The Golf 8 GTI Clubsport at a glance
No series GTI is stronger
Volkswagen Golf GTI. Two words, an abbreviation and almost every car fanatic has a specific picture in mind. Which one exactly depends on how old you are. Whether Golf I or Golf VII, one thing is certain: with the exception of the limited Clubsport S in 2016, no series GTI had as much power under the hood as the current “Gran Turismo Injection” with Clubsport addition.
300 hp and front-wheel drive
221 kW / 300 PS for a front-wheel drive car are a word and at the same time call up all those who describe this combination as undrivable (combined fuel consumption: 6.6 l / 100 km; combined CO2 emissions: 151 g / km²). You are – most of the time – wrong. Yes, Volkswagen was already thinking something about the all-wheel drive of the R variants, but apart from increasingly spinning and pounding wheels on wet roads, everything is good. Although that would be an understatement.
Powerful 4-cylinder without great emotion
The longitudinal and transverse dynamics that the men and women in Wolfsburg have launched with this car will not leave those who normally have little use with a Golf indifferent. Although the standard 2.0 TSI with the internal name EA888 evo4 will not cause goose bumps because of its soundscape, the din with occasional pops and bangs fits in with the overall concept of GTI club sports.
More expensive than the competition
With at least 41,265 euros, the GTI Clubsport is 4,710 euros more expensive than the normal GTI and at the same time more expensive than all direct competitors from Hyundai, Renault or Honda. In addition to more engine power, the clubsport meanwhile offers an extended driving dynamics manager and a special Nürburgring driving mode.
Less understeer thanks to the driving dynamics manager
For the first time, the driving dynamics manager combines the electronically controlled front axle differential lock with the optional adaptive chassis (DCC) and is intended to prevent sliding over the front wheels as best as possible. This does not always work in practice, but it is much better than with its predecessors. The well-weighted and for VW conditions communicative electric steering is pleasing, the drive influences are only rarely noticeable.
Nürburging or motorway mode?
The Nürburgring driving mode, on the other hand, could also have been called motorway mode. If this is activated, the engine and 7-speed DSG are set to maximum escalation, the DCC chassis, on the other hand, is lenient. With this setting, Volkswagen pays tribute to the challenging circuit in the Eifel, but it is also ideal for rushing over poor asphalt slopes from Frankfurt to Munich.
DSG with a second to remember
The 2.0 TSI always hangs on the gas, delivers 400 Newton meters of torque from 2,000 revs and runs from zero to 100 kilometers per hour via Launch Control within 5.6 seconds. According to the speedometer, the end is somewhere just above 270 km / h, which should correspond to a real 250 km / h.
As a rule, the DSG, which has no alternative, also harmonizes with the engine – it is only now and then that the gearbox obviously does not know its task and remains briefly in a kind of shock freeze with no positive connection. When it comes to fuel consumption, you need what you ask for. Eight liters per 100 kilometers (according to the on-board computer) when driving more cautiously and more like 13 liters when driving briskly are approximate guide values.
Weak service
Meanwhile, there is little praise for the operation of the Golf VIII: Basically, the handling concept of the Golf 8 would not be a bad one, the software and some user interfaces would be different. If the razor-sharp digital cockpit can still be operated reasonably well, individual frustration increases with the start of voice input. If the verbal announcement does not lead to success, the Discover Pro Navi is laboriously operated by hand.
Faulty navigation system and fair weather assistance
This not only distracts from driving, the route guidance also only finds its way to the destination mediocre. Despite the existence of federal highways, winding paths are recommended or on the motorway you suddenly find yourself on the adjacent tangent at 180 km / h according to the navigation system. The assistance systems for everything to do with Travel Assist were similarly prone to errors; they worked in sunshine, but not in snow or rain.
Good workmanship, hardly any attention to detail
The materials also have a lot of shadow, but hardly any light. Except for the great steering wheel and the standard sports seats (with too little leg rests) disillusionment is the order of the day. If the workmanship is still okay, the predominant plastic surfaces are rarely appropriate for a car that costs more than 40,000 euros. Simple plastics, cheap moldings and some lighting design have to be enough to satisfy the GTI customer. There is a lack of attention to detail.
Conclusion
The Golf 8 GTI Clubsport is a driving machine of the purest water. Anyone who can and wants to do without the all-wheel drive of the Golf R will not make a mistake with it and also save a good 8,000 euros. Overall, the pricing is still fair, but it is accompanied by a cheaper interior, error-prone assistance systems and a cumbersome infotainment system. Volkswagen will have to get the last two points under control in the near future. (Text and image: Thomas Vogelhube)