25.03.2009
Richard Meaden tests the new 210PS Golf GTi and will be posting his first impressions on Twitter today (25th March). Follow him as he finds out if the Mk 6 GTi remains true to the hot hatch spirit.
If you are new to Twitter then take a look at the following link for a full run-down of what Twitter is and how to use it.
And then click on the link to sign up and follow us on Twitter..
Mk6 Golf GTi – key facts:
As a reminder of the changes introduced in this sixth generation of the Golf GTi, it retains the basic 1,984 cc displacement 2.0-litre T-FSI engine of the Mk5 model, but with substantial changes including modified pistons, an improved oil pump, new induction system and a high-pressure fuel pump. This results in an output of 210 PS (206 lbs ft of torque) delivered between 5,300 and 6,200 rpm (a 10 PS rise over the Mk V), which enables the GTi to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds on to a maximum speed of 149mph.
Emissions fall from 189 g/km to 170 g/km (DSG: 173 g/km) and economy rises from a combined 35.3 mpg to 38.7 mpg (DSG: 38.2 mpg). Engine torque is said to be delivered slightly lower in the rev range allowing greater flexibility and a slightly keener throttle response.
The GTI’s ride height has been lowered by 22 mm at the front and 15 mm at the rear, with the strut-type suspension being joined by new anti-roll bars to provide sharper responses. Volkswagen are introducing Adaptive Chassis Control system (ACC) on this GTI, which features pneumatically controlled damper units, enabling the driver to select from normal, comfort or sport modes to define the desired suspension, steering and accelerator response settings.
Let’s see what Dickie discovers when he drives it later this afternoon.
Day 1: Setting out with photographer Andy Morgan to test the new GTi;
Finally got hold of some cars: a 3-door DSG and a 3-door manual. Heading for the Col de Vence now. Will report findings…
When you see the front tracking shots in the feature, this is how Andy Morgan got them!
…and as for the rear tracking shots…
Done a few runs up Col de Vence. Car feels typically GTI-like: solid, gutsy power delivery with progressive and willing chassis. DSG suited to constant twists and turns
All test cars on optional 18s. DSG car on Bridgestone RE050As, manual on Michelin Pilot Exaltos. Both OE rubber
Optional three-stage dampers are a must-have. DSG also feels very good: perhaps a bit more responsive than I remember. Shame you can’t fully disable ESP though…
View from top of Col de Vence. Not a bad place to be…
Original…
…and best?
Day 2: A hearty breakfast and back out on the roads around Nice in the GTi.
You’re all going to hate me, but here’s the view from my hotel room. Not bad, eh?
Lovely old-school mk2 rally car displayed at hotel
Back at Nice having spent a great morning in the mountains. Only managed to drive DSG in the end (v. good).
Goodbye Nice… (pron.Nee-ce), for the non-jetsetters out there 
About Eds
Tell us what you think..
When you post a comment, it will also appear in your News Feed on Facebook (if you so choose), enabling you to take the conversation to where your friends already are. Thereafter you can continue discussing on Facebook and the conversations between SkiddMark and Facebook will be auto-magically synched, regardless of where the comment was made.
26 Comments
DriversRepublic (The DR Team)
March 25, 2009Posted on DR: First Drive: Mk6 Golf GTi – Follow us LIVE on Twitter http://bit.ly/Dpsng
DriversRepublic (The DR Team)
March 25, 2009Posted on DR: First Drive: Mk6 Golf GTi – Follow us LIVE on Twitter http://bit.ly/Dpsng
daveoncars (Dave)
March 25, 2009First Drive: Mk6 Golf GTi – Follow us LIVE on Twitter http://tinyurl.com/dnd68n from: @DriversRepublic
daveoncars (Dave)
March 25, 2009First Drive: Mk6 Golf GTi – Follow us LIVE on Twitter http://tinyurl.com/dnd68n from: @DriversRepublic
icegrey (Mark)
March 25, 2009First Drive: Mk6 Golf GTi – Follow us LIVE on Twitter http://tinyurl.com/dnd68n from: @DriversRepublic
icegrey (Mark)
March 25, 2009First Drive: Mk6 Golf GTi – Follow us LIVE on Twitter http://tinyurl.com/dnd68n from: @DriversRepublic
Steve
March 25, 2009I like that white Mk6, very sharp, although it looks twice the size of the diminutive Mk1.
