Fast Facts

Verdict:
Volkswagen has just made its best hot hatch even better

Handles beautifully, more grip than Darth Vader’s Death Grip, practical

Not as visually striking as the Mark 5

Volkswagen’s GTI has just received some new tech bits to make it even faster and better

HUMANS ARE STRANGE. Ever noticed how we like to run our palms over the naked flame of a match, or how we like go right to the edge of a cliff and peek over?

We seem to have a penchant for excitement and adrenaline, even if there is a bit of risk involved. And that’s probably why everyone loved the Mark 5 Golf GTI.

It’s a handsome and practical five-seater hatchback that you could drive as if your mother-in-law was chasing you with a chopper. It would fill you to the brim with adrenaline and allow you to live right on the edge – and it’d always tempt you to. For most, it was as good as a front-wheel-driven hot hatch could be. And then, the Germans decided to fiddle with it.

At first glance, the new GTI looks like it’s exactly the same old car but with different body panels. Both have a 2.0-litre engine, with the new one producing 10 more horsepower but the same amount of torque as before, and even the same gearbox.

But the new model actually has a different engine. The Mark 5 used the ‘EA113’ engine, while its successor has the ‘EA888’ engine (should prove popular with the towkays) which has modified pistons and piston rings, a regulated oil pump and a new high-pressure fuel pump.

Compression ratio has been lowered from 10.5:1 to 9.6:1 and its maximum horsepower goes up to 6,200rpm now, instead of the previous 6,000rpm. Even its maximum torque is delivered 100rpm earlier and ends 200rpm later at 5,200rpm. It’s even faster from 0-100km/h by 0.3 seconds.