2010 Golf GTi First Drive Review
SHARPER, FASTER, tighter, leaner… yes, the benchmark for the sector is even better. Volkswagen’s new Golf GTI, now built ‘at home’ in Wolfsburg Germany, sets a new standard for the affordable hot-hatch, but at a familiar price.
If you enjoyed the old GTI (and who didn’t), you’re going to love this one.
It is simply a cracking drive: thread the needle accuracy at the wheel, fast, superbly balanced, an uncanny ability to keep power to the tarmac when pressing on (which belies its front wheel drive configuration), and as quick as a greased ferret around a mountain road.
And importantly, when at work, though the old GTI’s growl has been tamed it has been replaced with the most delicious and lascivious rasp. Even better; under the whip in the DSG, each change up – we’re talking 40 millisecond shifts here - is accompanied by a Formula 1-style “womp” from the twin pipes out back.
Driving the GTI hard is a wholly visceral experience which, at the price, simply wallops its closest competitors.
On the basis of this first drive (and some longer hours at the wheel will be a better test), Volkswagen would seem to have done everything right. When word gets out, the GTI is going to have Mitsubishi and Subaru chewing their pillows and breaking out into feverish sweats.
We put both variants through their paces in the Victorian Alps – the DSG and the six speed manual. It’s not possible to drive either of these cars without grinning like a perfect idiot.
For sublime balance, for performance at a price, for enjoyment at the wheel, the Golf GTI sets the standard. This is the ‘hot hatch’ at its finest.
(It’s fitting really, seeing as Volkswagen started this hot-hatch thing all those years ago with the first Golf GTI.)
Styling
If it has an Achilles heel, it might be that the new GTI’s styling is perhaps a little tame. It has lost the deep distinguishing grille of its predecessor, and now, though sublimely styled, shares more in common with its Golf-badged stablemates.
The grille, rimmed by red highlights top and bottom, is a nod to tradition and a return to the discrete styling of the original GTI’s red-framed blacked-out grille.
Unique to the new GTI is a deep, wide and aggressive lower air intake framed by neat vertical fog lights. This accentuates the width of the nose and the ‘low to the ground’ stance of the new car.
Lower by 22mm at the front and 15mm at the rear, sitting on fat guards-filling 17-inch alloys (or the optional 18-inch sports wheels), with side skirts, rear diffuser, neat integrated rear spoiler and wide-mounted twin pipes, there is no mistaking its performance intent.
Whatever the views about the styling (some will prefer its understatement, some won’t), Volkswagen’s new road warrior has an athletic and purposeful presence on the road.
Interior
Inside, besides deeply contoured sports buckets and their trademark GTI-tartan inserts, the new model GTI has the same appealing style and super fit and finish of the Golf range.
It is still mostly black on black, with few visual highlights, but there are no complaints with this work bench. As a colleague on the drive commented, “What is there not to like?”
The ergonomics are improved in the new car over the old ‘series 5’ GTI. It is now easier to ‘get set’ at the wheel. Fully adjustable for reach and rake, the steering wheel can now be set lower than in the previous model and the gear-shift falls a little better to hand.
It’s incremental, we’re talking minor adjustments here, but it’s the little things that make the difference when hard at work at the wheel.
Large twin dials – speedo and tacho - under a neat binnacle, multi-function flat-bottomed sports steering wheel and with all controls neatly centred, the studied understatement of the GTI’s exterior lines carry over to the styling of the interior. It works well, it’s a testament to Teutonic attention to detail and to function guiding form, and is simply a nice place to be.
Those deep buckets, whether trimmed in the optional black leather or with the standard dark tartan, proved comfortable and supportive, even when throwing the GTI over one of Victoria’s most challenging alpine roads.
The five-door offers good seating and legroom for four adults, and there is good access to the rear seats in the three door through the wide-opening doors.
Equipment and features
There are also few complaints about the standard features list of the new GTI.
With dual-zone climate control, air-conditioning, six-disc CD changer with touchscreen, MP3 compatible SD card slot (Bluetooth optional), eight speaker sound system and with Aux-in jack, the GTI comes with ample creature comforts.
It also comes with seven airbags: driver and passenger front and side airbags, driver’s knee airbag and curtain airbags front and rear. Below, there is ABS braking, stability control, brake assist and electronic brake pressure distribution.
There are other premium touches like heat-insulating tinted glass, low-tyre-pressure indicator, dust and pollen filters, halogen headlamps, footwell illumination and height-adjustable front and rear head-restraints.
Pedals – brake, clutch and accelerator - are aluminium finished. Don’t go looking for a full-size spare; instead, in the interest of weight saving (and in saving scarce resources) the GTI comes with a space-saver spare.
Mechanical package
Both power and torque are up in the new model: maximum power of 155kW is available from 5300–6200rpm. Maximum torque of 280Nm is available across an astonishingly wide 1700–5200rpm.
What those wide power and torque bands do, in practical terms, is give the GTI enormous tractability.
The lusty torque figure is a result of the long stroke (undersquare) configuration of the 2.0 litre DOHC turbo-charged four-pot up front. With an 82.5mm bore and 92.8mm stroke, and linear turbo delivery, the GTI has torque numbers approaching diesel territory.
At the wheel you can feel it. The GTI will pull readily even from taller gears, and when being rowed along through either of the six-speed boxes, spears effortlessly from apex to apex.
