40 Years on – bigger, faster and filled with tech – Golf 7.5 GTI

VW Golf 7.5 GTI Driven

The Volkswagen Golf GTI has become an icon. Since 1975, the Golf GTI has brought practicality, quality, performance and safety, the latter I know well of after my mother spun a Mk5 Golf on the M6 Motorway some years ago.

The original goal with the Golf GTI was to take a practical, family oriented car and drop in a high performance engine, thus making it not only practical but also sporty. The 1975  GTI was the one that started it all, the original hot hatch.

Shoot forward 40+ years and we are the arrival of the Golf GTI 7.5. It’s bigger, faster and filled with tech. Even so, the same principles still apply, it is still family oriented, it’s still practical and flip, its still fast.

What’s Changed

A keen eye will notice the visual changes immediately. The newly designed front bumper, along with the full LED headlights, give the updated GTI a much more aggressive look.One which I much prefer over the Golf 7 GTI and more resembles the GTI Clubsport. The rear also features full LED lighting with the swishing indicator lights adding a nice touch. The Golf 7.5 retains its dual chrome exhaust tips, but on this model they are bigger, also like the Clubsport. They suit the rear nicely and don’t look lost, like they did on the previous model.

I felt that the Golf 7 GTI looked a little plain but the changes to the updated model, in my opinion, make a massive difference – the Golf 7.5 GTI looks like an aggressive performance hot hatch.

There are two big changes on the inside with one of these being the updated Discover Navigation Pro, which features a new 9.2-inch display. Not only is the display bigger, but it also has a higher resolution and can be controlled by hand gestures. It’s also flush with the dashboard and finished in gloss black, giving it a fantastic premium look. The second is the Digital Cockpit, which seems to becoming more of a common technology in premium vehicles of late. Simply, a full digital display replaces the standard dashboard dials which allows for much more information to be shown, such as navigation, music, car settings and even personal visual preferences. Overall, these subtle changes reflect a comfortable, premium feel.

Driving

On paper, the performance enhancements to the Golf GTI 7.5 are minimal, with the same 169 kW output from the 2.0 TSI motor. Even so, l kept asking myself why the GTI felt so fast and why the chassis felt so connected. The front end grip and overall performance this car produces is something that will remain edged into in my mind.  

The steering is weighted nicely, if perhaps a notch too heavy, but this allowed for a fantastic driving feel. Drive the GTI fast in a straight line and you will be impressed, drive the GTI fast through a series of corners and you will really feel the car come alive. The front end provides so much grip that one could say it feels like the car is on rails, a very engaging experience indeed.

The beauty of this is that on another day, a quick switch of driving modes to comfort softens the suspension, relaxes the gearbox, tones down the engine noise and provides a much more easy, everyday experience. The Golf GTI has always provided practically with performance but thanks to technology, this is now ever more present.

With a starting price of R545 000 it may sound pricey, but one needs to consider what they are getting for that price. The Golf GTI is a premium product and this is easily seen through the build quality of the car, the improvements in interior and exterior styling, and the powerful 2.0 TSI Engine.

Our test vehicle was specced to over R600k so if you are budget conscious, you may want to pick your optional extras wisely. For me, the discover navigation pro is a must, along with the Digital Cockpit and Dynaudio system. The Adaptive Chassis Control is also a good option if you wish to adapt the driving comfort to your mood.

VW Golf 7.5 GTI Pricing in South Africa

R545 000

The VW Golf 7.5 GTI comes with 3 year/120 000km Warranty and a 5 year/90 000km Service Plan.