Steve
March 25, 2009I like that white Mk6, very sharp, although it looks twice the size of the diminutive Mk1.
identti
March 26, 2009Personally, as I only read performance car magazines now, I didn’t even realise the arrival of the Mk VI Golf until I saw one the other day and thought it was a modified Mk V. I can kind of understand with the credit crunch and all the rest of it, but what is it with all these car designers not living up to their job titles and designing anything?
The new E-class Merc looks like another bad case of “change the lights and everyone will think it’s a new car” syndrome. Especially as it looks from the photos as though they’ve just stuck square lights on a previously elegant car, and now it looks like it’s wearing those rectangular cardboard 3D glasses you used to get in Frosties cereal packets!
identti
March 26, 2009Personally, as I only read performance car magazines now, I didn’t even realise the arrival of the Mk VI Golf until I saw one the other day and thought it was a modified Mk V. I can kind of understand with the credit crunch and all the rest of it, but what is it with all these car designers not living up to their job titles and designing anything?
The new E-class Merc looks like another bad case of “change the lights and everyone will think it’s a new car” syndrome. Especially as it looks from the photos as though they’ve just stuck square lights on a previously elegant car, and now it looks like it’s wearing those rectangular cardboard 3D glasses you used to get in Frosties cereal packets!
Alt_Oid
March 26, 2009Response to Identti:
Disclosure: I’m no expert but I am a student car designer. I agree to the extent that the MkVI should probably be called the MkV.5. It is a essentially a refresh of the MkV platform that incorporates engineering changes that make it cheaper to build than the expensive-to-produce MkV. In that light, I think the visual changes to the car are there and are far more obvious when the two are viewed against each other.
The surfaces on the side of the car have sharpened and become relatively more pronounced. The shoulder creases now have more purpose; rather than being just a subtle rear fender shoulder on the MkV, the side crease surface now stretches across the side from the headlamps to the brakelamps, drawing the eye horizontally and de-emphasizing the true height of the car. The lower rocker section of the sides also have a new concave surface leading to an edge higher up on the side, diminishing the “slab-sided” look of the previous car. The front of the car is substantially different considering the bodywork retaining nearly the same underlying mounting points — no more waterfall grille, far more horizontal (and Golf-like) grille layout, more dimensional headlight designs that incorporate an inward cut on the lower edges.
The brake lights also have a plane change on its upper surfaces resulting from the stretched side crease, giving it more dimension. The lights are the biggest change to the rear, ridding the car of the bulbous MkV lights and reflecting the more horizontal and geometric themes from the front of the car. Overall, many of the details of the car (such as the door handles and mirrors) have become more angular and less one-dimensional, making it look more VW and less Honda than the last generation.
Yes, these changes are pretty subtle in the overall scheme of things; when you add it all up, it is, however, a quite substantial “update” on the MkV. I do concede that VW made a big mistake keeping the exact same wheels from the MkV — they only serve to date the car and make it look closer to the MkV. Nevertheless, to say that car designers aren’t doing their work when going up against job restrictions such as having to use the same platform is, I think, a bit short-sighted.
Alt_Oid
March 26, 2009Response to Identti:
Disclosure: I’m no expert but I am a student car designer. I agree to the extent that the MkVI should probably be called the MkV.5. It is a essentially a refresh of the MkV platform that incorporates engineering changes that make it cheaper to build than the expensive-to-produce MkV. In that light, I think the visual changes to the car are there and are far more obvious when the two are viewed against each other.
The surfaces on the side of the car have sharpened and become relatively more pronounced. The shoulder creases now have more purpose; rather than being just a subtle rear fender shoulder on the MkV, the side crease surface now stretches across the side from the headlamps to the brakelamps, drawing the eye horizontally and de-emphasizing the true height of the car. The lower rocker section of the sides also have a new concave surface leading to an edge higher up on the side, diminishing the “slab-sided” look of the previous car. The front of the car is substantially different considering the bodywork retaining nearly the same underlying mounting points — no more waterfall grille, far more horizontal (and Golf-like) grille layout, more dimensional headlight designs that incorporate an inward cut on the lower edges.
