(image/volkswagen.co.in)
Reservations for the 2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI will open on May 5, and the price is expected to be announced later this month. The Golf, one of VW’s most well-known brands worldwide, will be fully imported to India for the first time, complete with GTI specifications. This will be VW’s second GTI-branded car in India; the three-door Polo GTI was the company’s first offering. Since it is a full import, it will be expensive; the estimated price (ex-showroom) would be more than Rs 50 lakh.
Volkswagen India’s website is the sole place to make reservations, and it will only be available for a short time. Deliveries from a few dealerships around India will start in June. A 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with 265 horsepower and 370 Nm will power the Golf GTI in India.
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It is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which distributes power to the front wheels. An electronically operated front-axle differential lock is also included. Volkswagen claims that the Golf GTI can reach 100 kph in 5.9 seconds, with an electronically controlled top speed of 250 kph.
The Golf GTI will have its own niche as a performance hot hatchback. As a point of comparison, the Mini Cooper S is the only model that performs comparably to the GTI. It has a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with 204 horsepower, but its two-door design makes it less useful.
The 2018 Golf GTI is a sleek hatchback that is unmistakably a Volkswagen. It has the necessary sporting signals, including 18-inch alloy wheels, GTI badges, and dual exhaust tips at the back. Additionally, the LED DRLs extend from the headlamps into the grille, and a distinctive five-piece lighting feature is tastefully embossed on the dual-tone front bumper.
In India, Volkswagen will provide the Golf GTI in four different colour options: Moonstone Grey Black, Oryx White Premium, Grenadilla Black Metallic, and Kings Red Premium. The inside of the Golf GTI will be similar to that of the recently introduced Tiguan R Line in India, with the 10.3-inch all-digital instrument cluster and the huge 15-inch central touchscreen.
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Additionally, it will include sports seats with GTI branding and a steering wheel built to GTI specifications. The India-spec Golf GTI will also have the recognisable tartan seat covering found on the international-spec vehicle.
As previously stated, the Mini Cooper S, which is currently priced between Rs 44.90 lakh and Rs 55.90 lakh (ex-showroom), will be the only competitor for the Golf GTI in India. It is believed that 250 Golf GTI cars were imported by Volkswagen in the initial shipment.
