Volkswagen Golf GTI (2014-2019) Review

It’s hard to think of a hot hatch buyer for whom the Volkswagen Golf GTI isn’t the right car. It’s such a brilliant all-rounder that it works in almost every situation. The standard model can hit 62mph from rest in 6.2 seconds as this has 245PS in Performance spec as the last of the line. That’s 0.2 seconds better than the 230PS version that was the mainstay of the range until the seventh-generation GTI faced replacement by the new eighth gen model in 2020.

Or, you could go for the TCR model with its 290PS that knocks off 0-62mph in just 5.6 seconds to be quicker than the Honda Civic Type R. Even so, this model is still a more civilised machine than the Honda, which is perhaps where the divisions show between the Golf GTI and its rivals.

Some may find the Golf just too polished in the way it drives, rides and sounds. It’s not the rawest hot hatch experience, so there will those who want something more immediately sporting in its style and manner. However, the Golf GTI is a car that appeals from the start and grows on you in every way as time passes thanks to its very deep-seated talents.

There’s certainly plenty of scope within the Volkswagen Golf GTI range to pick the right car for you. From the early seventh-generation models with 220PS, though the 230PS versions and final 245PS iteration, each goes well and is an exemplar of deft, agile handling. They also ride well and are refined when you need the GTI simply to be a good small hatch.

Then there are the more rapid models in the shape of the Clubsport and TCR. These rarer beasts are more focused and won’t appeal to everyone, and you will have to hunt down the desirable and rare Clubsport.

Where the GTI works best is in its standard form. With 230PS, the GTI is plenty quick, offers three- or five-door practicality, and you have a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. We’d even stick with the standard cloth seats for the iconic GTI check pattern that looks so good and underlines this car’s long heritage.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI’s main threats come from some very talented contenders. They are the Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type R and Renault Megane R.S. All three rapid and offer five-door hatch versatility. The Honda is the rawest of the bunch and the Renault the most refined.

That leaves the Ford Focus ST as the nearest rival to the Golf and the ST is quick, fun and well made, albeit with a slightly boring cabin feel. You could also look at the Cupra Leon from within Volkswagen’s own extended family for something with the same pace but slightly sportier outlook. One not as obvious rival is the superb Hyundai i30N, one of our favourite hot hatches.

Volkswagen are past-masters at making car interiors that feel more solid and substantial than their oppositions and this Golf GTI is no exception. There is the sense it has been carved out of a single piece of GTI-anium such is the feeling of strength to the way the doors shut, the switches operate and all of the materials feel.

This impression is furthered by the simple layout of the Golf GTI’s dash and the consistent, accurate panel gaps. It means there are not rattles or buzzes from the cabin as you drive, which adds to the idea the Golf GTI is a car from the class above the usual hot hatch machinery that makes up its rivals.

There are some parts of the cabin where the plastics are no better or worse than you’ll find in a Ford or Renault or Honda, but Volkswagen has a knack of disguising them well. It also has the skill to make all of the controls work with just the right weight and intuitive on-off click-a-bility to leave you happy and satisfied.

The Volkswagen Golf GTI range comes with an 8-inch colour touchscreen that will be immediately familiar to anyone who has set foot inside a recent Volkswagen Group product. While it may not be unique to the GTI, its ease of use is reassuring and Volkswagen makes sure of this with shortcut buttons for all of the major functions. There are also clear rotary dials to adjust the stereo volume and another for scrolling through the onscreen menus.

The screen itself has good resolution and, while not placed as high in the dash as some more recent arrivals in the hot hatch sector, it’s easy to see and read. With Apple CarPlay and Android Auto supplied as standard, it’s easy to hook up your smartphone and access its apps through the car.

The later 245PS GTI Performance model also has a 12.3-inch Active Info Display in place of the usual analogue main dials. It can be configured in a variety of ways to suit the driver and work with the car’s various safety systems to show if any danger is looming. Good as this is, we still like the look of the more traditional dials.

In keeping with its reputation and appeal as the hot hatch you can use as a family car, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is one of the most accommodating when it comes to people and luggage. You can the GTI in three- and five-door forms and both offer the same commodious interior dimensions.

With the three-door, there is the obvious small drawback of access to the rear seats. For some, this will be a sacrifice worth having for a car that is more sporting in its owner’s eyes. We reckon the five-door is just as handsome, so it’s easier to use entry and exit to the rear quarters makes it our preferred choice.

Choose the three-door and there’s a big gap created when the front seats are slid forward, so even adults can step into the rear of the GTI without any need for gymnastics. Take the five-door and there’s a broad opening that makes it a doddle to load in young children and their car seats.

Space in the back of the Golf GTI is among the best in the hot hatch class. Two adults can fit back here with room to spare for shoulders, knees and heads. You can even fit in a third rear passenger when required and not have to listen to any complaints on short to medium journeys. The centre seat cushions are flat and the base is not excessively padded or raised. Fold down the centre armrest and it provides a pair of cupholders. There are also reasonable door pockets for additional storage.

All rear passengers in the Golf GTI get a three-point seat belt and there are easy to get at Isofix kiddy chair mounts in the two outer pews.

Head to the back of the Golf GTI and both the three- and five-door models offer one of the biggest boots in the class. At 380-litres, it’s the exact same as lesser models in the seventh-generation Golf line-up and bigger than the faster Golf R’s.

