The youth of 1976 not only fought to abolish apartheid by marching against Afrikaans being gazetted as a medium of instruction across township schools. Precious young lives were lost, but also, liberations were gained, and today, we can look back at the gallant bravery displayed by those students who simply refused to conform to oppression by another. I continue to doff my hat to them, as this is a stark reminder of the adage that if you do not stand for something, you will fall for anything.
Thankfully, across in Germany that very year, the birth of the legendary Golf GTI took its course and culminated in this updated 8th-generation specimen five decades on, which has finally reached our shores. I say finally, because the Golf GTI 8.5 variant had to go under further engine development for its powerplant to run reliably on our dirty fuel. Nonetheless, it is here, and it seems it was worth the wait. For 50 years now, the Golf GTI has stuck to its guns and created a segment of players who have tried to emulate the model with partial to no success.
Design
Stylistically, the latest GTI has seen a few cosmetic updates that have moved it a step ahead of the modern queue, thanks to the signature grille now with an LED lightbar flanking the illuminated logo and bisecting the headlights. It looks the part under a night sky, particularly with the ice-cube-like fog lights also doing their part. New 19-inch Queenstown alloy wheels have an Alfa Romeo teledial-esque design, while GTI logos are now also placed on the front doors. The rear, meanwhile, has remained essentially the same, save for the clear and smoked light clusters. Overall, it remains a clean, uncorrupted design that remains distinctly Golf.
Cabin
The interior has also been given the once-over, with the steering wheel now featuring physical buttons instead of those dreadful haptic ones. At the same time, the infotainment screen has also been upgraded to a setup similar to that in the Tayron and the Golf 1.4 TSI, which has better UX (User Experience) and crisper graphics. Those bucket-type front seats still offer excellent comfort and body support, with hugging capabilities that have been Golf GTI traits for the past four generations, in my experience. If, like me, you’re an audiophile, then please spec your GTI with the optional Harman Kardon sound system and thank me later.
Drivetrain
Powering the model is a reworked 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-pot engine with 195kW (15kW up from the previous model) and 370Nm powering the front wheels via a 7-speed DSG transmission to achieve a claimed 5.9-second 0-100km/h sprint on its way to an electronically governed 250km/h. The extra muscle has definitely made the package that much more alert to throttle inputs, and the gearbox punches so eloquently through each cog, while low to mid-range performance has markedly been improved making the vehicle feel much more drivable and urgent than previously. Even the exhaust has been tuned for a more audible experience, while the blend of surefooted handling and comfort remains the hallmark of the Golf and the GTI version is no exception to the rule.
You can potter around town in its most comfortable mode, and it rides with the clarity not far removed from a premium sedan, but tighten things up a bit in sport mode, and it adheres to the tarmac with velcro-like alacrity, thanks to the electronically controlled differential. It is this very Jekyll and Hyde nature of the model that makes it such an accomplished hot hatch.
Verdict
Being the benchmark and leader in the segment takes some doing, and remaining at the zenith is something not guaranteed unless you incrementally improve on an already working recipe, and two models in the automotive industry have retained this. The Porsche 911 and Golf GTI continue to be the models that others try to mirror or beat, and, quite frankly, many have come close but no cigar. You see, for five decades, VW has continued to develop the GTI recipe, improving its taste without straying away from the main ingredients. It unequivocally remains the class-leader, the benchmark for others to emulate, and while it might not be perfect, it does a mighty fine job attempting to. Celebrated across walks of life from Suburbia to Townships across Mzansi, it remains the heartbeat of our car culture.
And like the valiant students of the 1976 Soweto uprising that we continue to salute 50 years on, we say long live the holy grail of hot hatches. Viva Golf GTI, Viva!
