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Peak Talk: Partho Banerjee, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited — Electrifying Intent

Hallelujah! After years of petrolheads’ prayers and pleas, Volkswagen has finally brought the Golf GTI to India. In 2016, VW teased us by bringing the Polo GTI in limited numbers to test the Indian market, and that only made enthusiasts crave the Golf GTI even more. Now, nine years after that first prod, and 50 years after it was first launched globally, we have the option to get our hands all over the Mk 8.5 Golf GTI.

It isn’t often that I get restless before a drive, but VW wanted us to properly experience everything the Golf GTI offered — that meant a day hooning the GTI at the Natrax Automotive Test Centre near Indore. More importantly, I got to floor the GTI’s throttle pedal at the 11.3-km high-speed circuit, maxxing it out as I went. That’ll make anyone’s day, right?

VW has always excelled in making hot hatchbacks, and the crème de la crème of the lot has always been the Golf GTI, which VW hasn’t tinkered with or messed around with for India. It is powered by an EA888 turbocharged 2.0-litre inline-four petrol motor, which produces 261 bhp and 37.7 kgm, mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, sending power to the GTI’s front wheels via VW’s VAQ electronically controlled limited-slip differential.

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The beauty of the GTI has always been its sheer flexibility — being exhilarating to drive on the limit and also being comfortable enough to be a daily run-around. Fire up the GTI, and in sport mode, the exhaust emits a bassy rumble which won’t have your neighbours hating on you. At full chat, the engine note gains character and a pleasing smattering of pops on the overrun — enough to make me smile but without ever turning the GTI antisocial.

I am also happy to report that the chassis is excellent; the ride is planted but surprisingly comfortable even with the stock non-adaptive suspension, and the Golf’s nose is just so eager. The steering might be a tad numb, but it’s well within the margin of error when comparing electronic power steerings from different automakers nowadays, and it’s something you get used to. Additionally, the stability control system can be fully de-energised, but the more permissive ESC Sport mode feels playful enough on track, and it doesn’t intervene until you get the car substantially out of shape. Moreover, the transmission is super-quick to respond to the paddles and smart enough to be left alone on a racetrack should you not want to deal with shifting at all. But no matter how good this automatic is, it’s hard not to feel that the GTI deserves the option of a manual transmission. It is worse off without one — there, I said it.

I, for one, love how the Golf GTI looks. It has a very sleek design thanks to the lower grille that adds fang-like elements to its distinctive five-pod foglights. Additionally, it also offers an illuminated strip linking the headlights, and the thin red strip atop the running lights extends fender to fender. The front VW badge lights up, too. For India, VW offers four colour options, all with thoroughly confusing names and it comes with 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, along with a barrage of GTI badges.

VW has also made the interior of the GTI quite a fun place; it comes with a 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is highly versatile to use. Tasks such as switching off the ESC and changing modes can all be configured within the quick-toggle menus, making it easier to use on the go. The sheer size of the new screen allows more functions to live in permanently present rows of rendered icons top and bottom, with plenty of space still available for the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto projection. As for the AC controls, VW offers touch-sensitive temperature and volume sliders below the screen, which can be quite a task to use, but would it be better if VW had gone a step further and eliminated these sliders altogether and brought back traditional hard controls? You already know the answer to that question — a definite yes.

Okay, I have to come clean and express one gripe I have with the Golf GTI. Now, the front cloth bucket seats are an excellent homage to the first-gen GTI, but anyone with a bit of girth will struggle to comfortably fit in them. Additionally, for the size of the GTI, when I set the driving seat to my position, the legroom at the rear was severely affected, owing to the shape of the back of the front seats.

Of course, I have to admit to being a bit biased because I have adored the Golf GTI and wanted one since I first heard about hot hatches. And if you’re someone who’s willing to buy the Golf GTI, firstly, it won’t be possible since VW has sold out the first lot of 150 cars coming to India, and when the next lot is due, VW hasn’t clarified yet. Secondly, it will be expensive, at ₹ 53 lakh (ex-showroom, India).

But, all of these things are just words on paper. The people who wanted the GTI first have already gone and booked one; for the rest of us, like myself, yes, we need to wait even harder to get our hands on it. Does that mean you should shy away from that aspiration? Not at all, because everything that you’ve built in your head about the Golf GTI is entirely accurate. The Golf GTI is one of the best performance cars you can buy in India that won’t reduce your bank to rubble. Relatively, of course.