Mk.VII VW Golf GTI Performance review- so good it's almost French

The 1980’s and the 1990’s were probably the best times ever for hot hatch enthusiasts. With fantastic line-ups from manufacturers from all around Europe, you had almost unlimited choices regarding the “pocket rockets.” The Italians stunned the world with the immensely cool Lancia Delta, the British had the unsophisticated Ford Escort XR3, and the XR3i and the Germans launched the fantastic second generation of the Golf GTI. Manufacturers from Japan also wanted to get on the hot hatch trend and produced excellent vehicles of their own. For example, they gave us one of the most lovable cars ever made- the N14 Nissan Pulsar GTiR, known as “Baby Godzilla,” amongst Nissan enthusiasts.

As cool as those cars are, in my opinion, there was one country, in particular, that was able to produce the best hot hatches ever- France. Now as much as we can hate France for their stupid dishes, a history full of chaos and questionable reliability of their cars; there’s no denying that they knew bloody well how to make a good hatch.

The brilliant Peugeot 205 GTi was actually given the title of the “Greatest hot hatch ever” by judges during Performance Car Show. Peugeot was by far the king of hot hatches, but it didn’t mean their French competitors didn’t try to take the crown away from them. Renault shook the market repeatedly with crazy models such as the utterly bonkers Renault 5 Turbo, the beautiful Renault Williams and then in the early XXI century they produced probably the most insane hot hatch in history- the Clio V6, which has forever changed the rules of the game.

Well now lies the question of what makes the French cars so, so special? If I were to take a guess, I’d say it’s the combination of a very high fun factor with the nonchalant, French craziness. They were also a fantastic value for money as the 205 GTi used to cost about £6300 when new.

Recently I found myself behind the wheel of a Mk.VII Golf GTI Performance with a few performance mods, including a lowered and slightly stiffer suspension from D2, a tighter steering lock, as well as an aftermarket exhaust along with a few visual mods. It makes around 230whp and somewhere between 340 and 350 Nm’s of torque. It by far isn’t the most powerful Golf in VW’s lineup, but in my honest opinion- it might just be the best one. Thanks to the performance pack, the power has increased by another extra ten horsepower over the standard GTI, the car also comes equipped with a limited slip differential.

Of course, you can opt for the Clubsport S variant, which is an eye-watering level of fast, but it wouldn’t be a car you would feel comfortable using every day. Also, you need to ask yourself whether the mega Golf is worth as much as a base price Porsche 718 Cayman?

Back to the GTI, the “GTI” badge has become more and more ubiquitous with manufacturers having no respect for the legendary three letter word. Volkswagen knew from the get go, which cars do deserve the special branding.

The first thing that caught my eye was the awesome tartan cloth interior which is a great and subtle throwback to the first Golf GTI. Another thing is just how good the seats are, they’re comfortable but also offer enough back and side support to feel safe when throwing the car around. The interior design, in general, is a fantastic job by designers in Germany.

Alright, alright you get it- I do like the looks of it, but how does it actually drive?

It handles pretty much as you would expect it to- pretty good, but it does have flaws. It is precise in the corners, and the power delivery is smooth and composed. Power wise the car lacks a bit of the top end “push,” but it in the range between 2500rpm and 4000rpm it is a beast. The car I drove is equipped with the DSG automatic gearbox, which is a very comfortable option in the city, but I would recommend a manual box in this particular vehicle. It also lacks a proper launch control button which would help shave off a few tense from the 6.5 seconds which it needs to propel itself from 0 to a 100kmph.

Another issue is the understeer. The car just lacks that little bit more grip on and off power, it also has a tendency to kick the rear sideways when you lift off, but it is very easy to catch and correct.

It for sure isn’t made for the tracks, but I can imagine that throwing it around on some back roads in Wales, or some curvy roads in the Alps, might just be one of the most fun things you can do with a brand new car. What helps is that you feel very connected to the road, the steering wheel gives you fantastic feedback at all times. The DSG gearbox, while probably hated by GTI purists, is very good. It changed gears quickly and makes sure you’re in the optimal rev range at all times.

The noise that the 2.0 four pot turbocharged engine makes is also quite good, but investing in aftermarket exhausts is worth the extra money.

Volkswagen in their typical fashion also had to make sure the car is at least in some way practical, and it is so. It is usable as a daily and can comfortably fit four people with luggage on a trip to the Netherlands as proven by the owner of this car.

In a way, this car reminds me of French hot hatches from the Golden Era. It wasn’t made to be the fastest car ever; it wasn’t even made to be the best handling car ever- it was produced to fuel young enthusiasts love for automobiles. It is one of the most fun cars currently on the market. It is surprising that the Germans themselves decided not to create the perfect car. Instead, they gave us a product that we can improve ourselves or leave it how it is and just have fun with it. If you buy a new one, it will set you back around £25000, but in my humble opinion- it is well worth the investment.

What do you think about the Golf? Is it worth the money? Do you think it’s a good car? Would you own one? Be sure to let me know in the comments!

I need to give two huge shout outs:
First of all, thanks to my friend Nasiek for letting me review your excellent car!
Second of all thanks to GRBNS for amazing pictures, be sure to follow him on Facebook and Instagram

Cheers,
Szymek Ślusarczyk