2010 Volkswagen Golf GTI Preview
October 27, 2009 by Anthony Crawford
Golf GTI 2.0 Litre TSI 155kW 3 door 6-speed manual $38,990
Golf GTI 2.0 Litre TSI 155kW 3 door 6-speed DSG $41,490
Golf GTI 2.0 Litre TSI 155kW 5 door 6-speed manual $40,490
Golf GTI 2.0 Litre TSI 155kW 5 door 6-speed DSG $42,990
CarAdvice is currently on the launch of the new Volkswagen Golf V1 GTI, and will bring you a full review of the car once we have put it through its paces, in the Victorian Alps.
With no less than 155kW and 280Nm of torque pulling hard from 1,700- 5,200 rpm, this is the quickest Golf GTI ever to be built.
It will sprint from 0-100km/h in just 6.9 seconds and has a top speed of 240km/h, that’s against 7.2 seconds and 235km/h for the Mk V Golf GTI.
But the Golf GTI has never been the world’s fastest hot hatch, but it is the world’s best selling hot hatch. Put that down to Volkswagen’s user- friendly approach to design and performance.
GTI has always been the hot hatch that anyone can climb into and enjoy the drive. It’s quick for sure, but nothing brutal, more about flexibility and refinement.
And the new GTI has a secret weapon, and his name is Hans-Joachim Stuck.
This guy is a giant in International motor racing legend, and Volkswagen is proud to have him on board as a development driver, and advisor on the new GTI
Hans Stuck won his first 24 hours race at age 19, before claiming two wins at 24 Hours at Le Mans, two Formula One podiums and way too many other titles to list in this article.
He was also known as the Regenmeister “Rainmaster” for his ability to repeatedly conquer wet tracks.
While there is absolutely no mistaking the new car for a GTI, it appears to sit lower to the ground than the Mark V, while twin exhaust pipes are now wider and sit either side of the car, rather than joined on one side.
Inside, the GTI has been given a more upmarket treatment when is comes to switchgear and the fascia, while the flat bottom leather steering wheel has to be a standout item in the car.
Standard upholstery is the classic GTI tartan fabric covering some of the best bolstered sports seats you will ever sit on.
There’s some brand new technology too called XDS, which is an electronic differential lock, said to increase grip and reduce potential understeer when cornering hard.
The Golf GTI is truly an icon in the automotive world, and this latest Mark V1 edition should be a cracker, with the either the 6-speed Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), or the 6-speed manual.
Volkswagen Golf GTI Specifications.
Print it: 
I Like. :)
You answered the question yourself
nice interior but I’ll pass….
This must be the MOST DISGUSTING interior trim this side of the 70’s,
Find some grey velour for this man.
OK that is the other extreme. There are plenty of nice interior trims that have some colur and flair without having to be disgusting like this.
You can’t tell me you actually “like” that interior trim, even being a VW diehard??? It’s hidious and should be put out of our misery forever.
Granny curtains for the seat trim! OMG what were they thinking… ?? haha i hope its a joke… or are they trying to sell the option for leather more by doing this
That tartan trim is awesome, I WANT
It makes me laugh when people talk up this god awful trim as ‘traditional’. Yes it has been on the GTI’s for ages now, doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t have been taken out to a quiet corner and shot by now.
We don’t care that you think it’s disgusting. It’s a VW GTI tradition, and they know better than you. Buy the leather if you don’t like it.
And some traditions are worth holding onto and some should be thrown out (like the joke they sometimes become).
Looks quite nice and seems like fun to drive. Would have to be in the top 3 for anyone interested in a small, quick hatch. A little too cramped for me however..
Que??? How tall are you?
Well, maybe not that tall in comparison to Pete’s response below. 179cm so perhaps I’m assuming they’re too small. My Comm VE seems to suit me better for the regular Melb-Geelong trips I make. And before I get shot down, I know they’re two different cars in two totally different classes :-)
I’m 195cm and around 120kg (a tall fat bastard, I know – I’m an old one as well) and I find the inside of this car very UNcramped (that’s with me and my wife and 2 tennagers).
as brilliant as the DSG is, and as convenient as 5doors are; id buy the 3dr 6spd at under 40k. :)
0-100 6.9? Talk about a mild improvement! Sorry – I was expecting more.
