Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk8.5 review

The latest generation VW Golf GTI made its SA debut about five years ago. After a spell of ‘will they won’t they’, VW SA introduced the facelifted version here towards the latter part of 2025. We finally got our hands on the Mk8.5 GTI a few days ago to bring you this review.

We have a very long and friendly relationship with the famous hot hatch from VW. In fact, we have (now) driven every generation of the Golf GTI over the years. When the Golf GTI Mk8.5 pulled up at our office a few days ago, it was as though an old friend came by to visit. We are always happy to slide behind the wheel of a GTI, even if we are sometimes let down (we’re looking at you Mk3), and so was the case with the newest of its name.

Click here to check out three crazy GTI Concept cars.

What’s new?

VW designers have given the Mk8 a mild nip ‘n tuck. The front end is a bit sharper thanks to a new headlamp design. In addition there is a body-wide LED strip along with and illuminated ‘VW’ logo on front, all quite evident at night. There are now ‘GTI’ badges on the flanks, just below the side-view mirrors, which is a first, and also an easy way to tell the 8.5 apart from the Mk8.

VW now also throws in 19-inch alloys as standard, up from 18s on the Mk8. The changes are subtle, apart from the alloys and badges on the front doors, which would need a real GTI-head to pick the Mk8.5 from the pre-facelift version.

Click here to learn about the rarest Golfs ever sold in SA.

More changes inside

When VW launched the Mk8 it was lauded for many positive traits, however, there were a few gripes as well. Most of these were aimed at the infotainment system and remote buttons on the steering wheel. VW has added a brand new, 12,9-inch touchscreen. This new unit stands proud of the facia, which is different to the previous version.

More importantly, the system seems faster and more intuitive than it was before, which one one of the areas where the Mk8 seemed to lag behind other such systems. In addition, there are proper buttons on the steering wheel. Gone are the capacitive (ie light touch) pads that were so frustrating to use. These two upgrades have made both far more user-friendly. Another really nice upgrade are the new sports seats, now with multi-coloured designed.

Check out all the previous generations of Golf GTI by clicking this link.

Power Bump

One of the most notable changes to the Mk8 is one that you can’t see. VW has turned up the wick on the 2,0-litre turbocharged inline four. Where it previously delivered 180 kW, it now makes 195. Torque, however, remains unchanged at 370 N.m. The additional power slices 0,5 seconds off the benchmark 0-100 km/h sprint, which now takes 5,9 seconds. Top speed is still quoted as 250 km/h.

That power increase can really be felt, too. The latest GTI feels properly quick off the line for a front-wheel drive car. The acceleration times should be quite attainable and repeatable thanks to the car’s on-board launch control system. Speaking of which…

On road workout

Our little preference aside, VW’s DSG is one of the best in the business, in auto and driver-override modes. In everyday driving the transmission always seems to be in the right gear and responds with alertness to throttle inputs. There are also steering mounted paddles to take control of cog-swapping, should you be tackling your favourite road and prefer a gear that the car hasn’t deemed ideal.

There is plenty of grip from the car’s fully independent suspension set-up. You can really grab this GTI by the scruff of the neck and chuck it around at will. Understeer, once the bugbear of powerful FWD cars, is almost eliminated. The car’s clever electronics mimicking a limited-slip differential to keep the nose tucked into one’s chosen line. The electrically assisted helm doesn’t feed back as much info as we’d like, but it does weight up as the grip limit is approached.

If there is one complaint is that the suspension feels, to our bottoms, a little too firm. We played around with the car’s Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) system, but even on its softest setting it’s not forgiving enough. We took to continually scanning the road ahead for scarred tar that would be felt and heard in the cabin, for our own comfort and to protect those nice alloys on ultra low-profile rubber.

Summary

The Mk8.5 GTI cures the ills of its predecessor, which is a good thing. It shows that VW is taking note of owner (and maybe motoring journo) complaints and responding accordingly. A really nice touch was adding more power to the equation as well, making this car more attractive to potential buyers. Speaking of potential buyers…

This latest GTI is eye-wideningly close to the one million rand mark. That means the pool of buyers is not quite what it used to be, dissolving the ‘boy-racer/aspirational’ appeal of the badge. That would probably explain why we only saw one other Mk8 GTI on the roads during our review period, just one.

Sadly, the GTI is no longer a staple of the SA motoring landscape that it once was. It’s more grown up persona being overlooked for the likes of the GR twins from Toyota, which are more fun to pilot, offer AWD and have the added benefit of offering a manual transmission for keen drivers.

Model: Volkswagen Golf GTI (Mk8.5)
Price: R908 000
Engine: 2,0-litre inline four, turbocharged
Transmission: seven-speed automatic, FWD
Max power: 195 kW
Max torque: 370 N.m
Top speed: 250 km/h
0-100 km/h: 5,9 sec
Fuel consumption: 7,1 L/100 km