The GTI is the first performance badge that injected sport, fun, and fast German horses into the little Golf. The GTI badge paired with the Golf, one of their best-selling nameplates for Volkswagen, makes for a very cool combo. The 2022 model year gets a refreshed design, a new interior, and it also comes in a manual.
Currently, in its 8th generation (MK8), the 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI holds a very honorable mention in the hatchback category in more than one way. Let’s find out more in detail and why it will be worth your money to buy one.
2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI: Turbocharged Engine
Backed by a 2.0-liter, inline-four cylinder engine with turbocharging, the tiny Golf is more than capable of daily driving and fun weekends. This is the same engine as the one found on the Mk7.5, but there are upgraded internals, more turbo boost, and a few tweaks by Volkswagen to make more power.
To begin with, the GTI gets 241-horsepower, which drives the front wheels - this time in an upgraded limited-slip front differential. The turbocharged engine gets paired with a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG to produce 273 lb-ft of torque. The GTI also sprints from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds.
The TSI and TFSI engines are commonly used in the VW Group cars. Well known for being lightweight and producing power at a small displacement with high-pressure fuel injection, there is also room for upgrades. Bigger turbo, cold air intake are plug and play for the GTI - make it your perfect project car as well.
These engines are also very fuel-efficient. According to Car And Driver Magazine, the GTI gets 27-mpg combined which is not the greatest but still very good considering this is a sports car most drivers won’t hesitate to have the throttle wide-open.
2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI: The Community
If you like cars, but you don’t have a buddy to turn around to, there is no better community to be a part of than the GTI club. GTI has been around since 1975, and it’s one of the largest communities of car enthusiasts worldwide. Getting parts is easy, getting advice on dos and don'ts is also helpful, and there is a wide array of aftermarket parts to choose from.
2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI: Refreshed Exterior
The 2022 GTI gets a refreshed exterior. This is the 8th generation Golf, and it looks great. Some of the most distinctive exterior designs of the Golf GTI include an LED bar that goes across the front grille and into the headlights, matched by the red color accent. Functional air vents, and dual exhaust tips complete the rear end. The spoiler, which sits on top, spices up the exterior look and brings down the coefficient drag for added sportiness. Overall, the GTI looks better than most of the competition, taking into account here the Civic Type R, Hyundai Veloster N or even the Mercedes A 45 AMG.
2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI: Old School Seats, Tech Filled Interior
The GTI comes in cloth seats with red accent GTI stitching. This is very distinctive of the GTI - it came with every Golf GTI. Being made of cloth doesn’t let down the comfort or quality at all. The interior also gets filled with GTI touch-ups, there is a GTI badge on the steering wheel together with red-stitching. The conventional instrument cluster gets replaced by a 10.25-inch reconfigurable display screen, which changes accordingly to the drive modes.
Autobahn Edition Is The Trim To Get
The 8th gen Golf GTI comes in 3 trim levels, S, SE and Autobahn. There is a long list of standard features each trim carries, which you can find more about here. The Autobahn holds the best features the 2022 Golf GTI can carry. It adds 19-inch wheels with summer performance tires, adaptive dampers, and a head-up display on top of what the S and SE come optioned with.
The Autobahn edition comes in at $38,990, but we should expect the prices to fluctuate due to the chip shortage. This makes the GTI, at any trim level, a very tough contender when it comes to the hatchback performance segment.
A Final Take On The Golf GTI
The best part about the Golf GTI is its overall versatility - the Volkswagen Golf GTI can be your urban champion and long-distance traveling car at the same time without any step down in power or fun. The 8th gen also gets a ton of upgrades from the previous mk7.5 model: a lighter body, stiffer and better suspension, and a more responsive engine. Paired with a limited-slip front differential, the GTI gets fun-to-drive dynamics and a very good rating in safety crash tests. In a final word, the GTI is the perfect daily commuter with a blend of powerful German horses.