The first test of the Volkswagen GTI 2022

New technology does not weaken the legendary character of the Volkswagen GTI.

Can a car have a panic attack? No? And maybe yes, for a second I was surrounded by a crazy feeling, to shove the heavy hood over this wonderful white Volkswagen GTI 2022 model, then throw it some gasoline in its gas tank, and go. I was stronger than I was riding the red one in this video, but I share and I also love the white Arabic

If it could get the feel of me, this nimble little hatch might sound its horn constantly and stop at 4000 rpm but that can’t happen, I adore these cars that generate huge horsepower.

It’s a new gas-powered compact hatch from a car manufacturer that has made it very clear that its future is electric and filled mostly with SUVs. Volkswagen’s Porsche SUV has killed the average golfer around the world,

Leaving the new MkVIII GTI and the upcoming Golf R as the only fruit destined for us from that bountiful branch. As part of the famous farewell to golf, this time our GTIs will come from Germany, not Mexico, and won’t arrive in the USA until late this year.

Suffice it to say, I have become a bit crazy. Although, having previously fancied myself behind the wheel of the latest and greatest iteration of the ever- hot Volkswagen gold standard , the new car might be a little far from the silly embodiment of the KMV3 “MkVIII”.

I imagined I was wandering the traffic-clogged city streets, enjoying screwing up friends in the back seat, and putting a lot of pressure on that car in cramped parking spaces—not knowing how to handle it all with the usual, familiar German modernity that makes golf—oops, it’s Slip of the tongue, I mean the fan-favorite Volkswagen GTI.

It’s also a shout-and-half fun to drive, and the MKV3 made a whirlwind even though we hadn’t gotten much information yet and hadn’t actually taken a ride on the new GTI before it hitch a ride on my test track to be put into my data-driven trials. So consider that first touch, first sniff, first drive, first test – yes test first of all.

Volkswagen has the same taste despite the new designs

Still, in a way, that car is a lot like a get-together for old friends. The ID3 masterpiece’s new exterior styling bombshell, also lies the same bone and reinforced chassis as the current MkVII GTI is the same chassis.

VeeDub’s premium and extensive MQB platform still exists and builds on the new car, meaning if you love the way the MkVII GTI rides and drives – you’ll love this new car.

The 2022 Volkswagen GTI is designed to closely resemble the current car. But the bushings and wishbones for the MacPherson-strut front suspension and ‘auxiliary’ shock absorbers have been revised, adapted from the previous GTI Clubsport S,

At the rear, the multi-link rear suspension has been updated as well. And the addition of more reworked software updates, sides and plug-ins, wheel mounts, dampers and wishbone bushings keep it all in line. A note about the above spring rates; They are five percent stiffer in the front and 15 percent stiffer in the rear.

Elsewhere, the electric power steering software has been re-encoded for sharper Volkswagen GTI performance when you want it, with less effort, or when you don’t.

The new master cylinder brake adjusts pressure based on driving style and environment: it’s smoother and more progressive throughout the car packed with plenty of comfort modes, and that old-standard early stop is all but gone when the brakes are suddenly applied—everything is smoother than before.

The power and plenty of it inside the Volkswagen GTI

Power still comes from the EA888’s 2.0-liter inline-4 turbocharged engine, but that’s the last thing we want to change from the MkVII GTI. For some of us, the ubiquitous four-cylinder turbo from the Volkswagen Group has become the ultimate engine that comes to mind when the subject turns to 2.0Ts.

The power is 242 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, channeled only to the front wheels – as the GTI’s creators wanted – through either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, as in our current test car. Crucially, the limited slip differential is standard,

Volkswagen says it all adds up to getting you from zero to 60 mph or 97.3 km/h in 6.3 seconds, but we’d say VW was taking pages from Porsche’s toybook on underestimating the value. The fact is that if the assistant road test editor inside the car,

With the driver operating the automatic transmission, the acceleration time will be reduced to just 5.4 seconds, and with the same acceleration, the car can cover the quarter mile in 13.9 seconds, which beats the current DSG MkVII equipped with an acceleration force of 0.6 seconds in both manual and automatic scales.

However, the Volkswagen GTI software didn’t make it easy. The Ayapana team had to work on big torque and tough transmission tuning in pursuit of a clean, smooth launch.

“We were able to get an integrated launch control capability,” Ayyabana said. “If the car is carrying an engine at very high speed, the clutch has been installed for what appears to be reaching eternity and, after all, is still unable to turn the wheels.”

