Volkswagen Golf Mk8 (2019-2026)

Still a solid everyday hot hatch option – The Mk8 Golf GTI is a gentle upgrade rather than a revolutionary next generation car. The Mk8 brings styling and technological updates, but it’s been met with some criticism regarding its new infotainment system, build quality and the lack of a manual transmission option. I thought the Mk8 GTI had a very solid construction. Even though there are lots of hard plastics, the quality of this Golf didn’t feel cheap in any way. Driving over many hours, this hatchback refused to squeak and rattle.

Although a lot of physical switches are now touch capacitive.

Priced at $55,490 before on-road costs, this is no longer an affordable hot hatch. That means you’ll be spending nearly $60,000 for a basic spec without any options.

For 2023 Volkswagen introduced a special offer that should help move a few more GTI’s, meaning the drive away price is the MSRP before on-road costs (on-road costs are waived for a limited time).

If it’s a hot hatch you’re after, something like a Hyundai i30N can be had for less with more power too. You can even get a Cupra Leon VZ that has the same motor or even a Subaru WRX if you’re chasing the best bang for buck.

You’ll need to service the GTI every 12 months or every 15,000kms. Service plans for 3 years/45,000km will cost you $1600 or 5 years/75,000km will cost you $2,800.

The most surprising element here is the exhaust sound. The GTI has never been an exceptionally loud hot hatch, but it did popularise the DSG ‘fart’ (upshift burbles from the exhaust).

Even with strict EU emission laws making it harder to create new loud hot hatches, the Mk8 GTI will burble, fart and even pop on overruns. There’s plenty of character remaining in the latest generation Golf GTI.

Brakes are fairly standard on the GTI as they’re a simple set of ventilated discs. No fancy cross drilling here.

Brake feel is immediate and confidence inspiring both on back roads and out on track. I had the privilege of experiencing the GTI on track, and the brakes on edge are more than capable of helping wash over 200km/h worth of speed with ease.

Power was hardly increased for the new GTI. You still get the familiar EA888 2.0L petrol four-cylinder turbocharged motor under the hood producing 180kW (241hp) and 370Nm.

0-100km/h is claimed to take just 6.4 seconds as power is sent exclusively to the front wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Launch control is easy to activate (once you figure out how to engage ‘ESC Sport’ in that complicated centre screen) and the GTI does a great job of putting power down despite some initial wheel spin.

Sadly, the manual transmission died in the previous generation Golf GTI. Other markets were privileged enough to get a last hurrah manual option, but Australia missed out there.

A set of small plastic paddles on the steering wheel help you gain greater control of your GTI, or you can simply leave it to the car by leaving the Braun shaver-style shifter in Sport.

Shifts are immediate and engaging, but not as dramatic as Hyundai’s dual-clutch system. However, at low speeds, the GTI is smoother and pleasant to operate in heavy traffic.

Independent rear suspension makes for a convincing reason to step up from a Polo GTI which receives a torsion beam at the rear. Weight transfer feels rather progressive and comfort can be had even on rougher surfaces. There’s plenty of high-speed stability in the GTI, and that limited slip differential does a great job of combating front wheel drive oversteer.

Steering feel is weighty, but not heavy. You’re getting all the feedback you’ll need without feeling overwhelmed or completely numb from the driving experience.

Part of the reason why I’d buy a GTI over other performance options would be the comfort you can have in this hot hatch. It’s far more plush when cruising in comfort mode compared to something like a Hyundai i30N.

Claimed fuel consumption for the GTI is 7.0L per 100km. That can be achieved out on longer drives. While driving in the city, expect fuel consumption to get closer to 10L per 100km, depending on how enthusiastic you are with the accelerator.

While some might not be a fan of the Golf GTI’s interior, I certainly am. It feels like a sense of occasion when you step inside the GTI and it feels more closely related to a Porsche than ever too. There’s a Braun-shaver style stubby shifter dominating the centre console. A lot like the one you’ll find in a 992 generation 911.

Instead there are contrasting leather bucket seats and lots of red highlights in the form of trim and stitching. Oh and don’t forget the wads of honeycomb patterns strewn throughout the inside of the GTI too.

That centre infotainment screen is a pain point for many reviewers, as there are no real physical buttons in here anymore. Every button is touch capacitive and many major functions are hidden inside the screen itself. It’s easy enough to master over a few days of driving, but it’s frustrating to get passengers to use it and navigate the temperature and volume controls which are not backlit at night.

There’s 374 litres of boot space available in the rear of the GTI - more than enough for a weekend away. Seats fold in a 60/40 split but there’s a handy ski-passthrough in the middle seat for longer items, without needing to fold any seats down.

Adults will be very comfortable in the rear, but a middle seat passenger will be feeling a little crushed. There’s climate controls for the rear passengers to control, making it a little easier to remain comfortable on longer trips.

Those front bucket seats offer plenty of support too. It’s still a very comfortable hot hatch to battle traffic in, but also a very capable performer once you find some free sections of road.

