Volkswagen announces cut-price Golf hot hatches

If you like the thought of a back-to-basics Volkswagen Golf GTI priced under $40,000 or a bare-bones Golf R for less than $50,000, you’re not alone.

Volkswagen’s local product planners had the same idea, and have now confirmed the cut-price, special-edition Golf GTI Original and Golf R Grid Edition for Australia.

Due to arrive by the end of this year and available in limited numbers, the Golf R Grid Edition will have a "sharper focus on essential performance" but "no decrease in capability", says the German importer.

That means it'll get the full-monty 213kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol EA888 engine that powers the Australian-spec Golf R, matched with its fifth-generation on-demand all-wheel drive system.

Volkswagen Group Australia has confirmed it will be priced under $50,000, which puts it at least $3000 below the regular model's $52,990 (plus on-road costs) price tag.

The company is hoping to offer both six-speed manual and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (DSG) versions.

It will be a limited-edition model available in five-door hatch and wagon form, but Volkswagen is yet to confirm how many versions of this unique-to-Australia model will be sold here.

Suffice to say it will likely sell out quickly. There are few sub-$50,000 cars on the market that can sprint to 100km/h in 4.8sec.

Adding even more ammo to the performance Golf portfolio is the Volkswagen Golf GTI Original, a "back to basics" model.

Offered exclusively in the three-door body style, it will have cloth (hopefully tartan!) seats and the newly upgraded (Mk 7.5) Golf GTI's 169kW/350Nm engine.

Dashing to 100km/h in 6.4sec, it will arrive in Oz from early 2018 priced from under $40,000. Currently the only three-door GTI is the Performance Edition 1 model, which is priced at $47,990.

Volkswagen says only two colours will be offered and the GTI Original will come with black 18-inch alloy wheels, but it will be available with six-speed DSG and manual transmissions.

Like the Golf R Grid Edition, it will be a limited-run vehicle and is likely to sell out fast. Full pricing for both models will be released in the coming weeks.

The Golf R Wagon has been confirmed as a full-time model too, returning to showrooms in early 2018 "due to strong market request", says the importer. The R wagon will remain a DSG-only model.

"These are special editions so they're not treated as ongoing parts of the range. In terms of the quantities we'll see what market feedback is," said VGA product marketing manager Jeff Shafer.

"These are specific to Australia, they're models we thought there was an opportunity in the market for and we wanted to have a wide range of Golf performance models – there's a car for everybody now.

"We're still finalising some of the details, but I expect both will be DSG and manual. The Golf R Grid Edition will apply to wagon as well as hatchback.

"This gives us a really broad offering to people who might be young and single, and a three-door suits them, or they might be older married with kids and a Golf R wagon is for them.

"These models have the potential to bring new people into the Golf performance range."

Roughly 20 per cent of all VW Golf models sold in Australia are GTI or R models -- one of the highest percentages of any global market.

VGA says the popularity of go-fast Golfs in Australia has given the importer leverage with the factory to specify more limited-edition models.

It says it's plotting more special-edition hot hatches in future, hinting that the Golf GTE, a petrol-electric hybrid performance version of the German brand’s iconic small car, could be next.

Watch this space.