VW Golf GTI Cabriolet
New 207bhp Golf GTI convertible has made its debut at Geneva
VW has revealed a 207bhp cabriolet version of our favourite hot hatch, the Golf GTI.
This is only the second time the Golf GTI has been available without a roof – the first time was the MkI model back in the eighties.
Video: Watch our video of the Golf GTI Cabriolet at Geneva
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Under the bonnet is the same 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine as in the hatch, powering the front wheels. Performance will be blunted by the Cabriolet’s 180kg extra weight, so 0-62mph takes 7.3 seconds, which is four tenths slower than the GTI hatch.
Top speed is 2mph lower, at 147mph. Expect fuel economy to be around the 36mpg mark. Those figures are for the six-speed manual model. The twin-clutch DSG box will be a £1,295 option, and offer virtually identical performance and fuel economy.
A Golf GTI Cabriolet concept was revealed at the Worthersee VW tuning event in Austria last year, and it has paved the way for this production model. As you’d expect, that car’s 19-inch alloys and extreme bodykit have been replaced by more conventional styling in line with the GTI hatchback.
All the main cues are carried over, including the horizontal red stripes across the grille, telephone-dial alloys and twin rear exhausts. The car’s fabric roof takes 9.5 seconds to fold away and can be operated at speeds of up to 18mph.
Inside, there’s space for four, and unlike the GTI hatch, which now has leather trim as standard, all the seats are upholstered in Interlagos tartan cloth.
UK sales kick off in September, with prices expected to start from around £26,000.