The GTI is still the ‘do it all’ hot hatch. It doesn’t compromise on comfort while still delivering impressive performance. Prices have increased for the MK8 generation, but it still isn’t the most expensive hot hatch by comparison to the likes of the Honda Civic Type R or Renault Megane RS.

It would have been great to see the GTI come with a noticeable power bump for the MK8 generation, but that’s reserved for the Golf R instead.

If you want a fun to drive hatchback that won’t have your friends and family groaning about loud exhausts or an uncomfortable ride, the GTI still reigns supreme as a hot hatch that can be both comfortable and set respectable lap times at a local track day.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.

The best performance wagon you can't buy anymore – It’s been the hottest small wagon you can buy since the last generation Volkswagen Golf R debuted the body style.It’s popular too! This is especially so seeing as it undercuts alternatives with its price and performance. You’d expect nothing less than the best when spending the most amount of money on the new VW Golf R. And you’d be right…for the most part.

I found most of the materials inside the Golf R to be of extremely high quality, especially when it came to the seat materials and most of the buttons. There were some scratchy plastics a little higher up the door line than I’d like in a car this expensive, but nonetheless, it felt like a proper German product through and through.

Priced from $68,990 before on-road costs, it’s not going to be the cheapest hot hatch wagon you can buy. However, it is one of the only options offering over 200kW of power, all-wheel drive and a 0-100km/h time of just 4.9 seconds. Throw in some options like a Harmon/Kardon sound system and a panoramic sunroof, and you’ll be closing in on nearly $80,000 drive-away!

Just like most other VWs, the Golf R wagon is covered by a 5 year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Servicing will cost you $1,700 for 3 years of servicing or $3,000 for 5 years, depending on which prepaid service you’d prefer to choose. VW claims this will save you up to $833 if you prepay. Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

If you choose to, the VW Golf R Wagon can be an extremely quiet ride. You’d hardly notice much engine or exhaust sound, and might begin to wonder if you even bought a hotted-up wagon in the first place.

Activate Sport, Race or Special mode, and you’ll awaken that 2.0L fire cracker of a four-cylinder and begin to get plenty of engine sound and overrun exhaust noise.

Be careful where you choose to pop and bang your exhaust, because when I was testing it, it seemed like it'd grab police attention.

The last generation Golf R Wagon suffered from some very average brakes that meant you were limited to how many laps you could do before overheating.

I noticed a healthy set of front cross drilled brakes up front which looked and felt the part for backroad driving. There’s no question that the Golf R Wagon is a bonafide hot wagon when it comes to stopping power.

With 235kW (319hp) and 420Nm of torque being produced from a familiar 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder, it’s hard to have this much power for any less cash in wagon form.

Thanks to launch control and all-wheel drive, you’ll hit 100km/h in a mere 4.9 seconds! That’s lightning quick, meaning you’ll never miss a school pickup when operating this thing as a family wagon.

I loved how this thing pulled through the rev range, especially on fast country backroads. There’s a healthy amount of power at every stage, and you’ll only want more power out of familiarity rather than necessity.

The dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox in the Golf R is again another familiar element - a carry over from the previous generation. I found it to be smooth through gears, and fairly refined in traffic too. You have a Braun shaver-looking shifter in the centre to change into your gears, but you’re left using the oversized shifter paddles on the wheel to change gears manually.

The dual-clutch 7-speed gearbox in the Golf R is again another familiar element - a carry over from the previous generation. I found it to be smooth through gears, and fairly refined in traffic too. You have a Braun shaver-looking shifter in the centre to change into your gears, but you’re left using the oversized shifter paddles on the wheel to change gears manually.

The claimed fuel efficiency is 7.4L per 100km. Again, like the Skoda Kodiaq RS I tested, I saw figures creeping into the 10-11L per 100km range. If you really enjoy those pops and bangs, you can push that figure even higher.

The Mk8 Golf has a minimalist approach to its interior design, but it went too far. That’s fine though; placing controls solely on a screen isn’t a new thing, although it was the execution that felt like a bit of a let down.

I’m not going to scream and shout like some other reviewers, because I do believe you can quickly adapt to the system and user interface pretty easily. However, my biggest gripes were just how big the learning curve felt using the centre screen versus other cars.

There was no backlighting for the climate and volume controls at night, and there were some seemingly disjointed hard buttons below the screen.

I liked the look of this interior, however I do believe VW would benefit from a software update to simplify the UX of its software to make it easier to ask passengers to adjust settings rather than having to instruct them when driving. Also, hiding the ESC controls deep in the software to activate launch control was again a little frustrating.

With 611L with the seats up, this car has more boot space than the VW Tiguan has with its seats up. Put the seats down and you’ll get 1642L of space. There’s plenty of room for adults in the rear, but that middle seat is a little tight.

The VW Golf R Wagon is a strong buy, particularly seeing as there really isn’t any direct competition aside from the Audi S4, which is dramatically more expensive. If you’re not hard sold on getting a wagon, you can get other R products for less money.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.