The brake lights also have a plane change on its upper surfaces resulting from the stretched side crease, giving it more dimension. The lights are the biggest change to the rear, ridding the car of the bulbous MkV lights and reflecting the more horizontal and geometric themes from the front of the car. Overall, many of the details of the car (such as the door handles and mirrors) have become more angular and less one-dimensional, making it look more VW and less Honda than the last generation.
Yes, these changes are pretty subtle in the overall scheme of things; when you add it all up, it is, however, a quite substantial “update” on the MkV. I do concede that VW made a big mistake keeping the exact same wheels from the MkV — they only serve to date the car and make it look closer to the MkV. Nevertheless, to say that car designers aren’t doing their work when going up against job restrictions such as having to use the same platform is, I think, a bit short-sighted.
Steve
March 26, 2009@Alt_Oid – The more angular design of this new Golf is mirrored in the new Polo which we saw at Geneva earlier this month. I like it, it’s less bulbous and more contemporary looking and in the case of the GTi gives it a confident and mature presence.
It looks more grown up, but will that put the ‘younger’ driver off? The Golf has always been sensible looking, but is this too sensible for its target audience?
What do you think?
P.s. we have kicked off a reader poll to find out which GTi is your favourite – click on the link and make your vote count!
Steve
March 26, 2009@Alt_Oid – The more angular design of this new Golf is mirrored in the new Polo which we saw at Geneva earlier this month. I like it, it’s less bulbous and more contemporary looking and in the case of the GTi gives it a confident and mature presence.
It looks more grown up, but will that put the ‘younger’ driver off? The Golf has always been sensible looking, but is this too sensible for its target audience?
What do you think?
P.s. we have kicked off a reader poll to find out which GTi is your favourite – click on the link and make your vote count!
Marty
March 26, 2009I have a mk3 GTi 16v at the moment – my GlobalFinancialRecession!Car – and it’s heavy, slow, ridiculously over-engineered and lots of other things that are the exact opposite of what you’d expect from a GTi. It has some charm in its dense, solid presence but it’s not even a tepid hatch, let alone a hot one. I’ve toyed with removing the GTi badge from the back, because it betrays the ethos of the original mk1/2 cars.
I have a friend who worked for Bentley for a few years and had various mk5 GTis and given that those are the only other Golfs I’ve driven, I have to go with the mk5. Quick, spacious, decent handling, awful snatch-y clutch but I didn’t hold that against the car – it could well have been caned by Bentley employees before I drove it!
Marty
March 26, 2009I have a mk3 GTi 16v at the moment – my GlobalFinancialRecession!Car – and it’s heavy, slow, ridiculously over-engineered and lots of other things that are the exact opposite of what you’d expect from a GTi. It has some charm in its dense, solid presence but it’s not even a tepid hatch, let alone a hot one. I’ve toyed with removing the GTi badge from the back, because it betrays the ethos of the original mk1/2 cars.
I have a friend who worked for Bentley for a few years and had various mk5 GTis and given that those are the only other Golfs I’ve driven, I have to go with the mk5. Quick, spacious, decent handling, awful snatch-y clutch but I didn’t hold that against the car – it could well have been caned by Bentley employees before I drove it!
Alt_Oid
March 26, 2009@Steve – To be honest I think the design of the MkVI is right on. I think the target audience for the Golf/GTI, although traditionally young, has grown to include even more mid-20s and 30′s buyers. Also, I think that those younger late-teen or early 20′s buyers who are considering the GTI are looking for a more refined looking and less boy-racer car than what is otherwise available. The modern GTI seems to be finding its niche as a refined, sporty and practical (albeit pricey) hatch that has a mature tinge to its character; its buyers generally seem to reflect those same attributes. That’s not to say, however, that there aren’t exceptions.
Further disclosure: I am on my second VW, a Tornado Red MkV.