Fold the 60-40 split and tip rear seats and the Golf GTI has up to 1270-litres of cargo carrying capacity. Just as importantly, the seats fold to leave a completely flat load bed, which is easy to slide longer items on to, unlike some of the Volkswagen’s rivals.

Every Golf GTI in this Volkswagen’s seventh generation uses a turbocharged 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine. At its launch in 2013, Volkswagen equipped it with 220PS, which even then was at the lower end of the power spectrum for hot hatches. As a result, the Performance model was quickly added with 230PS and also came with improved brakes and a very useful limited slip differential.

Volkswagen later uprated the standard hatch to 230PS and gave the Performance version a boost to 245PS. For the end of production, the Performance was the only base GTI on offer with a DSG seven-speed automatic gearbox. Prior to that, there was also the standard and precise six-speed manual gearbox for the normal and Performance models, while the standard GTI could also be had with a six-speed DSG auto.

There have been two other seventh gen Golf GTIs in the shape of the limited run Clubsport Edition 40 in 2016 to mark four decades of the GTI. It has 265PS with the ability to leap to 290PS for 10-second bursts and could see off 0-62mph in 6.3 seconds.

The other short run GTI is the TCR, or Touring Car Racing, model with a full 290PS on offer all the time. It uses a seven-speed DSG ’box, has its own unique alloy wheels and interior trim, and covers 0-62mph in 5.6 seconds to be quicker over this dash than a Honda Civic Type R.

If there is one area where the Volkswagen Golf GTI has the measure of all of its rivals, its refinement. Now, while some hot hatch buyers may poo-poo this trait in cars that are supposed to be all about driving pleasure, anyone who has to live with a hot hatch as their only car will soon value the Golf’s gentle approach.

The 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine is quiet at all speeds when you are simply making normal journeys. Push it harder and there is some growl from the exhaust and a little chirp from the turbo, so you still know this is a performance hatch.

However, even on the larger 19-inch alloy wheels of the TCR model, the GTI enjoys very little road rumble inside the cabin. Stick to the normal models with their 18-inch wheels and the GTI is hushed and very easy to use to cover long distances.

The same is true of wind noise as there’s very little to be heard from the interior of the GTI. It means you can hold a conversation between the front and back seat occupants without having to raise voices.

The Golf GTI’s refined credentials are topped off in the way all of the controls work with just the right amount of weight and positive actions. Yes, the clutch and brakes have a slightly weightier feel than a 1.5 TSI version, but it simply serves to remind you that you’re in a hot hatch.

When it was tested in 2012, the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf scored a full five-stars for safety overall. The GTI enjoys the same rating and ranked at 94 per cent for adult occupant safety and 89 per cent for child passenger safety. Even a few years down the line, this Golf is a very safe bet.

The GTI comes with twin front, side and curtain airbags, as well as a driver’s knee ’bag. Every occupant gets a three-point belt and there are Isofix child seat mounts in the two outer rear chairs.

Volkswagen supplies ESC stability and traction control with the Golf GTI. Later models gained Front Assist that comes with radar-controlled distance monitoring and City Emergency Braking to spot hazards and use the brakes if the driver doesn’t react to warnings.

The GTI also comes with Hill Hold to stop the car rolling backwards as you get ready to pull away on an incline. There’s also Adaptive Cruise Control, parking sensors and Lane Assist, as well as Dynamic Light Assist and Traffic Sign Recognition. This is in addition to automatic headlights and wipers also being included in the GTI’s specification.

Most Volkswagen Golf GTI versions find themselves sitting in group 29 for insurance purposes. That makes them cheaper to insure than most rivals and puts the Golf on a par with the Ford Focus ST for premiums.

The limited edition Clubsport model sits in group 33, while the later GTI TCR is all the way up in group 37, which is only a couple of brackets below the Golf R.

Take the final GTI Performance version of the seventh generation Golf and this 245PS car with seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox sit in group 33 for insurance purposes.

The last of the line Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance model will pay first-year Vehicle Excise Duty of £540 courtesy of its 170g/km carbon dioxide emissions. That’s cheaper than the TCR version which, with CO2 emissions of 175g/km, means the initial 12 months of road tax comes in at £870.

After that, every GTI model registered from 1 April 2017 will pay road tax at £150. Car prior to that will pay the levy at £165 for those in Band F, while the others that fall into Band G will shell out £205 every year.

The seventh invention of the Volkswagen Golf GTI’s basic trim level didn’t change a great deal throughout its life. So, you get tartan-checked cloth upholstery as standard, with the option to upgrade to leather. There are also heated sports front seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, air conditioning, electric windows all-round, 8-inch infotainment screen with sat-nav, and cruise control.

On the outside, the GTI has 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, along with twin exhaust pipes, deeper bumpers and body skirts, plus a rear tailgate spoiler. You also get parking sensors, front foglights and a space saver spare wheel in the boot.

The Performance models gained a little more power, but more importantly came with bigger front brake discs and an electronic limited slip differential. Also, the Performance model from mid-2016 was available with the 12.3-inch Active Info Display in place of the usual analogue main dials.

For the Clubsport version, Volkswagen gave it 265PS along with Launch Control. It also had the option of a black-painted roof, while inside were race-style front bucket seats and less trim as the rear parcel shelf, variable height load floor and carpet mats were all removed to save weight.

The GTI TCR has lowered suspension, microsuede cloth upholstery and sports front seats, as well as red edging for the seats and belts. It sits on unique 18-inch alloy wheels and has a bespoke body kit with front splitter, rear spoiler and diffuser.