Volkswagen Golf GTI test: the laws of traction

This is the eternal dilemma: what type of transmission gives the most driving pleasure? To (re) get an idea, we took front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive on the track.

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The Golf GTI achieves the feat, generation after generation, of putting you at ease and finding your marks from the first meters. For those who have had the chance to drive the previous grinds, this reminder is welcome, even if thehe compact from Wolfsburg, eighth of the name, has nothing left of the frail Golf 1 & 2. As evidenced by a posted weight of 1463 kg, or 650 more than its ancestor. But times are changing. And the power too. With 245 hp under the hood, it sports its GTI – Grand Tourisme Injection blazon – with the same realism as before; which, at the end of the 1970s, was to make it possible to cover long distances at high speed. Fortunately, this is still the case today, even if the legislation in force is hardly favorable …

Very stable whatever the pace adopted, this Golf allows all drivers to have fun, without having to be a seasoned driver. Not lazy for two cents, the GTI may not be as sharp as its competitors (Mégane RS and Focus ST), but it is much more considerate on a daily basis, thanks to its piloted suspension (essential option at 910 €) and excellent front seats covered with fabric scale paper with an evocative pattern. Faced with his playmates of the day, it is obviously necessary to “roll up” with less brutality on this sinuous route, in order not to saturate a front axle nonetheless free from the slightest increase in torque in the steering wheel. And if it is less inclined than the Alpine to twirl, it never breaks up at a sustained pace (see sidebar). Always at the rendezvous, the 4-cylinder torque (370 Nm over a very wide range) exudes a very pleasant flexibility, which sticks perfectly to this perfect daily driver with the iconic surname.

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Very clean on it, this Golf, on the other hand, is stingy in sensations. If its mechanical roundness and the smoothness of the double clutch gearbox are undeniable everyday assets, they are less appreciated when you decide to drive “hard”.. Under these conditions, the box seems hesitant in its piloting. The dashboard shines with its sobriety, but the touch screens will require a phone call to Thomas Pesquet to master all the subtleties … A technological leap that risks disrupting historical customers … Also note the variable geometry penalty applied to this Golf 8 GTI, the amplitude ranging from “bearable” (€ 2,726) to “counterproductive” (€ 9,550). It is therefore important to make sure that the salesperson does not check too many options without your knowledge. Finally, it is undoubtedly in the ranks of its sisters that the closest rival of this “normal” GTI is to be found. Symbolically lighter by 2 kg, the Clubsport 45 (from € 49,990), anniversary series at 2.0 TSI pushed to 300 hp and 400 Nm, with DSG gearbox still, indeed embodies the version perpetuating the lineage most authentically …

Verdict :

Perfect for everyday use, this Golf GTI is full of intrinsic qualities. But it lacks a little spice to satisfy the most demanding, who will turn to more sporty competitors, but less easygoing.

At the limit ”with Pierre Petit, racing driver

Golf GTI time 1:11

“We are not disoriented in this Golf. It is true that there is a little understeer on re-acceleration, and, in manual mode, the gears do not necessarily return immediately on downshifting. But I understand the interest of preserving the mechanics and avoiding over-revs. But there is engine! I find it brakes well. In the big curve, she is very “safe”, calling her reactions. The front guides well in medium turns, and traction is very good. For a typical road car, it’s a great job. ”