At the press launch of the 2010 GTI, Volkswagen provided an original 1976 car—the first year of the Golf GTI in Europe—for comparative test drives. The sheer pleasure of driving the museum car demonstrated what made that first hot hatch a huge success. It was also startling to witness just how far the GTI has come in six generations—more than 1,706,000 sold—with regard to its refinement, performance, and safety.
However, the difference between the fifth- and sixth-generation GTIs is slight. The new GTI—and the forthcoming Golf (née Rabbit, for the second time) on which it is based—uses the same underpinnings as last year’s model. The roof, brakes, and suspension are the same, though the rear anti-roll bar is stiffer. The styling is new, featuring narrower headlights and taillights that give the GTI an altogether lower and wider appearance. Your eyes deceive you. Dimensions of the Euro-spec model—the only version we drove—are nearly identical to those of the last GTI.
Likely for cost reasons, the turbo four-cylinder engine remains the same in U.S. GTIs, while European models get revised tuning and slight tweaks, including a new fuel pump and mass-airflow sensor, which yield 10 additional horsepower. Transmission choices—a six-speed manual and a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual—are carry-overs as well.
Keep Reading: 2010 Volkswagen GTI - Second Drive
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