The petrol-powered Volkswagen Golf GTI is currently living on borrowed time.
Earlier this year brand chief Thomas Schaefer confirmed that there won’t be another combustion-engined Golf, although by “another” he was referring to a new, ninth-generation model.
However the German carmaker is not yet finished with the current gen-eight Golf, and prototypes of a facelifted model have been widely spotted in Europe.
And the latest intel suggests that the GTI version of this “Golf 8.5” as some have dubbed it, will be going out with a bang.
According to Autocar, the standard version of the facelifted Volkswagen Golf GTI is likely to gain around 15kW to match the 195kW output offered by the latest version of the EA288 2.0-litre turbopetrol fitted to the new Tiguan and Passat.
Maximum torque, meanwhile, is expected to rise to from the current model’s 370Nm to over 400Nm.
These increased outputs could bring the GTI’s 0-100km/h sprint time to under six seconds, the UK publication suggests. Today’s GTI does that deed in 6.4 seconds, according to claims.
But it doesn’t stop there. Autocar says chassis revisions are on the cards too, with the revised MQB platform components found in the latest Tiguan and Passat pointing to an improved version of the DCC adaptive suspension as well as a stiffer rear axle.
Exterior styling revisions to the Golf, and its GTI variant, are likely to be more on the subtle side, as spy shots on the interwebs lead us to believe.
The Volkswagen Golf facelift is expected to premiere in early 2024 with more power and possibly a six-speed manual. https://t.co/T1ZzUkgY4O
— Motor1 (@Motor1com) October 30, 2023
In addition, Volkswagen will make some much needed revisions to the cabin, Autocar reports, including a new and faster-responding touchscreen infotainment system with a more user-friendly menu structure.
Thankfully it also appears that those slider controls on the steering wheel are on their way out.
The facelifted Volkswagen Golf, and GTI, are expected to debut in Europe during 2024. However it could take a bit longer for the hot hatch to reach South Africa.
Further down the line, of course, the Golf nameplate is set to go all-electric for its next generation.
It remains to be seen whether its name will be applied to the production version of the Volkswagen ID2All Concept, which is smaller than the current Golf albeit claiming to offer similar cabin space.
However, the ID.GTI Concept that it recently spawned has been widely billed as a potential Golf GTI successor.
The all-electric concept, whose production version is due in 2027, has a new feature called “GTI Experience Control” which can adjust the drivetrain, steering and sound experience in the style of historical GTI models, while also adding simulated gear-shift points.
But will a simulated Vrr Phaa experience really cut it with fans? Somehow we doubt it.