The new eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI is on sale in the UK now. Prices start from £33,460 for the hot hatchback when equipped with a manual gearbox, while a seven-speed dual clutch automatic version costs £1,500 more. That’s just a smidgen more than its closest rivals: the Honda Civic Type R starts from £32,820, while the Ford Focus ST is £2,885 cheaper. The UK market ranks as one of the most important destinations for this latest car, given British buyers’ preference for hot Golfs. Around 40 per cent of all Golfs sold in the UK in 2019 came from the GTI/GTE/GTD and R ranks, so in terms of overall share, the GTI is a heavy lifter in the line-up. The standard equipment list for the latest version includes LED Matrix headlights, LED foglights, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, tartan fabric sports seats and three zone climate control. The GTI features a suite of included safety kit, too: lane change assist, Travel Assist (a combination of lane-keeping and active cruise control systems that enable semi-autonomous driving), Side Assist and Emergency Assist (which can bring the car to a safe halt if the driver is unresponsive) are all included.

As with the previous Golf GTI, the Mk8 features a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that sends its power to the front wheels. The turbocharged 2.0-litre TSI engine now produces 242bhp and 370Nm of torque, and is the fourth generation of the familiar ‘EA888’ engine. In its quickest DSG-equipped form - optimized for this Golf generation with a new shift-by-wire system - the GTI sprints from 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds and has a top speed of 155mph. The standard six-speed manual is newly-developed for this generation. WLTP testing figures state that the Golf GTI achieves between 36.7mpg and 38.2mpg depending on spec and gearbox, while CO2 emissions range from 168-174g/km. From the outside the GTI remains somewhat understated; the bodykit and spoiler barely any more aggressive than regular members of the Golf line-up. However, VW has re-incorporated some trademark GTI touches into the design, in addition to some new design flourishes. 13 The classic GTI red pinstripe is present and correct at the front, with the headlights linked by a full-width lighting strip lining the car’s nose. Below sits a new front bumper with a large honeycomb-style grille, within which sits those LED foglights in a chequered flag pattern.