Skip advert
Advertisement

Volkswagen Golf GTI - Interior, design and technology

Volkswagen has equipped the Golf GTI with plenty of standard kit, and the updates have made it more user friendly

Interior, design and technology rating

4.4

How we review cars
RRP
£30,470 £30,470
Find your Volkswagen Golf
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Sticking with tradition, the latest Volkswagen Golf GTI takes a familiar, evolutionary approach to its overall design, so don’t expect the flamboyant wings and grilles you’ll find on the more aggressive-looking Honda Civic Type R

On the styling front, there wasn’t much to complain about before, so not much has changed. The headlights have been upgraded to Matrix LED technology, which offers 15 per cent more range than the previous units on high beam. At the back, there are some revised tail light graphics, and in between there are some new wheel design options, while the GTI badge on the side, previously a fairly small graphic behind the front wheel arch, has been replaced with much larger lettering on the door.

What is the Volkswagen Golf like inside?

It was the cabin that came under fire most strongly when the Mk8 arrived, and it’s here where Volkswagen has tried to do what it can to improve things for the Mk8.5. Many found that the touch-sensitive controls were fiddly to use, which has seen some ditched altogether for the refresh. For example, the steering wheel has reverted back to physical buttons on its spokes, and they’re far more intuitive to use than the previous touch-sensitive set-up. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

Some haven’t disappeared, however. The main volume control is still an awkward slider below the touchscreen, although at least it’s backlit now so it can be used in the dark. It’s a little more responsive than before, and now that the driver has access to proper volume-control buttons on the steering wheel, it’s less of a negative than it was previously. However, this slider, along with the ones on either side for the dual-zone temperature controls, are still positioned where you are likely to rest your hand when using the main touchscreen.

What is the interior quality like?

While the interior of the Golf GTI is far less cluttered than before, we’re still not entirely sold on the quality of the finish despite the refresh. There are still enough subtle red highlights that are unique to the GTI, along with the ambient interior lighting and bespoke GTI graphics to the digital instrument cluster to let you know you’re in something more than a run-of-the-mill Golf.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

GLC

2022 Mercedes

GLC

38,984 milesAutomaticPetrol3.0L

Cash £37,300
View GLC
Range Rover

2021 Land Rover

Range Rover

54,161 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £41,750
View Range Rover
Range Rover Sport

2022 Land Rover

Range Rover Sport

17,493 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £43,000
View Range Rover Sport
A-Class

2018 Mercedes

A-Class

47,013 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L

Cash £14,200
View A-Class

However, the interior lacks the details of the Civic Type R, with its steering wheel trimmed in Alcantara, its grippy lightweight sports front seats, and its genuine aluminium gear lever.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment 

The GTI’s infotainment system is largely the same as the regular Golf, which means you get the larger 12.9-inch Discover touchscreen system that takes up prominent residence on top of the dashboard. There’s also an additional 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster called Virtual Cockpit as used on the regular Golf but with bespoke GTI graphics. 

Compared with what went before, the revised infotainment screen has faster loading times, a simpler menu layout, plus the additional screen real estate allows for some functions to be on permanent display - such as the climate controls. We’d still prefer to have some physical controls, but that’s a big improvement over what went before, and allows for quick adjustments to be made withough having to delve into a submenu. 

If you don’t fancy utilising the onboard navigation system, there’s always Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity that’ll enable you to run navigation and music streaming apps from your phone. Speaking of audio, a six-speaker audio system with a DAB radio is standard, but this can be upgraded to a 480-watt, nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system for a reasonable £600.

Skip advert
Advertisement

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    2.0 TSI GTI 5dr DSG
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £30,470
Select car

Most Economical

  • Name
    2.0 TSI GTI 5dr DSG
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £30,470
Select car

Fastest

  • Name
    2.0 TSI GTI 5dr DSG
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • RRP
    £30,470
Select car
Chief reviewer

Alex joined Auto Express as staff writer in early 2018, helping out with news, drives, features, and the occasional sports report. His current role of Chief reviewer sees him head up our road test team, which gives readers the full lowdown on our comparison tests.

New & used car deals

Skoda Kodiaq

Skoda Kodiaq

RRP £38,140Avg. savings £3,019 off RRP*Used from £13,895
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £2,233 off RRP*Used from £12,420
Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

RRP £29,820Avg. savings £5,075 off RRP*Used from £14,448
Toyota Yaris Cross

Toyota Yaris Cross

RRP £26,495Avg. savings £1,831 off RRP*Used from £15,519
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Have you considered?

Cupra Leon review
Cupra Leon - front action

Cupra Leon review

In-depth reviews
10 Mar 2025
Cupra Born review
Cupra Born - main image

Cupra Born review

In-depth reviews
4 Mar 2025

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
New Volkswagen ID.3 Match 2025 review: attractive price boosts EV’s appeal
Volkswagen ID.3 Pure Match - front

New Volkswagen ID.3 Match 2025 review: attractive price boosts EV’s appeal

The value-focused Volkswagen ID.3 Match performs well and is easy to live with
Road tests
28 Apr 2025