New Volkswagen Golf GTI gets cheaper, plug-in hybrid Golf GTE gets 82-mile electric range
The facelifted Golf GTI goes on sale on 20 June, while plug-in hybrid versions of VW’s family hatchback are available from 27 June
Pricing for the new facelifted Volkswagen Golf GTI has been confirmed. The iconic hot hatch will now start from £38,900, which in a surprise twist, is actually around £1,000 less than it was before the facelift. The plug-in hybrid Golf GTE, meanwhile, now offers a pure-electric range of over 80 miles.
The Golf GTI gained an extra 20bhp as part of its mid-life refresh, meaning its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine now produces 261bhp, and can sprint from 0 to 62mph in just 5.9 seconds – compared to 6.2 seconds before. Unfortunately, it’s only available with a seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox.
Styling tweaks include a reshaped front bumper with a new honeycomb pattern for the grille, an illuminated VW logo on the nose, redesigned headlight and tail-lights, and a new set of 18-inch ‘Richmond’ alloy wheels. Of course, the GTI’s famous red stripe on the upper grille remains.
The interior now incorporates a free-standing 12.9-inch touchscreen with a simplified infotainment system and ChatGPT integration. Premium sports seats with the distinctive GTI check pattern feature along with a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display behind the steering wheel, which now has physical buttons in response to customer feedback. Other standard kit includes keyless access, heated front seats, three-zone air conditioning, a rear-view camera, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and traffic jam assist.
The new Volkswagen Golf GTI is available to order from 20 June, while the even fastest, 296bhp Golf GTI Clubsport will go on sale later this summer.
New plug-in hybrid Volkswagen Golf GTE and eHybrid
On 27 June, plug-in hybrid versions of the Volkswagen Golf will also go on sale. The new Golf eHybrid in Style trim will start from £36,760, and the more performance-focused Golf GTE is priced from £39,750.
Both models are powered by a new turbocharged 1.5-litre TSI evo2 petrol engine, one electric motor and a new 19.7kWh battery, which is significantly larger than the 13kWh unit they had before.
The bigger battery provides impressive pure-electric range figures of 89 miles for the Golf eHybrid and 82 miles for the GTE. The 19.7kWh battery can also be charged at up to 40kW from a DC rapid charger, or up to 11kW using a home wallbox charger.
Volkswagen believes the majority of customers will now be able to spend all day driving on battery power alone. Another advantage of the new plug-in hybrid powertrain is a Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax rate for company car drivers of just 5 per cent. For context, pure-electric cars fall into the 2 per cent BiK band.
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