Volkswagen Golf GTI Review 2025: Price, specs & boot space

If you want the fastest and most hardcore hot hatchback that shouts the loudest about its pace, and will give you a huge adrenaline rush on a circuit, then the Volkswagen Golf GTI probably won't be your bag. But then it's never really been about that. 

The Golf GTI will be right for you if you want it to make the twisty way home more enjoyable, but you also want a car that'll excel at the boring commutes, take your family on holiday in comfort and refinement and even deliver decent miles-per-gallon. It's the king of the real-world, not the race track. 

We reckon the flagship VW Golf GTI Clubsport is well worth the extra money. It's very nearly as good as the standard GTI at the daily grind, but that slightly sharper feel and healthy performance boost means it'll put a bigger smile on your face. Since VW doesn’t offer a manual gearbox on the GTI any more, you’re also not missing out on shifting your own gears by opting for the top model.

If you’re concerned about running costs though, particularly as a company car user, then two GTI-adjacent models might be of interest: the 272PS plug-in hybrid Golf GTE, and the all-electric Volkswagen ID.3 GTX Performance, with 326PS and rear-wheel drive.

There's a pretty wide variety of alternatives to the VW Golf GTI on sale, with both mainstream and premium badges on the bonnet.

That said, it’s not as wide a variety as it used to be. Since the GTI arrived in 2020, we’ve lost key rivals like the Renault Megane RS and Hyundai i30N, both of which were capable of giving the GTI a very hard time. Recent updates to the BMW 1 Series mean the 128ti is no longer on sale either.

Thankfully, the Ford Focus ST still exists, as does the Honda Civic Type R, though the latter is a much more serious car than the GTI or even the GTI Clubsport, and a bit more expensive. There’s some in-house competition from the Cupra Leon and the Skoda Octavia vRS, and even more from the Audi S3, though that’s more of a Golf R competitor as it’s four-wheel drive, much like the Mercedes-AMG A35. 

Judged by the general standards of the mainstream hot hatch class the Golf GTI's interior is pretty classy and solid, with a decent mix of materials and a general feeling that it won't fall apart after a few years of hard use. 

It's that bit nicer than the GTI's cheaper siblings from SEAT and Skoda, with neat touches such as ambient lighting adding to the sense of polish. But when you start to poke and prod around a bit more, you realise that it really isn't that much of a step up from those cars, with some hard, scratchy plastics dotted about the place and (on our text example) the odd trim rattle. We're not a huge fan of the fingerprint-magnet gloss black trim, either. 

None of this would be a big issue if this wasn't a VW Golf. In the previous generation car it really did feel like a premium product, significantly better than mainstream rivals and it was capable of showing up posher ones, too. The current car just doesn't set the standard in that respect any more. It's fine, but not outstanding.

More than anything else, the infotainment system was what really put us off about the Golf GTI at launch in 2020. And we weren’t the only ones – just about everybody complained about the complexity and slow responses of the 10-inch screen, and even more about how so many previously physical controls (in the Mk7 Golf’s well-ordered cabin) were now touchscreen-only.

The touch-sensitive sliders for adjusting temperature and volume, below the screen, were worst of all – difficult to use accurately, and not backlit, so they became invisible at night. Finally, the buttons on the steering wheel, which might have provided respite from all those touch controls, were themselves touch-sensitive, making them unintuitive to use but easy to accidentally brush.

The pushback was so great that Volkswagen made changing all this a priority for the 2024 facelift. And while it’s still far from perfect, the current Golf GTI is so much better to use than it used to be.

The bad news: the sliders for temperature, fan speed and volume are still there. But they’re now illuminated, at least. The touchscreen has grown to 12.9 inches, which doesn’t fit so neatly within the dash any more but is easier to use on the move, and operates much quicker than before. And the steering wheel buttons are actual buttons, making them easier to use and giving them a higher-quality feel.

Would we still prefer to live with the cabin of the old Mk7 Golf GTI? Absolutely. Is the facelifted Mk8 now at least relatively easy to get on with? Thankfully, yes.

Whether you're small, tall, chunky or slim, you'd be hard pushed to find complaint with the space on offer in the front of the VW Golf GTI. The driver's seat goes nice and low, while the area around the well-placed pedals is nice and roomy.

Those seats aren't electric as standard, but you do get an easy lumbar support adjuster on the side. Comfortable yet supportive, our only gripe is that the integrated headrests means the view from the back seats out the windscreen is hindered. What's more, there's decent cabin storage for oddments including a bin under the adjustable armrest – you can lock that armrest in place for the perfect elbow rest, too. 

Moving to the back, even six footers will find a decent amount of leg- and headroom. It's worth noting that both the Cupra Leon and Skoda Octavia vRS have slightly longer wheelbases (the distance between the front and rear wheels) which give more generous legroom still. The Civic Type R also has more room, but the GTI is hardly cramped. 

The rear doors also open nice and wide for easy access, the windows are pretty large to reduce any feeling of claustrophobia, and the ISOFIX mounting points for child seats are easy to access. The middle seat isn't all that usable unless you're in a bind, however. 

