The new Golf GTI - New design, new engine, new fascination

The new Golf GTI is on its way, powered by a 200 horsepower turbo engine and set for delivery in Europe in Q4. First unveiled in 1976, the new Volkswagen Golf GTI will be the fifth generation of a vehicle with an extraordinary brand recognition - 93.2% of all Europeans equate the GTI letters with the high performance Volkswagen Golf and the standard Golf is Europe's top-selling car.

To power the Golf GTI, Volkswagen is using a newly developed 2.0 litre FSI turbo engine. The 147 kW direct injection petrol unit powers the GTI to 235 kmh, a remarkable increase from the original (then regarded as firebreathing) GTI's 81 kW and 182 kmh top speed.

At the time of the first release, the GTI was seen as a limited production vehicle with a short production run of 5000 planned. The car captured public imagination, spawned a new class of vehicle, and over four generations the original 5 000 vehicles has become over 1.5 million Golf GTIs.