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All Torque! |
by Murph |
Under Par - The 1999 VW Golf GTi |
| Over the past few months the "hot hatch" has been enjoying a revival. Recently All Torque took a look at the Peugeot 206 GTi, but to really find a GTi that can be credited with creating the hot hatch vogue, I have decided to take a look at the latest offering from VW, the new Golf GTi. Back in the late 80s and early 90s the Golf was the most desirable GTi around. The rise in car theft, extortionate insurance premiums and car manufacturers' inability to provide adequate vehicle security to keep pace with the ingenious thief meant the demise of the Golf GTi and many of its competitors. The 16v and VR6 versions were amongst the most sought after cars by both thief and enthusiast alike. With brilliant performance and ageless looks it is fair to expect the trend to continue with the latest version. |
Photographs provided by VW UK
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The new Mk4 version is part of the all-new Golf line-up, but it is very hard to distinguish it from the oil burning versions for example. The suggestion here of course is that from the outside there is not much
to set the GTi apart from the rest of the family. There is a certain buzz from driving an understated performance car but this is going too far. Overall it is an attractive car but so is the standard version.
There is nothing to instantly grab your attention, nothing inspirational in the styling to set your pulses racing. Take a walk around outside and you will see what I mean. The rear has no fancy bumpers or spoilers. To the front there are no additional driving lights, spoilers or even the hint of deeper bumpers to create visual impact. By way of small compensation and to tell the world that you are driving the latest generation hot hatch there is a nice chrome GTi badge on the boot door and 4 five-spoke alloy wheels (in standard guise shown below). On the positive side the Golf benefits from the exceptional build quality associated with the VW product line. The paint finish is without fault with a deep lustre that adds to the quality appearance. The extended wheel arches show some muscle but then again they can also be found on the less powerful versions.
Out on the track the 20-valve powerplant helps to reach a top speed of 121mph. Note I said track and not road! 0-60mph is covered in 9.9 seconds. Not spine tingling performance when one considers back in 1985 the MK2 was capable of a top speed of 115mph and a 0-60mph in 8.7 seconds. With 125bhp from a 1.8-litre engine it's hard to understand how breathless the car is. Grab it by the throat and it moves but it's an effort. It returns 125lb ft of torque at 4200rpm. Ride and handling are good and positive feed back is given to the driver. Grip level is tolerable but will leave the more eager driver searching for excitement considering the driving aspirations associated with the GTi label. |
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Lets move inside where things are a little better. As ever the VW people have produced an interior which looks and feels "quality". For a small car the switches and instruments are equal to the more expensive VWs. The electric window switches are positioned within easy reach (on the door), as are most other controls which makes for a stress free environment. A comfortable driving position is aided by a nice three spoke steering wheel. Within the dash the instruments are clear and well laid out. The seats are supportive but lack the heavy bolsters on seating associated with this type of car. The clever use of uniform dark colours also aids the quality image unlike the mix n' match used by other manufacturers to create the same effect. Oh! One strange thing I did notice is the 12-volt power socket in the boot. I assume for boiling the kettle to make hot chocolate after a really hard day behind the wheel. (Such a cynic Murph - Ed) Available with 3 and 5 doors this car falls well behind MK's 1, 2 and 3. It may wear the GTi badge but some how it doesn't live up to it's image - a good car but not good enough. Is it a winner? I think it's worth a look to see what the competition has to offer before you decide. Come on Ford give us a Focus "XR" something or other to rave about! For the first time ever the Golf GTi fails to make the cut. Murph - 7 May 1999 (Email |
Photographs provided by VW UK |
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