The Golf GTI's boot is ever so slightly smaller than the standard Golf's at 374 litres (seven litres less), but not enough to make any real difference. As it is, it's a decent shape with a wide opening and height adjustable boot floor, but the actual capacity is merely average – a Focus ST and Civic Type R's boot will carry a good deal more. Of course the Skoda Octavia vRS huge load space trumps all of those, though. 

In terms of exterior dimensions, the VW Golf GTI is actually pretty compact for the class. It's 4,289mm long (with the Clubsport a touch longer at 4,292mm), 1,789mm wide and 1,471mm tall (again, the Clubsport is a little different at 1,456mm), making it shorter than the majority of its rivals.

There's only one engine offered in the Volkswagen Golf GTI: the familiar EA888 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo that's taken out of the old model with some tweaks. But there are two states of tune. 

VW doesn't bother with a 'Performance Pack' any more like it did with the Mk7 GTI, so go for the standard car and, since 2024’s updates, it develops 265PS and 370Nm of torque – the same torque but 20PS more than the pre-facelift model made. Unfortunately there’s no more manual gearbox option (so you’ll have to go used if you want to row gears yourself), but with the standard seven-speed DSG automatic, 0-62mph takes 5.9 seconds and top speed is limited to 155mph. 

By objective merits it's pretty fast, but because the Golf is so refined it doesn't feel truly rapid (at least against the pace set by other modern hot hatchbacks), more satisfyingly brisk. This is particularly apparent with the DSG gearbox which slurs changes smoothly, whereas the break in acceleration between changes with the manual adds a little more of a sense of speed. 

It's that reason why we recommend stepping up to the GTI Clubsport if you can afford it, with an extra 35PS (up to a nicely round 300PS), and the same 270Nm of torque, it'll take the 0-62mph time down to 5.6 seconds. That figure only tells half the story, though. Were it not for the lack of four-wheel drive hampering its getaway, the GTI Clubsport feels pretty much as rapid in-gear as the Golf R, with a decent soundtrack to boot. 

On a warm and dry road you really don't miss the lack of rear driven wheels. But it's worth noting that the Clubsport struggles to get its extra power down onto the road in the lower gears when it's cold and wet. If the traffic light grand prix is your favourite activity, get the Golf R.

You'll struggle to find a quieter, calmer hot hatchback than the Golf GTI. On the base 18-inch wheels road noise is pretty well insulated, while wind noise is low at speed and the engine note is anything but intrusive if you're cruising along. You might even forget you're in the hot Golf altogether. 

Upgrading to the 19-inch wheels does introduce a bit of road roar over less-than-perfect surfaces. It's far from a deal breaker, just something to be aware of. Decide for yourself if the visual impact of those wheels is worth it. 

The Volkswagen Golf GTI comes with the same array of active safety kit as the regular Golf. That means standard adaptive cruise control, Front Assist, automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist. You also get 'Car2X' tech which can wirelessly communicate with infrastructure and other vehicles – that'll get cleverer as time goes on. 

What's more, there's automatic headlights on every model, plus a driver fatigue monitor and traffic-sign recognition. You'll need to pay extra for the more advanced 'Proactive passenger protection system', though, while side seat airbags and a curtain airbag are also on the options list. 

Regardless, the Golf received a maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP with strong protection for adult and child occupants. The only reason the GTI would be any less safe is because you may be travelling faster if you do have a crash. 

Volkswagen scraped into our top 10 brands in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index. Owners find the cars dependable and well-made, with over 88% of owners saying they're satisfied overall. 

We've no reason to believe the Golf GTI will be any less reliable than the normal model. The engine is well-proven and has been used by the VW Group for years, while engineers have had a couple of decades to perfect the DSG gearbox, too. Only the infotainment is a cause for concern, with some niggly gremlins that are reduced by regular software updates. 

Being the hot Golf, it's no surprise that the GTI is more expensive to insure than the standard car. However it actually sits in slightly lower insurance groups than most of its key rivals. 

Despite their performance and power differences, both the GTI and GTI Clubsport currently sit in group 31. Earlier Golf GTI models started in group 28, while the limited-run Clubsport 45 is also in insurance group 31.

Taxing a Golf GTI and Golf GTI Clubsport are the same in the first year despite their slightly differing CO2 emissions. With 162g/km the regular GTI finds itself in the £1,360 band, while the 167g/km Clubsport is in the same tax band.

From year two, both are subject to the £195 a year standard rate, plus a £425 expensive vehicle surcharge for five years, since all models now cost more than £40,000. This means there’s a hefty £620 to pay in years 2-6, dropping to £195 thereafter (or whatever the standard yearly rate is by then).

Incidentally, the CO2 emissions of both GTI versions means they’re unlikely to be a popular company car choice – both attract a 37% Benefit in Kind rate, compared to the 3% you’d pay on a semi-comparable electric car like the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX.

The VW Golf GTI comes pretty well equipped as standard, with the full roster of infotainment tech, integrated sports seats, 18in alloys, privacy glass, a drive mode selector, ambient lighting and LED matrix headlights with dynamic turn signals. You also get a heated steering wheel, auto lights and wipers and a suit of safety aids.

The GTI Clubsport offers basically the same level of standard kit. However, heated front seats are optional, as is the all-important Dynamic Chassis Control and leather upholstery. We're also disappointed to see a rear-view camera on the options list – really it should be standard at this price point.