The R20 must be about to debut.
Early next Year
King of the hot hatches if you ask me
CA says: “this latest Mark V1 edition should be a cracker”
V One? Try VI. :)
I’ll wait for the R thanks.
give me a std tartan cloth trim 6 speed MANUAL, in a classic white 5 door please!!!!
you can keep the DSG and leather for old people or females thanks, lol..
awesome taste, OSU811! but I’d get exactly that with a sunroof, and powdercoat the wheels black! (if the bi-xenon lights are going to be optional again, i’d get those also)
agreed Jazrod, a bright white with Charcoal black rims always looks good, with
dark tint, and a sunroof is always nice,(once you have had xenons it is hard to
go back to normal lights)
Yep agreed you would need really dark tint so that no-one will see the horrible cloth trim and spew up on your car.
Alright DE, we get it. You don’t like the tartan trim. You don’t need to keep going on and on about it. Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean that everybody else has to hate it too. I love it. I think it’s brilliant. It gives the GTI some much needed character and it’s nice that they keep some tradition alive. If you don’t like it, they do offer plain black leather.
You are 100% entitled to your opinion, but we don’t need to read it over and over again in different words.
So Alex, what you are saying is that without the Tartan Trim (which I also hate by the way) the Golf GTi has no character.
Couldnt they find something else
Man, that’s some sharp pricing for such a great car!
Makes all other Euro’s and Jap’s seem overpriced!
Very good pricing, however this maybe the reason why vw have reliability issues….
Oh, Golfie … here we go again!
That’s not a very intelligent comment.
Well I own a VW and I have had no reliability issues, other than a dead battery and I`m sure most cars suffer that
Reliability issues? Oh Charlie great owner of so many VW products, enlighten us as to how many of your VW’s broke down! Cause I rented them out daily for years in the UK and can’t say I ever had one break down. Incidentally I was the branch manager, not the guy renting the car so I was the one that signed off on breakdowns and my Mercs were one of the worst in the breakdown department. I would buy a VW any day, infact I did and guess what, it too hasn’t given me any trouble.
Yeah, of cause you were the branch manager, and before that you designed VW’s for the fuhrer
no fool, I was the fuhrer, now get down and lick my boots or you will go to the showers!
Base price is good, but the options list can get you up to a 60k car in the blink of an eye.
Raised on V8 RWDs but for some strange reason feel the need to buy a sporty Golf one day. Love the Mk6 shape but the tartan cloth and ugly wheels are so 80s gauche, I’ll have to save up for a R20 audigolf.
ugly!
I’m sure your parents don’t think you are, don’t be so harsh on yourself.
Another very polished and evolving machine from the Volkswagen Group.
Spoken like a true VW/Skoda dealer.
Your counterparts on the Kia posts are no less subtle though. Keep it possitive on your brands and keep the biased slagging out other posts and everybody will be much happier.
I don’t work for VW group but I agree with Will
Go have a cry. People are allowed their own opinions! :D
I hope the interior doesn’t have the same ghastly red glow that engulfs you when driving my brother’s Golf at night.
What is the go with so many cars having dual exhausts that are completely unnecessary? More than likely with a chrome tip thats a decent size bigger than the real, smaller exhaust, which you can still see anyway. Just eats into boot space *cough* hello Commodore *cough*
I would not buy one regardless of price unless VW solves reliability issue
I know exactly what you mean. I once had a brand new Toyota Camry whose 3rd gear synchro and head gasket both bade sayonara within 45,000 kilometres. I said, ‘never again’.
A friend of mine has a Toyota RAV4 from 2001-2004 vintage. Toyota says it MIGHT pay for half the cost of the new transmission, as long as they get to fit it at $11,000. Yeah, baby, Toyota is great…….
You will find that most of the Rav4’s from that period have the same costly problem just after 100000km. A neighbour just sold his to the wreckers because it was not economically viable to fix the p.o.s!
yet another who knows nothing about Modern VW’s
and Golfie made my pepsi come out of my nose
Did he jam it in too hard?
I think these new VW steering wheels look absolutely disgusting… totally downmarket compared to the old models, they look like theyre made of horrid plastic.
Other than that….I LOVEEEEEEEEEEE those tartan seats. I’d buy the entire car just for the tartan seats!!!
