The new Golf GTI, GTD and GTE have been unveiled ahead of Geneva

Although forecasts suggested the new sporty batch of the Volkswagen Golf would not see the light before the Geneva Motor Show, the Wolfsburg-based brand has decided to get ahead of it. With this in mind, we now know all the details of the new GTI, GTD and GTE, the most sporting and radical variants of the German compact until the arrival of the R, which will take place this very summer. Now, with a fresh look, the Volkswagen Golf and its corresponding versions aim to shake up the market and stay at the top of the sporty compact rankings.

The engineers at Volkswagen have managed to keep intact the essence of their favourite child, while blending it with a new and improved formula. This can be seen both aesthetically and mechanically, two areas that have been improved across the GTI as well as the GTD and GTE, variants aimed at a different kind of buyer but always with sportiness as their banner.

A design faithful to its principles

Aesthetically, we find an aggressive and prominent front bumper governed by the now-characteristic honeycomb panel. Next, we come to a grille where the logo of each version takes centre stage and a thin strip with LED lighting that runs its full length until it blends into the headlights themselves.

The side is emphasised, flexing its muscles thanks to slightly oversized wheel arches and 17-inch alloy wheels, although 19-inch wheels will be available as an option. But, without a doubt, the rear is where the German house has added the most spice: the GTI features two cylindrical exhaust outlets on each side—side-mounted on the GTD and fake on the GTE—and a more pronounced spoiler aimed at improving aerodynamics.

The cabin, in addition to standing out for the generous technological arsenal we already saw on the standard Golf, now features a flat-bottomed steering wheel and bucket-type seats with the characteristic Clark tartan fabric of the GTI, which is combined with other colour schemes on the GTD and GTE.

Same mechanics but with slight revisions

As far as the mechanics go, the Golf GTI relies on the well-known 2.0 TSI four-cylinder turbocharged engine, capable on this occasion of delivering 245 CV and 370 Nm of torque. These figures can be managed either with a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic.

In the case of the Golf GTD, we find an equally familiar engine, a 2.0 TDI—also four-cylinder—which is set to produce 200 CV and 400 Nm of torque. To achieve homologation and keep diesels in the fight, the engineers at the German firm have resorted to a double AdBlue injection system thanks to Twin Dosing technology.

Last but not least, the Golf GTE, a plug-in hybrid variant that arrives to take up a legacy which, although not as long-standing as the other two, plays an important role in the history of the German compact. Combining a 1.4-litre TSI engine with an electric motor, Volkswagen has managed to give the GTE 245 CV, a figure that is paired with an electric-mode range of 60 kilometres.

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackVolkswagen Golf28 versions · from 24,450 €