The heroic handling of the Volkswagen GTI

On the figure-eight and skateboard, the Volkswagen GTI continued to ride the motorcycle. He fired the always-hard figure eight in 25.0 seconds with an average of 0.74 g, improved DSG with by 1.1 seconds and more lightness by 0.05 g. And the new GTI cruised around the skateboard at an average of 0.96 grams,

It outperforms its predecessor by 0.05 grams. That’s still notably behind the 24.1-second, 0.81-g average time of the figure-eight averaged by the newer Honda Civic Type R, but that’s fine; To see the Model R compete against Volkswagen’s Golf R which is expected to happen later this year or early next.

Back in the GTI, road test editor Chris Walton was impressed with its handling and handling. “Wow, Volkswagen has really upped its game,” he said. “The guidance is very good; It does not seem artificially heavy or light. Totally Correct. I didn’t expect the GTI to be this capable and fun.”

However, like Ayyabana, he noted that DSG has sometimes clever and sometimes confusing programming. Both agreed on the excellent GTI brakes, which returned a best 60-0 mph stopping distance of 104 feet. “Very confident and chatty brakes,” Walton said. “The travel is short and you can track them deep into the skidpad.”

Less path, more road

The first test results for the new Volkswagen were good, but what about the grooves, the wide front end and the clearance of most of the blocking parts on the corner edges, and the body rotation rate of the new GTI, to get some traction and drive from the front end as all the systems are You brake frantically thanks to an efficient, powerful and smooth brake assembly.

As it has been for decades, the GTI is an essential driving experience, like the Mazda Miata, Ford Mustang or Porsche 911. This Volkswagen we have tends to have a front-wheel drive layout, with the most efficient way to fast cornering is to feed into the throttle as soon as you approach the the top and allows the front tires and LSD to pull you like a slingshot. Suspension tuning is predictable, and in the toughest Sport mode, it should be level and textured even during moments of aggressive weight transfer.

Nice brake balance

The steering is at the prosthetic end of the spectrum, but it loads well and is nicely accurate in the heavier sport mode. The test team wasn’t kidding about the brakes; They aren’t carbon ceramic brakes, but these are some of the most confident hot hatch brakes we’ve seen in some time. In much of our driving on the road,

We left both stability and traction control on, and fully expect the brake-assisted systems to reduce brake effectiveness after a few blasts through our test loop. not like that. With a combination of well-tuned TC/ESC and a new variable master brake cylinder,

We had to drive absurdly on dangerously narrow roads before the brakes conveyed any sense of softness or fading. Even after long bouts of rioting, the brakes continued to stop hard and real on every corner.

Two faces in the best way

Power is plentiful, but we trust the torque. Consolidation and a solid pull down was totally fun, with plenty of initial rumble and wheel shake up front while the chassis struggled to manage all the 273 lb-ft. When you’re connected, you’re off, speeding and accelerating beyond expectations imposed by the “GTI” badge on the tailgate.

It’s time to settle down and go home. Returning to rest mode, everything relaxes and relieves stress, turning a restless sports car into an ordinary hatchback with a mysteriously fixed suspension. On the often-broken pavement that runs through Los Angeles, every bump, rock, and expansion joint was well isolated both physically and acoustically, especially when using the 15-position Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) slider to dial in your preferred level of aggression.

Who asked about this?

Now we come to our unique stark issue with the all-new VW GTI. Volkswagen appears keen to mount the entire ID4 interior on its other new products, which means the GTI’s interior is completely devoid of physical buttons. Instead, touch capacitive panels adorn the dashboard and steering wheel,

And it works with almost every available function. Headlights, climate control, drive modes, volume, tuning, cruise control and group menu selection are powered via these glossy one-piece backlit plastic panels. And non-touch objects are hidden in the touchscreen infotainment system.

But some items are almost intentionally ambiguous. Traction control, for example, is buried behind the car’s settings menu under the “Brake” subsection. They are all very sophisticated and futuristic, but they look very much like a solution to a problem that didn’t exist. We are used to the touch controls within a few hours of sitting time,

But it never became second nature. Moreover, most of the previously glossy surfaces are now a modern art installation of greasy fingerprints and nasty smudges. Buttons please, I love buttons so much.

Pricing – what we (don’t) know

What we can’t report is how good (or not) the new GTI will be when it reaches the dealers, as our example was a car from the German market, a skinny European license plate, and equipment levels may vary significantly. Heck, we don’t have a clear idea of ​​the pricing, but I think it sometimes drops in some places as $31,000. You can check the prices here

For now, if you want to get one of these, we think the wait will be worth it. As the US – and Volkswagen – increasingly cut ties with internal combustion, it’s good to know that exhilarating cars like the 2022 Volkswagen GTI will be with us until the final switch is flipped. And it may be at a lower price in the Middle East. I don’t know that price comparison and it needs a special study, but I leave you with these data coming from Volkswagen even without translation.