Family rocket for those who want the pace and run with family

Volkswagen has really had some cult vehicles to its name, and the Golf has been one of its most famous models worldwide, after the Beetle. However, few cars have been more iconic than the Golf GTi and after years of prayers and requests to Volkswagen India, the vehicle has finally landed in India. Yes, the price is mouthwatering but what you get is a power-packed mile muncher with epic performance to match, in a package that can at a stretch be called family friendly. Sure, it lacks some features but then this vehicle is all about making your adrenaline pump, rather than come in as merely a breath of fresh air. And that exhaust note? Ah, those growls and pops are your daily reminder why ICE continues to be king in spite of the environmentalist naysayers.

Let’s not carried away and start with the looks instead. Pretty conservative A rewarding proposition for Kia as it launches the rejuvenated Clarensin design, you get the twin headlights and LED fogs up front, but unique to the GTi is the red stripe running across the front face. The VW logo is illuminated – it might be a bit too much for some of us but for many others its kosher. The design of the alloy wheels is more EV like here, but then that could be due to them being more aerodynamic for better performance. Thankfully old fashioned door-handles remain (none of that flush-fitting madness) and they are illuminated at night, which means no more fumbling around in the dark. Typically of VW’s robust build quality, the doors pack in quite a heft.

On the inside, you get cloth sports seats with GTI lettering in red. Both driver and passenger have manual adjustment seats, and this being a CBU in base UK spec, there are no ventilated seats – only heating. A large 13-inch touchscreen is laid out quite intuitively with all controls for infotainment as well as vehicle settings, and a 10.4-inch customisable driver display handles all essential driving information. There is no heads-up display, though you do get wireless Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto playing through 7 speakers. You also get four USB-C fast charging ports, and a 3-zone climate control.

The main reason why you buy this car is performance and here the Golf GTi does not disappoint. With 261 bhp of power and 370 Nm of torque, all you need to do is nudge the small 7-speed DSG shifter to S mode and plant your foot down. The Golf GTi will rip through the 0-100 km/h figures in a mere 5.9 seconds and hit a top whack of 267 km/h – enough to bring a stupid grin onto your face. However, please do not try this on public roads. The suspension is a bit on the stiffer side, as expected but it gives you lizard levels of road grip through its 225/40 R18 tyres and the handling is razor sharp. A nicely weighted steering and an electronic differential lock keeps the confidence level high.

The Volkswagen Golf GTi is one of the cars that defined the segment “pocket rocket”, and now we know why after having driven it in India. Add one to your stable – this is a sleeper you cannot afford to miss.

Priced at INR 53 lakh, ex-showroom