Driven: 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI Is Still The Hot Hatch King

Hot hatches come and go in the US, but the Volkswagen Golf GTI remains a regular fixture. Like the Mazda MX-5 Miata, it has been hard to beat and has just kept on selling over the decades. The Golf GTI, however, now enters its eighth generation and carries over the Mk7's 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, now making 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. It's an incremental upgrade (just an extra 13 hp and 15 lb-ft of torque) but evolution rather than revolution is the Golf GTI's magic ingredient. It remains a useful but fun-loving front-wheel-drive hot hatch, with its power managed through either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. However, the Mk8 rolls on an updated version of Volkswagen's MQB platform and features revised suspension and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential. The promise is an evolution of handling and dynamics wrapped in subtle yet stylish bodywork.

The 2022 Volkswagen Golf R Is More Than a Hot Hatch

2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI And Golf R: Priced And Poised For Performance - Forbes Wheels

2022 VW GTI Road Test Review A joy to drive; a pain to deal with - Autoblog

2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI First Drive Review Straight out of central casting - Autoblog

Test drive: Volkswagen Golf GTI MK8 - The indisputable hot hatch king

Still the best daily driver hot hatch? NEW Volkswagen Golf GTI Review

2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review, Pricing, and Specs

Road Test Review - 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI - Better Performance But Where's The Magic? »

2022 Volkswagen GTI Manual First Test: Savoring It While It Lasts

Compare Volkswagen Golf GTI to The Competition

2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review, Pricing, and Specs