GOT MY VOTE =P
Sick puppy! Or was a puppy that sicked up on the seats?
Good pricing, but all the those tempting options and crazy dealer delivery charges can easily make this a $60k car
it’s fwd right? why even bother making this if you’re making the golf r?
Because they can. The R will be too hot for most the GTI market, which includes a large percentage of older people with taste who want some zip.
The R will replace the R32 with AWD and more POWAH !!! And more lag because of the bigger turbo. So it’s more for the enthusiast demographic.
This will stir up all the Eurotrash wannabes on the site, lots of “best hatch on market”, and “brilliant combination of performance and economy” whah whah whah
Well, if it boils down to a choice between one of these or your modified 200B….
VW’s are driven by poonces and bought with the pink dollar, Id say you are an excellent example of this.
the word is spelled Punce, look it up in the dictionary you retard
Look up the word bullsh!tter, there will be a picture of you behind your desk at toyota, or in one of your many management positions.
The Janitor at Toyota HQ has a lot of fans on this site!
What a tosspot!
Oopsies. Looks like I hit the mark with the 200B thing. Daily sightings of its brown vinyl roof have obviously brought out the worst in you. Or is that the best? Hard to tell. The only thing you were right about is the pink dollar, but the only way you can offend me is with your grammar, believe it or not. Don’t put apostrophes (those are the little “‘” thing things) in your plurals (that’s where you have more than one of something, as in ‘Volkswagens’). Use them only with possessive nouns and contractions.
You must have run out of puff to be nitpicking on typo’s!
You Euro boys need a ride in a FJ20T 1200 ute!
Hmm so your wallets full of the pink mans dollars, bet your townhousehouse is full of lovely shiny things that you “just had to buy!!!”, explains the pickiness, meowwwwwww!!! you VW drivers get a bit catty, I think you should have a nice relaxing multi coloured beverage with lots umbrellas hanging out and some of those pills that relax your coit.
Im talking from a neutral point of view, and i love the Exterior and the drivetrain but the tartan and that stupid generic console that every VW/Skoda product has is gettin old and robs the car of a soul. It just feels like another generic product from the mighty VAG
its sad how it still a has long options list.. most of which I want in the GTI.
How is this the king of hot hatches, i just dont understand it, it’s upto 35Kw down on the competitors and is a fair bit softer as a “hot”(warm) hatch, give me a R26R anyday, hey a standard 225 with wipe the floor with a Golf.
But the Renault will breakdown long before the GTi does. And Renault are the more reliable of French cars
Agree, the Renault will be the better track/performance car but I think the Golf is a better daily…..which does not make it the king though!
I was in Gosford today and the VW dealer has a black one with Sat Nav. He offered me a test drive but I had to decline due to lack of time. Hopefully heading back there on the weekend to test it out.
It’s a bit sad how the people who can’t afford this car are bagging it :)
The GTI is a legend, and this model is a worthy successor to the MKV. Shame it’s crept up in price a bit, but should go down by about the same amount in January when the tariff reduction cuts in. That’s one way to pocket the reduction I guess.
However, run a chip into the engine for less than $1000 and get an easy 200KW and 400nm of totally reliable, awsome grunt. Yeah, baby. You don’t care about anything else then.
And trying to get all those killerwatts through the front wheels will look really cool on a track.
My Leon Cupra R had 167kw, was front wheel drive and didn’t cause too many problems getting the power down. It’s all about how you drive the car. Any idiot can drop the clutch and bounce the front axle until the engine mounts break, but a decent driver knows how to get the best out of a front wheel drive car.
Arm yourself with a bit of knowledge before you open you mouth and look stupid. The FWD Sciroccos haven’t doen too bad in the racing arena, look up their results at the ‘Ring. Pretty much identical to the GTI. Zero problems getting the power down on the track. I confess that it will wheelspin and invoke the TC on a wet road though – or a dry one.
I’ve also seen plenty of RWD cars with lots of power having lots of trouble on the racetrack. They have trouble getting the power down.
Yeah, but the Scirocco GT24 cars are purpose built for the track. A roll cage increases stiffnes, race-spec suspension helps traction massively and, most importantly, they run full racing slicks – so it’s a bit disingenuous to use the racing Sciroccos as an example of what FWD traction would be like on a GTI with a stage 1 reflash.
