issues remain and we wish it had a volume knob and not a slider. Hopefully the new Tiguan’s switchable volume knob and drive mode selector can be fitted to the Golf at some stage.
Reviews
Volkswagen Golf GTI’s mid-life makeover
Mid-life updates aim to keep the archetypal hot hatch fun and useable
April 15, 2025
A hallmark of the model, the Mk8.5 GTI is practical with plenty of storage options up front, including huge flock-lined door bins and a configurable central cup holder section. Two adults will be more than fine in the rear seat, enjoying amenities such as a separate climate zone, sectioned map pockets and charging ports. The 374-litre boot is slightly smaller than a i30 N, but almost double the size of a GR Corolla, and folding the rear seats unlocks a healthy 1230 litres for trips to Ikea.
A five-year/unlimited km warranty covers the Golf range, with the included 12 months of roadside assistance extended a further 12 months with each dealer service. Servicing the Golf GTI is expensive, with a $4170 bill for the first five years/75,000km, or $834 annually, which can be lessened slightly to $3570 with a pre-paid service pack.
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There’s never been a better handling, well-rounded Volkswagen Golf GTI than the Mk8.5. Sure, the material quality still doesn’t reach the highs of the Mk7, but the cabin is more practical, loaded with tech features and it’s still very comfortable. It’s also the most dynamic, fun and fast regular Golf GTI yet thanks to its revised adaptive dampers, trick differential and power boost to 195kW. If you want a hot hatch that does everything from taking the kids to school, carrying flatpack furniture or facilitating a backroad blast, the answer – once again – is the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Enjoy it while you still can.
SpecsModelVolkswagen Golf GTIPriceFrom $58,990 plus on-road costsDrivetrain1984cc turbocharged 4-cylinderPeak power195kW (@ 6500rpm)Peak torque370Nm (@ 1600rpm – 4300rpm)0-100km/h (claimed)5.9 secondsTop speed (claimed)250km/hTransmission7-speed dual-clutch, front wheel driveCombined fuel economy (claimed/as tested)7.2L/100km, 8.4L/100kmCO2 emissions/fuel type163g/kmFuel type/tank size95RON regular unleaded, 50 litresDimensions (l/w/h/wb)4289/1789/1472/2631mmBoot size374 litres (seats up), 1230 litres (seats folded)Kerb weight1435kgWarrantyFive-year/unlimited kmFive-year service cost$4170 (PAYG), $3570 (pre-paid)On saleNow
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