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For almost as long as Volkswagen has had the Rabbit/Golf, it has had the GTI — and a hearty thank you to the Wolfsburg firm for that. When it first arrived in North America in late 1982, the pocket rocket was a much-needed shot of adrenalin, a compact three-door hatchback that drove and handled like no other budget-based car before it.
Yes it was pricey, at least up against Honda Civics, Ford Escorts, Dodge Omnis and numerous other econoboxes long forgotten, but it was worth it, memory serving that it was pretty much in a league of one.
What hasn’t changed in the last 27 years is that the GTI remains the über-Golf (at least in Canada, where the significantly quicker, much pricier, AWD R32 is not sold). What has changed is the number of equally premium-priced small performance cars. Volkswagen acknowledges the Mazdaspeed 3 and Mini Cooper S as the new, sixth-generation GTI’s most direct rivals, with a nod to the likes of the Subaru WRX and the Civic Si.
When the German-built Gen VI shows up in Canada this October as a 2010 model, it is going to debut a thorough refreshening of its body and interior (which is based on the brand new Golf), the refinement of the carryover Gen V’s powertrain and an increased level of technical sophistication (some features, sadly, not destined for our shores — at least not yet).
Under the hood is the current model’s turbocharged, 2.0-litre, direct-injection TSI four-cylinder engine. With 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque to play with, VW claims a zero-to-100-kilometres-an-hour time of 7.2 seconds for the six-speed manual model and 6.9 seconds for the dual-clutch, six-speed DSG transmission.
Fuel economy is listed as 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway and 10.0 L/100 km in the city for the six-speed manual and 6.8/9.0 for the DSG, decent mileage that will disappear as soon as one gets on the throttle.
The GTI retains its front-wheel-drive layout and three- and five-door body styles. Canadian models will come with a sportier suspension than European models. However, a new electronic transverse differential lock called XDS, which directs more torque to the outside wheel during aggressive cornering, will not be offered.
Even without XDS, the 2010 GTI is a beautifully composed machine that, while quick in a straight line well past the point of legal speed limits, lives for the twisty bits, which were in abundance on a meandering drive from Nice southwest toward St. Tropez. Eschewing the scenic but traffic-congested coastal route overlooking the Cote d’Azur, my driving partner and I motored into the ancient mountain range of l’Esterel in a three-door, DSG-equipped, Euro-spec model in search of serpentine tarmac through the woods and the red rocks.
While I’m a dedicated manual gearbox user (and the manual is as slick as they come), the optional DSG — a dual-clutch transmission using direct shifting that automatically engages and disengages gears sans clutch pedal — is a delight. A computer engages one clutch on the next gear needed, just as it releases the other clutch from the previous gear. Drivers have a choice of using the console-mounted stick shift or steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Upshifts are instantaneous and seamless; downshifts are equally quick. It was super-easy to get the GTI into a rhythm, balancing the car in the transitions with throttle, gear selection and steering, using the brakes sparingly except for the tightest hairpins.
Taking a break from tearing up the tarmac provided the opportunity to go over the Gen VI’s changes. At first viewing, the new GTI doesn’t seem as aggressive as its immediate predecessor, but that changes the more one takes in the details. The entire front fascia is new, with the traditional red stripes over the honeycomb mesh in a thinner, more horizontal grille. The slimmer side sills no longer extend from the front wheelwell to the back. There’s a prominent character line extending from the headlights to the tail lights. The rear end is highlighted by a diffuser and two separate chrome exhaust pipes, one on the left and the other on the right, and new, more rectangular tail lights. The cool Cuisinart blade-style alloy wheels (called Denver in VW-speak) are retained. The new GTI sits slightly lower than its predecessor — by 26 millimetres. It’s also about 20 mm wider.
Inside, the interior sees a sportier and more upscale dashboard than Gen V. The new model gets the obligatory red stitching, retro tartan cloth trim for its supremely comfortable sport seats and a racing style steering wheel with a flat bottom, like the one in the limited-edition Fahrenheit edition a couple of years ago. Control buttons and knobs are copious, but the most important ones are logically placed and easy to find. Front-seat room in either model is generous, while those less than six-feet-tall should find adequate rear-seat accommodations, at least with the five-door.
The Gen VI GTI will find itself up against quicker cars — especially the upcoming, next-generation Mazdaspeed 3 — and less expensive cars, and probably less expensive, quicker cars. I’m doubtful any will match the GTI in refinement, comfort and prestige, the latter earned with more than 30 years of history, starting at a time when such a car was so sorely needed.
Pricing will be announced closer to the GTI’s October release date, but its starting price should be close to the current model’s $27,795 sticker.
SOURCE: network.nationalpost
