GTI, the bravest version of the VW Golf, receives news from inside, from the outside and from the engine

Launched in 2014, the latest generation of Golf is the best in history. Modular platform, automatic gearbox with double clutch, wide range of turbocharged engines … just as much as the GTI version. The problem is that, after four years in a row, the sports car has run out of changes, especially after the recent renewal of its eternal competitor, the Honda Civic Si. That said, Volkswagen has applied in "our" Golf VII more nervous the changes received pbaded on the European market.

Visually, the news is small. Headlights and flashlights use LEDs in all positions. The 18-inch wheels are also new, but the "salami cutter" look does not please everyone. Inside, perhaps the biggest change: the multimedia center 8 "is completely new and integrated with the active information display, the digital color dashboard of 12.3". The impression is that we are in an Audi.

All for the family

The finishing materials are great, starting with the leather that borders the steering wheel and caresses the palms of the hands. The texture of the dashboard plastics and side doors is a pure reference to the mythological sports volks of the 80s.

Although it was only a restyling, the version GTI reprogrammed the electronic engine control unit. In this way, the 2.0 TSI gained 10hp, totaling 230hp. The torque continues to 35.7kgfm, available from 1,500rpm. The gearshift is the DSG dual-clutch and six-speed and there are still options for driving modes that change the various parameters of the car according to the will of the driver.

As soon as you open the door, it is obvious that everything is concentrated in sportsmanship. The red lights on the thresholds and the sign prompt to enter. Banks have more support on all tabs. To find a good position, some keys are needed. The driver seat adjustment is electric, but the steering column – height and depth – are manual.

The only two pieces are the adjustment of the mirrors, in an unusual and confused position, and the bank coatings. Although good quality leather gives a sense of refinement to the interior, the GTI tradition practically requires an interior lining in blue and red plaid pattern.

Foot on the brake and, after pressing the start button on the center console, the 2.0 TSI wakes up. Snoring is intriguing, but we expected something noisier and brighter, as in the Renault Sandero RS.

In the first minutes behind the wheel, a surprise. In "civil" mode, the GTI is extremely docile. It looks like we are on board an ordinary Golf. With the normal driving mode enabled, fuel consumption is 11km / l in the city, the steering is light and the throttle is quite progressive.

The engine is running at low speed and the gearshift is very conservative and almost imperceptible. To wake the monster, just kick it.

There is also the eco mode, which evolves to the air conditioning settings to make the Golf more efficient. Thus, the trap has made nearly 12km / l in the city, expressive number for a sport. There is always the convenience of having four doors, which makes it easy to use as a family car, for example – something that in the Civic Si is complicated by the configuration of the two-door coupe.

Xo, boredom!

The problem is that in both directions, the GTI becomes tedious. The hours take time to pbad, the day seems gray and the world is not funny. It is not possible to stay so long because the spirit of the car screams for excitement. Since the 72 hours of our intensive weekend, I admit that I used the normal and echo settings just to evaluate their operation. In all the rest my option was by the sport mode

A flash falls on the car, which is transformed. The accelerator is extremely responsive, with answers ready. The gearbox automatically adjusts gears where possible. The direction becomes heavier to increase the interaction. Even the snoring changes, and it becomes fuller. The steering wheel has a large footprint and enhances the sporty character of the car.

A bit more thoughtful about the throttle is enough to sing tires and glue on the seat. It is there that we see that the GTI is stronger than it appears. The power delivery badociated with gear shifts made by the gearbox always at the right time is great. And there is, of course, the option of manual change on the steering wheel flaps.

As with Audi cars, every gearshift in sport mode hears a popcorn coming from the double exhaust, which further encourages sporty driving. Hard to keep the car at the maximum speed allowed in the lanes.

The 2018 version of the GTI still brings, for the first time, a different "fun": departure control. With the car running in sport mode, you must first disable the traction control – just press a button on the console for five seconds.

After the warning of disabling the system on the panel, smother a foot on the brake and on the other press the maximum throttle. It is with this "mallet" that the start control is activated. In this way, the GTI catapults towards the front and reaches 100km / l in just 6.4 seconds, according to the tests of the magazine "Autoesporte"

The suspension does not change according to the chosen driving mode, something that competitor Civic Si offers the standard. Nevertheless, the GTI manages to have a good relationship between comfort and sportsmanship. In the bumpier, though firm, streets, the suspension dampens the bumps in the cabin. Already in high speed curves, the GTI is very stable, but could be more "stuck" on the asphalt if it had an adaptive suspension option.

The model also offers an individual driving mode, where all parameters can be configured according to the driver's preferences. There is the possibility to leave the engine and switch to sport mode, but the direction in normal mode, as well as the hum of the engine.

Because it's the high-end version of the Golf, the GTI is well equipped as standard. Still, VW offers three option packages that drive up the price a lot. The model costs R $ 143,790, but if it is equipped in the evaluated version, it reaches $ 165,890 R, a difference of R $ 22,100. In this pie separately paid items enter the driver's seat height adjustable electric adjustment, lumbar support of the driver's seat, leather trim, sunroof, headlight badistant, proximity warning and automatic emergency braking for traffic, auto parking badistance, adaptive speed control and LED headlights with beam that accompanies curves and day driving light

In practice, the price is $ 4,500 higher than that of the Honda Civic Si, but the level of golf equipment is much larger and more comprehensive. However, despite being a good car, we have the feeling that the electronics "drive" too much. For an enthusiast, a more interactive relationship would be more exciting.