I am a VW Group fan, but this is so expensive! And the level of kit is so povvo. I’ve just returned from a trip to Hong Kong (where VW’s are somewhat popular against the endless suplies of Toyota Alphards/Taragos and Nissan Elgrands) and the new GTI has been on sale there for about two months and it comes standard with xenons, leather, the 18-inch wheels, f and r parking sensors and stuff you can’t even get here (like the electric folding mirrors) as well as the DSG (although they can keep that – I want a manual) and the main point is that it doesn’t cost much more than the Aus-spec GTI. WTF!?
It’s ok,but I still feel that the MKV GTI front looks more aggressive than the MKVI.
The 4 door looks quite ordinary.The 3 door does tend to look a little more sporty.The rear lights are a bit disappointing they just don’t look as classy as the MKV’s.
Nothing really makes it stand out from the pack.You can chip it,but so can other owners of turbo charged hatches eg MPS 3,XR5 etc.
I suppose the question to be asked of current MKV GTI owners is whether VW has done enough to convince them to buy the new MKVI GTI?
Probably not. Although I dare say there’ll be a lot of Mk5 GTI owners upgrading to the Golf R.
That said, I could see a definite case for going from Mk5 GTI to Mk6 GTI if you were on a three year lease.
@Jake02 – Not sure how the new model could really be considered povvo, it has a few gadgets that my wife’s MY07 GTI 3dr is missing.
It seems to me as though Volkswagen wants to price the GTI as close to 40K as they can, so if that means you’ll need to option one or two things more then that’s probably a small sacrifice worth making.
In regards to comparing prices to cars overseas, don’t ever compare pricing to cars in the US, especially while our dollar is strong, haha.
its all the car you’ll ever need… awesome
Fantastic, another FWD hot hatch.
Why wouldn’t you get a 2 year old 130i for $45K and get better handling, performance and quality. You don’t get the old man seat trim but that’s one sacrifice I’d make…
Cramped and impractical, Realist.
As is the Golf.
The Golf’s roomier.
Sorry, Realist, the Bimmer is VERY cramped in the back. When I test drove it I couldn’t fit anything in the back seat, let alone my kids.
the 130 has a nice motor but thats where it begins and ends with that one.
Oh yes, credit where credit’s due, and all that. You get everything Realist says you get, plus the bits I mentioned. For me, that tips the balance in favour of the Golf.
Haha, there’s already enough people here complaining about the reliability of Volkswagens and you’re recommending people buy a BMW that is approaching the end of its warranty. Nice!
My mkv gti has been faultless since day 1
VW Aus were smart and removed all the good stuff to bring the price down to what looks like sub 40k. Fact is, with delivery costs and basic options like metalic paint, you are looking at closer to 50k and for some closer to 60k.
Good tactic though, cos it ropes you in, making you think you might actually be able to afford a golf GTI. Thank god for the second hand car market.
and what exactly have they removed? Cause it looks well kitted to me.
Fantastic car, I would get one in a heartbeat if I had a good car allowance and work paid for it and a changed cars every three years.
I would NEVER keep one for long outside the warranty period though, these cars are a money pit as they age.
Well the 18 inch detroit wheels that are in ALL the pictures for one, makes the standard rims look inadequate. Bixenons which are standard in lots of countries (the cars even have the cut outs for the bixenon headlight washers even if you don\’t order a golf with one). Ipod interface which costs almost 300 bucks. Electronic Chassis control. How is it well kitted?
Sure, not everyone would option those items and to each their own, but I would not say it is well kitted in comparison to the competition, even a mazda 3 has GPS.
I’ve never got lost in 40+ years of driving, so a GPS is not worth a pinch to me.
Driving around in a Mazda might be OK when you are young and broke and get lost easily, but when you get to my age you no longer want cheap tacky stuff. A GPS doesn’t swing the equation Mazda’s way. But I’d have a Mazda if I couldn’t get a VW Golf GTI.
My next car will be AWD, though. Golf GT-R, R36, Toureg – can’t decide between them :) Whichever one it is, it will get a Stage 1 Chip to free up the ponies supressed by VW so the VWs are slower than the Audis with the same engine.
