2022 VW GTI: All-New Hot Hatch With More Power, Price and Release Date
2022 VW GTI the fear that Volkswagen will wipe out the entire Golf lineup is gone, with the Golf GTI 2022 starting a new generation of sporty hatchbacks.
While it looks like the German automaker will still stop selling regular golf in the United States, the even zestier GTI and R model, which we reviewed separately, have been avoided.
The result is a more powerful GTI with more desirable features and the same characteristics that helped the previous version earn a place on our Top 10 list.
With a change in, although recognizable, a much more sophisticated exterior and cabin, the beloved Golf GTI is back with a vengeance.
The Golf GTI 2022 is all new and marks the eighth generation of storied nameplate. While the styling is more evolutionary than revolutionary, VW has packed the hatchback with more technology and improved performance.
Its fresh exterior styling is promoted by slimmer LED headlamps and a gaping lower grille with fog lamps integrated into the mesh.
A more dramatic make-up is inside, where 2022 VW GTI combines advantages such as checkered lining with cutting-edge features. For example, dual digital displays are now standard, and dashboards have been completely redesigned.
The GTI’s four-cylinder turbo now produces 241 horsepower (up 13) and 273 lb-ft of torque (up 15), and still offers a manual transmission as standard.
2022 VW GTI Interior
Inside, the Golf GTI gets a completely modern design as well as some traditional models. The dashboard is dominated by two large displays – a 10.2-inch cluster and a 10.0-inch touchscreen – that share a piano black frame.
A set of thin air vents flowing between the top and bottom dash resembles the aesthetic also seen on Audi models. The GTI’s three-spoke steering wheel offers highly contoured rims and touch-sensitive control. The cab is also lit by ambient lighting on the dashboard, doors, and footwell.
The reinforced front seats have red accents around the outer edges and iconic checkered inserts at the top and bottom of the cushions that may be reflected in the rear seats.
Although VW has announced that the eighth-generation Golf is overall 1.0 inch longer with a wheelbase of 0.6 inches, we are not
The GTI infotainment system runs via a standard 10.0-inch touch screen. Unfortunately, it’s mainly operated via touch-sensitive sliders instead of the more intuitive buttons and knobs.
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While VW only mentions that they will have the latest in-built navigation and app-based remote services, we also expect the new Golf to offer Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Wi-Fi hotspot.
Of course, there will also be multiple charging ports and the possibility of an upgraded sound system being offered as an option.
The Volkswagen Golf GTI 2022 retains the standard tartan checkered seat and is heated, in a new design pattern. The perforated leather seat option will be heated and ventilated.
The steering wheel covers were punched again (last seen on the Golf 6 GTI), and heated wheels will be standard.
The steering wheel is equipped with multi-functional touch controls, and the instrument panel has digital gauges. The MIB infotainment system will come with an 8.25-inch or 10-inch screen.
The interior has overall red accents, like the previous model, but for the Golf 8 version a 30-color ambient lighting system, including “GTI-only mode”, will be standard.
The shift-by-wire gear selector and steering-wheel paddle-shifters come with an optional 7DSG transmission, and a head-up display that projects onto the windshield will also be an option. VW has ditched the additional cost Fender premium audio system for the Harmon-Kardon hi-fi unit.
2022 VW GTI Exterior
On the exterior, the sleek exterior design update for the new Volkswagen Golf GTI 2022 comes with a boost of 30 horsepower, a revised chassis with sharper steering, and sharper handling with minimal understeer, four levels of “driver profile selection,” and a stylish interior. more luxurious with more equipment.
The VW Golf R will return to North America when the next prime minister’s GTI is here, slated for the third quarter of 2021.
VW has confirmed that the two cars will still come with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard.
Unless there is a delay in responding to the global pandemic, both the Volkswagen Golf GTI and the Golf R 2022 will launch in the United States and Canada around the same time, the automaker said.
VW previewed the eighth-generation Golf GTI in a video conference Wednesday but didn’t provide any details on the more powerful model.
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The Volkswagen Golf GTI 2022 is about the same dimensions and weight as the previous model, the first to use the VW MQB platform, although the new GTI is about 0.6 inches lower than the current Golf GTI.
VW has confirmed rumors that the GTI and R, both assembled in Wolfsburg, Germany, will be the customer’s choice here to get into the VW hatchback.
“It is highly unlikely that a standard version of Golf will come to North America,” said Megan Closet, product manager for the Golf family. He added that VW of America was considering importing the Golf 8 TSI only into the Canadian market.
The US and Canada buy 45 percent of global GTI and Golf R production, and VW of America wants to sell special editions such as the Club GTI, Club Sport, and TSR previously only sold in Europe.
But any version with a different powertrain would require an expensive separate EPA certification, said Hein Schafer, senior vice president for marketing and product strategy.
2022 VW GTI Engine
The Golf GTI 2022 is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 241 horsepower. That power is channeled to the front wheels via a standard six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic dual-clutch.
The two powertrain combinations will interact with selectable drive modes that include customizable Comfort, Eco-Friendly, Sport, and Individual settings.
This function also affects the GTI’s adaptive damper, which can switch between smoother and stronger motions.
While we haven’t gotten around to driving the new GTI yet, we fully hope this hatchback continues the tradition of fun-to-drive characteristics and everyday comfort. The European-spec, non-GTI that we sampled does just that.
2022 VW GTI MPG
Neither the EPA nor VW has released information on the Golf GTI’s fuel economy ratings. Once we got our government highway estimate and had the opportunity to test it on our 200-mile route, we were able to evaluate the hatchback’s real-world mpg.
2022 VW GTI Price and Release Date
VW hasn’t said how much the 2022 Golf GTI will cost or what trim levels it will offer. However, we hope that the lineup will reflect the current version and cost a little more when it finally goes on sale. Golf GTI estimated reach: $ 30,000.