When it comes to the hatchback segment, there is no doubt that the Volkswagen Golf is the most popular pick. A vehicle that has been annihilating competition for over four decades, the Volkswagen Golf has seamlessly entered into the topic of legendary vehicles of modern history. And as if its popularity is not enough, Volkswagen has introduced the eighth generation of the Golf with a lot more modern design elements and upgraded feature offerings.
While the commuter version of the Golf is already peppy in itself, the GTI adds a punch of power making it represent the proper definition of a hot-hatch. And for the 2022 model year, the Golf GTI goes through a sizeable revamp, with a redesigned exterior outlook that includes sleek LED Headlights and a wide lower grille with the fog lights integrated into it. On the inside, the Golf GTI is draped with plaid upholstery with cutting-edge features like a dual digital display that are offered as standard as well as a redesigned dashboard.
Performance |
Exterior |
Features |
2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four-cylinder direct-injection TSI® engine |
Projector Beam LED Auto-Leveling Directionally Adaptive Headlamps |
Three 12V DC Power Outlets |
241 hp / 273 lb. -ft. |
18-inch 2-Tone Machined Alloy Wheels |
8.25-inch Touchscreen Display |
Six-speed manual transmission |
Speed Sensitive Rain Detecting Variable Intermittent Wipers with Heated Jets |
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility |
Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) |
Rocker Panel Extensions |
Bluetooth connectivity |
The 2022 Golf GTI is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four-cylinder engine that produces 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. The horsepower output for the 2022 model year version has been bumped by 13 horses and the torque has been bumper by 15 pound-feet. The engine is mated to a six-speed manual transmission while an optional seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is also available. Regardless of the trim or configuration, you opt for, all the Golf GTI vehicles are equipped with a front-wheel-drive drivetrain. The Golf GTI stays true to its performance aesthetic and is extremely nimble in any and every form of usage. To give you an idea, a Golf GTI with the seven-speed automatic transmission can sprint to 60 MPH from a standstill in a speedy 5.7 seconds, almost 0.7 seconds faster than the previous model year version.
Coming to the interior, the Golf GTI offers a sense of subtleness and a simplistic design aesthetic all around. The base trims come with cloth upholstery with scale paper plaid inserts. Moving to the higher trims, you can get perforated Vienna leather seating surfaces with heated and power-adjustable front seats. Not to forge red contrast stitching to enhance the look of the GTI interior. The base trim gets an 8.25-inch touchscreen display while the top-end Autobahn trim is upgraded with a 10-inch touchscreen display which goes really well with the 10.3-inch digital instrument gauge cluster. All the trims come with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth connectivity.
Just as peppy and comfortable as the Golf GTI is, it is just as safe. The Golf GTI offers a wide array of safety features as standard which include features like lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, and automated emergency braking system with pedestrian detection, to name some of the many features offered.