Bixenon standard? In which countries, cause it’s a one thousand pound option in the UK ( one of VW Golf’s biggest markets). The vehicle has Ipod interface, electronic stability control, rain sensors, dual zone climate control, front side and curtain airbags, electronic diff lock, all electric windows and mirrors and speed sensitive power steering. More than enough for any car. GPS is for lazy bastards who are too stupid to read a map. So it’s well kitted, you want a car that is over kitted buy an S class.
Lol, can’t afford a golf, buy an s class. I love maps btw. The GPS was just an example as to the equipment offered by some rivals. I would never consider the mazda, its a class below. And i’ve always loved golfs, just going to need to save a bit more and then wait the required 4 months.
Xenons are standard in S’pore and HK, not too sure about the other markets.
I like your plan Reckless1!
Worth pointing out that the MK6 GTi shown in this preview article is BUILT IN GERMANY (both 3dr and 5dr).
The Mk5 GTi 5 Door was built in South Africa, while the 3 Door came from Germany.
Anyway in my view this car should come standard with 18s, Adaptive Chassis Control and the Dynaudio sound system (for the same RRPs shown above).
THEN it would be good value.
I suspect all of these things will be standard on the R20 (along with xenons and leather trim) and the price difference wont be huge, so the R20 would get my vote.
But what I really want is a Scirocco R and VW Australia are too interested in finding reasons why we cant have that car, rather than finding reasons to bring it here.
I guarantee you that if they did pull a miracle and bring the Scirocco 2.0 and R versions they would be priced WAAAAAAY above the Golf GTi and R20, which would be typical price gouging behaviour, based on the ridiculous assumption that people dont know the Sciroccos are actually the same or less money than the golf in other markets.
If VW Australia had their act together the lineup would be as follows:
GTI 5 door @ low $40k
Scirocco 2.0T @ $40k
R20 5 Door @ low $50k
Scirocco R @ $50k
That’s all we need, forget the 3 door Golf GTi and R20.
I’m really excited by the new Renaultsport Megane RS250 that’s due next year and will probably buy one, but if VW brought out the Scirocco R at the same or lower price than the R20 Golf I would forget the Renault and place a deposit on the Scirocco at my VW dealer immediately.
Of course, this wont happen…
Does anyone else think the VI looks smaller even though it is actually bigger (correct me if I’m wrong)? It just looks like you’re not getting your money’s worth compared to the V. I know it’s just a matter of perception over reality, but that could mean a lot to some buyers. Still love it though.
It’s 5 mm shorter than the Mk V.
I don’t understand, are leather and xenon too “luxury” for Australian market, why not at very least, provide a “luxury” package with leather upholstery & xenon low-beam head lights, not even a bi-xenon and nothing else, just a package with two simple “luxury” goodies: leather and xenon and price it around $3000, is this an extreme job for VW Australia? Hey, I am not even asking for the LED tail lights!
i guess i am asking too much if i want the electric seats …, but shouldn’t we desire more from european cars with its “luxury” generic and modern technology, or even we are standing in 2009, we should step back to 1969, but wait, cars in 1969 got leather, haven’t they? Oh, no, I am so confused! Maybe we only need a one-seater car with a super powerful engine, maybe with a metal cover, but nothing else…
With BMW offering M sport packs, Audi with S-line packs, Merc and Lexus with ’sport’ value packs, hope it won’t be too far off the horizon for VW. The more consumers ask for it, the more VW will consider it. Theres gotta be someone from VW or an affiliated agency reading these comments…
Volskwagen released some R-Line stuff (as distinct from the Golf R) for their model range, including the Golf, at the Frankfurt show. Not sure if it will ever be offered in Australia, though. I’d say it’s unlikely.
I personly would want black leather seats, not because I like to sit on the hide of a dead animal, but because that most of my friends would be more impressed to slide into a leather seat rather than a Scottish kelt, unless they are of course Scottish.
It’s easy to criticize price, but when the original is reincarnated into a modern car, as it is here, then price should be irrelevant to the genuine hot hatach enthusiast.
I have just secured a factory push car this weekend, pick it up next week. It’s 5 doors & wanted 3, no options but need a car now & was very surprised that I could bag one. Didn’t want leather, I like the Jacky tartan, gone for white rather than red or black!