Interestingly, the new car achieves the higher power and torque figures from a diet of 95RON (whereas the old needed the more expensive 98RON).
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OMFG, this car is seriously hot… it ticks all the boxes.
1) its sexy
2) the chassis is simply magnificent
3) good power output.
4) price
5) the interior is mint (though looks very old-ish)
great review guys. keep it up!
Brilliant car, classically styled I love everything about it. I mean even the old Golf GTI still looks modern than most cars on the road and they never seem to do that now look that dates very quickly.
Thank you for building up the excitement to the GTI Driving Academy I will be attending early next week!
I guess there must be an option for leather upholstery, but will xenon headlights be there as well, but then the price won’t be sharp anymore…
I still prefer a MY09 WRX over this. AWD and 195 kW is too much of an enticement.
Not bad though, but once you tick a few boxes for DSG, leather, the 18 inch alloys (shown in pics above) the price will be nudging at 50k easy.
I hate reading reviews like this because it gets me depressed
Maybe a miracle will happen and a stranger will give me a suitcase with $45k in it. Sigh.
I didn’t even get a chance to SEE it before they all sold out… sob sob sob (Talking NZ here)
This is almost a perfect hot hatch. Some features that will make it even better are:
1) LED head/tail lights (as found on the new Audi A4)
2) The driver’s seat is too long and lacks rake settings. It is uncomfortable for people with short legs like myself.
3)
Ugly interior, ugly wheels, ugly car, slow turbo, only thing good about it is the steering wheel.
Not ricey enough for you, then?
7.7L/100km for the manual?
seriously?
Thats brilliant, god, buy the manual, with those awesome spartan seats, and its only 39 grand.
That is really getting awfully close to being the perfect hot hatch.
Sweet review too guys.
An XR5 will easily outrun it
A mate and I test drove a MkV demo a while back and neither of us could figure out what all the fuss is about with the GTi. The general feeling was that while other cars in the segment have clear strengths and flaws, the GTi does everything ‘well’, but nothing ‘brilliantly’. It’s no wonder that the majority of GTi drivers I see are chicks. A very average drive and average experience. I’ll have a WRX, a Megane, or an XR5 over this any day.
XR5 all the way. they also beat WRX’s. dunno about Meganes never been up against one.
Has TMR left any superalitives for the Golf R ?
How does the quality of the Mk VI GTI compared to the German built XR5? Because my German built Fiesta XR4 was really poor when it came to build quality, that’s the main reason I sold it.
Jess: the xr4 is a $25k car, and despite being built in germany, there’s only so much can they can do for that price.
Id say the new GTI’s quality would be better than the XR5’s simply because its VW compared to ford. however in my XR5, quality is excellent. In fact i have litterally 0 complaints (apart from maybe lack of cruise controll) about my XR5. performance: check, looks: check, practicality: check, value for money: check check, fun to drive: check check check check.
VW = 21st
Ford = 16th
2009 Consumer Reports Annual Car Reliability Survey
Dave: learn to read. the surveys american. completly different to australia in terms of cars offered, and reliability.
Also, ever sat in a Mk V GTI? Much better quality than a XR5 (and i own a XR5).
Thanks John, however I didnt ever state this was an Australian survey. Draw from my post what you will, however until you can show me an australian survey with differing results I reckon the survey is still a great indicator of manufacturer build quality and reliability. Its certainly a more scientific approach that sitting in the car. Granted - 1.4 million owners may be wrong……..
Hi Dave,
Thanks for your inspiring post.
How could you compare ford america with ford australia?
Look at americas 2009 focus, then compare it to ours.
Yeah your totally right, looking at an american survey completed by a bunch of americans who know very little about our cars and their quality, is so much better than driving both an XR5 and Mk V GTI and giving my unbiased opinion of which is better quality.
Also, most of the cars from that list are built in different factories when sold in australia and america. thats the big problem.
“Driving the GTI hard is a wholly visceral experience which, at the price, simply wallops its closest competitors.”
The DSG is a step up from a standard slushbox, not a manual. As an engineer the concept makes me wet, but it doesn’t make the experience more “visceral” at all.
“the GTI is going to have Mitsubishi and Subaru chewing their pillows”
Ummmmm…
Great review, thanks heaps! I was in for the drive experience, but can’t get to Sydney for it
enjoy it WOB-GTI!!! I love so much about this car, it’s the next choice. I don’t care too how many people bag this out for speed or performance or looks, this has extreme character - a real premium vehicle without the price tag. So glad the traditions are there for the MK1, will be sticking to a white paint job with tartan cloth…keep some history alive 
I agree with JML’s comment. It rings so true!
Yes the majority of GTI drivers seem to be female but I believe it’s because of the DSG option.The rest is made up of pompous males.
When I test drove the MKV I had the same feeling of “What’s all the fuss about”?.The acceleration was ok the handling was ok the suspension also ok,so I was left wondering with what impression has it left me interms of it’s performance as a ‘Hot” hatch unfortunately…nothing special .It’s a good all rounder but really nothing outstanding compared to other hot hatches.
This MKVI seems to do things a little better than the MKV GTI.
Fugly, plain, boring.
The car is so heavy. Turbo is weak.
Looks good in pictures, but looks boring after 2 hours.