Alt_Oid
March 26, 2009@Steve – To be honest I think the design of the MkVI is right on. I think the target audience for the Golf/GTI, although traditionally young, has grown to include even more mid-20s and 30′s buyers. Also, I think that those younger late-teen or early 20′s buyers who are considering the GTI are looking for a more refined looking and less boy-racer car than what is otherwise available. The modern GTI seems to be finding its niche as a refined, sporty and practical (albeit pricey) hatch that has a mature tinge to its character; its buyers generally seem to reflect those same attributes. That’s not to say, however, that there aren’t exceptions.
Further disclosure: I am on my second VW, a Tornado Red MkV.
Alt_Oid
March 26, 2009@Marty – I must add that I agree modern GTIs could lose some of the flab. Even for us American enthusiasts it’s porky!
Alt_Oid
March 26, 2009@Marty – I must add that I agree modern GTIs could lose some of the flab. Even for us American enthusiasts it’s porky!
identti
March 27, 2009@Alt_Oid -
I think the main problem is that you had to explain all those tiny details to me, and therefore the design is definitely not radical enough for a new model. Why would I want to buy a brand new car that’s got cheaper components than the previous model, which will be cheaper to buy and look 95% the same.
I understand that it would be even more expensive to redesign the whole car, but with them changing so many aspects, surely all the tooling in the manufacture would have to be changed anyway at some considerable cost?
identti
March 27, 2009@Alt_Oid -
I think the main problem is that you had to explain all those tiny details to me, and therefore the design is definitely not radical enough for a new model. Why would I want to buy a brand new car that’s got cheaper components than the previous model, which will be cheaper to buy and look 95% the same.
I understand that it would be even more expensive to redesign the whole car, but with them changing so many aspects, surely all the tooling in the manufacture would have to be changed anyway at some considerable cost?
Alt_Oid
March 27, 2009@identti – I see what your point is, and I myself would see little reason to trade up from my 5th gen to a MkVI (if I had cash to burn). But it goes back to what I had said earlier that I consider the MkVI to really being a MkV.5 despite what VW calls it.
As far as I know, the MAIN reasons for the MkVI are to actually decrease costs in the manufacturing process of this platform. I don’t think the car’s components themselves were cheapened, just in the way they built the thing (they’ve stated they actually improved interior quality). Since the car was due for a refresh anyways, they probably decided to kill two birds and restyle the car as much as possible + change the process/tooling/engineering to be more efficient. These are just my guesses, but assuming they’re somewhat accurate I think the MkVI starts to make more sense.
Yes, I think the cars look pretty similar. But I think they look different as being cars from the same platform — especially the front of the car. And hypothetically, as a new car buyer who, say, didn’t find the 5th gen waterfall grill style appealing (or Golf-like), I might be more convinced to take a test drive with the sum of changes over the “previous” generation.
I really do wish the MkVI was what was available to buy when I got mine…Oh well.
Alt_Oid
March 27, 2009@identti – I see what your point is, and I myself would see little reason to trade up from my 5th gen to a MkVI (if I had cash to burn). But it goes back to what I had said earlier that I consider the MkVI to really being a MkV.5 despite what VW calls it.
As far as I know, the MAIN reasons for the MkVI are to actually decrease costs in the manufacturing process of this platform. I don’t think the car’s components themselves were cheapened, just in the way they built the thing (they’ve stated they actually improved interior quality). Since the car was due for a refresh anyways, they probably decided to kill two birds and restyle the car as much as possible + change the process/tooling/engineering to be more efficient. These are just my guesses, but assuming they’re somewhat accurate I think the MkVI starts to make more sense.
Yes, I think the cars look pretty similar. But I think they look different as being cars from the same platform — especially the front of the car. And hypothetically, as a new car buyer who, say, didn’t find the 5th gen waterfall grill style appealing (or Golf-like), I might be more convinced to take a test drive with the sum of changes over the “previous” generation.
I really do wish the MkVI was what was available to buy when I got mine…Oh well.
judah777
April 10, 2009Does anyone know if the new model comes with HID lights as before?, on VW UK´s website the car configuration feature does not show the Bi-Xenon lights as an option anymore ?
judah777
April 10, 2009Does anyone know if the new model comes with HID lights as before?, on VW UK´s website the car configuration feature does not show the Bi-Xenon lights as an option anymore ?