Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance 2014 Review

Over seven successive generations, Volkswagen has honed its volume-selling Golf to make it one of the finest small cars available today. In the same period, the GTI version has become the hot hatch by which all others are measured, and last year’s Mk7 improved in all key areas, including flexibility, acceleration, handling and ride. Now, the ‘Performance’ version arrives, upping the ante again to bridge the gap between standard GTI and top-shelf Golf R, whose part-time all-wheel drive and $60k-plus pricetag now appear redundant as a result.

Volkswagen is making up for lost time after a six-month production delay between Golf GTIs, the Mk7 version of which has now been on sale here six months. Now, the all-new GTI Performance variant has arrived, positioned between the standard GTI and the new Golf R flagship (also launched this month) to broaden the appeal of VW’s performance Golfs further than ever before.

Like the GTI, the GTI Performance arrives with a pricetag that’s $500 higher than previously announced. This is due to inflation and exchange rates, says Volkswagen, which also admits GTI buyers are “less price-sensitive” than those of entry-level Golfs, prices for which are unchanged.

Also like the Golf GTI, the GTI Performance arrives in a single five-door specification, following the axing of the three-door to leave room for the Scirocco coupe (despite the fact it’s likely to be discontinued soon).

But while the new Golf GTI starts at $41,990 plus on-road costs ($1500 more than before), the GTI Performance is $6500 more expensive at $48,490 plus ORCs.

That’s because it’s not available with a manual transmission, which Volkswagen says only 20 per cent of Golf GTI buyers opt for. Fitted with a six-speed DSG twin-clutch automatic transmission as standard (not the Volkswagen Group’s latest seven-speed DSG), the Performance model’s price premium over the standard GTI is actually $4000. Still, the GTI Performance is only $1500 cheaper than the previous Golf R and pricier than all but the flagship version of Renault’s two-door Megane RS265 coupe.

It’s also about $10,000 pricier than natural circa-$40K small performance car rivals like the Ford’s Focus ST, Subaru’s new WRX and the aged Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart – even if the latter two are now sedan-only models.

Offsetting this, the ‘GTI-P’ improves on the benchmark GTI in a number of key areas: power and performance; its front-wheel drivetrain; brakes and standard equipment.

Naturally, it starts with all the advances brought by the latest Golf 7’s all-new MQB platform architecture, which is stiffer and lighter than before, improving handling/ride, safety and efficiency.

Of course, the Golf 7’s new electrical systems carry over too, including seven airbags, multimedia infotainment comprising a reversing camera, sat-nav, eight-speaker audio, Bluetooth and 5.8-inch colour touch-screen, plus new safety features like driver fatigue detection and multi-collision post-crash braking.

As standard, there are also daytime running lights, an electric park brake, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, automatic headlights and wipers, front/rear parking sensors, a multi-function leather-bound multi-function sports steering wheel and adaptive damping control.

No, the cabin of the GTI Performance is not significantly different to the standard GTI’s, but it does offer the same simple, symmetrical but highly ergonomic dashboard design, the same soft-touch surfaces almost everywhere and the same solid, tactile feel to all controls.

More advanced driver safety aids can be had for an extra $1300, including adaptive radar cruise control, front collision detection with automatic low-speed braking, pre-collision preparation and even automatic self-parking.

The only other options are metallic/pearl effect paint ($500), a panoramic sunroof ($1850), bi-xenon headlights with integrated LED DRLs ($2150) and Vienna leather upholstery ($3150).

The Performance also brings all of the GTI’s advances, including fuel-saving BlueMotion technologies (comprising idle-stop, brake energy recuperation and coasting) and variable-ratio electric power steering for the first time. In addition to variable assistance, the latter reduces the number of turns between locks from three to two, making parking easier and improving high-speed precision.

Also like the GTI, the Performance comes with a two-stage electronic stability control system, which first disables the traction control and then increases the intervention threshold, but cannot be fully deactivated.

But the Performance improves on the GTI chassis by adding larger (19 versus 18-inch) Santiago alloy wheels with 225/35 R19 Pirelli or Dunlop tyres and a further 15mm reduction in ride height, further reducing body roll without any apparent trade-off in ride comfort.

There’s also an upgraded brake system comprising larger front and rear brake discs and larger (but still single-piston) front brake callipers, painted red and bearing GTI logos. The ventilated front rotors grow from 312 to 340mm, while the solid rear discs are 10mm larger at 310mm.

There’s also other standard equipment, including dark-tinted LED tail-lights, rear/side privacy glass and ‘Clark’ Alcantara/cloth upholstery for the front seats.

The reason for the GTI Performance’s being, however, is its upgraded powertrain, which eclipses the output of the standard GTI’s third-generation EA888 direct-injection TSI 2.0-litre turbo-four by 7kW, to deliver 169kW between 4700-6200rpm, and the same 350Nm but developed over a 200rpm wider rev range (1500-4600rpm).

Volkswagen says the changes help that lower the GTI-P 0-100km/h acceleration figure to 6.4sec and increases top speed by 10km/h to 248km/h, without any change to its combined fuel consumption of just 6.6L/100km.

Numbers only tell part of the story here because the GTI-P delivers significantly better cornering performance than the garden-variety GTI, thanks to what it says is the first electro-mechanical differential lock in a front-wheel drive car.

Developed exclusively for the GTI Performance, the mechanical diff lock employs a multi-plate wet clutch to produce a 100 per cent locking effect and direct more torque to the outside wheel during hard cornering. It works in conjunction with the regular GTI’s extended electronic differential lock (XDL), which brakes the inside wheel to improve traction during cornering.

The result is astonishingly effective and dramatically improves the GTI’s traction during cornering, especially while exiting bends. And the tighter, bumpier or slipperier the corner, the greater its advantage over the GTI’s purely electronic brake-based system.

That’s no faint praise, because the Mk7 Golf GTI itself is vastly better than before, its electric steering offering a much tighter ratio and remaining almost completely free of torque steer, bump steer and rack rattle.

But the GTI Performance goes a step further, allowing earlier, harder throttle applications without provoking understeer or stability control intervention. In fact, Volkswagen’s new multi-plate diff lock is so effective that it makes redundant the Golf R’s part-time Haldex all-wheel drive system. And it will take a back-to-back track test to see if it sets a new front-drive dynamic benchmark compared to the accomplished Megane RS.

Given the GTI Performance is $4000 pricier than the standard GTI but $6000 cheaper than the equivalent Golf R DSG, it’s easily the pick of the latest performance Golf family.

2014 Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance price and spec:
Price: $48,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-
Output: 169kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed DSG auto
Fuel: 6.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star Euro NCAP