Volkswagen Golf GTI Track Drive Review: Bogie or Birdie?

Volkswagen has finally brought the Golf GTI to India, and we took it for a spin around Natrax, India's premier vehicle testing track.

The heart wants 0-100 kmph in 6 seconds in a car. The head wants to seat 5 comfortably in a car. Why don’t you listen to both and get the Volkswagen Golf GTI? Yes, the OG hot hatchback is finally in India.

Only 150 of the Golf GTIs are coming to India, and no, you can’t have one right now since all have been called for! Should Volkswagen bring more of these to India? Is it really that good? Time to find out.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Track Drive Review: Performance

It isn’t even the most hardcore Golf there is; that’ll be the Golf R, but this GTI is no slouch either. Barring the bonkers AMG A 45, this is the most powerful hatchback in India! 

Quick numbers check: the Golf GTI has a 2.0-litre TSI with 261 bhp and 370 Nm, which makes this the most powerful Volkswagen on sale in India, right now. A real hole in one moment!

Volkswagen hit a birdie on how the Golf GTI drives. Power stars to build around 2200 rpm, and after that, the GTI just wants to fly, and the engine revs to about 6500 rpm. The gearbox, like all VW DSGs, is pretty quick to respond, and generally keeps you in the right gear. Put it into Sport mode and it sounds just epic belting down the track.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Track Drive Review: Ride and Handling

Of course, this is a hot hatch, so you’d be wondering how well it handles.

Now, on the track, the handling is quite good, but there's a bit of understeer. And that's bound to happen given how much power it sends to the front wheels. The sidewalls are quite thin, so out on normal roads, there's a high chance the rim could get damaged if you're not careful. There's a slight body roll, but nothing to upset your pace. The seats also hold you really well.

Can’t say how harsh the ride quality will be since we’ve not yet driven it outside the track, which only has smooth surfaces. We can’t wait to drive it out on open roads and see what that’s like. 

Volkswagen Golf GTI Track Drive Review: Design

This GTI looks sharp – like, a hole-in-one sharp. The slim headlights and the classic red line all across the grille? Pure GTI. And the alloys? Eh, more of a bogey than a birdie. Volkswagen’s definitely had better design for the alloy wheels for the past GTIs. 

Around the back, it’s a clean shot – no wild styling, just a neat VW logo and a GTI badge. Understated, but effective. Honestly, this design would’ve been more special if VW hadn’t stopped making the 3-door Golf.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Track Drive Review: Interior

You’ve got a nice, sharp 12.9-inch infotainment system, which has the same user interface as the new Tiguan, so it’s quite responsive. You even have the 10.25-inch virtual instrument cluster, which is crisp and clear. You’ve even got a sunroof, but meh, do you really care? But what you should care about is this wireless charger and the lid on top of it. Should you be having some fun on the track, your phone will be in a very secure place. 

In a car like this, do you really care about the back seat? Fine, if you must know, it’s not a bad place to be, it’s quite comfortable. The seats are also decent. The fact that they have cutouts for the back, makes it feel really sporty, even at the back. And there’s good enough headroom and good enough knee room, too.

Volkswagen Golf GTI Track Drive Review: Safety

When you go fast, you’d need all the help you can get to be safe. So it gets seven airbags, and 20 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning. The standard variant of this gen Golf has a 5-star rating from Euro NCAP, so it’s safe for sure. 

Volkswagen Golf GTI Track Drive Review: Price & Rivals

There’s just one variant, and prices will be announced on May 26. It will fight a tough match with the MINI Cooper S, but that makes 60 fewer horses and 70 Nm less than the Golf. But the MINI will be much cheaper than the Golf and gives the buyers the chance to have the experience of owning a 3-door hatch. Giving you a sense of exclusivity. 

Volkswagen Golf GTI Track Drive Review: Verdict

Volkswagen scored a proper birdie by bringing the Golf GTI to India ahead of the Skoda Octavia RS – even though that’s technically just a Golf in sedan form. 

And for those 150 people, the Golf GTI is a great track tool. It definitely won’t be their only car in the garage, but it does have all the ingredients to be one. Fast, practical and fun, in one package. If it’s priced right, Volkswagen should have no problem selling out the next lot of 150 GTIs that will come to India. So we’re keeping our fingers crossed for that.

Photography by Prashant Chaudhary