VW Golf GTI now from $37,490

Cut-price Golf GTI three-door fans rejoice: Volkswagen has announced a sub-$37,500 starting price for its new Golf GTI Original, which is now available to order ahead of first deliveries in January.

Previously, the only three-door Golf GTI available in Australia was the limited-edition 180kW Performance Edition 1 DSG variant released as part of the upgraded Golf ‘7.5’ line-up in August, priced at $47,990 plus on-road costs.

Now, as we forecast, at $37,490 plus ORCs for the six-speed manual (plus $2500 for the DSG twin-clutch automatic version), the full-time Original model lowers the Golf GTI five-door price by $4000.

Volkswagen says that makes it the most affordable Golf GTI available this decade and, crucially, it will arrive within months of Hyundai’s first hot hatch, the i30 N, which is aimed directly at – and had been expected to undercut the price of – the Golf GTI.

Powered by the latest (Mk7.5) Golf GTI’s upgraded 169kW/350Nm turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, which accelerates it to 100km/h in the same 6.4 seconds, the Golf GTI Original loses little apart from two rear doors.

However, it’s available only in red or white paint colours and the sole option is a Driver’s Assistance pack ($1600).

Standard features include Front Assist with City Emergency Brake (City EB) and pedestrian monitoring, Rear View Camera (RVC), driver fatigue detection system, sports suspension, black 18-inch Sevilla alloy wheels with red pinstripe, Clark tartan upholstery and a leather sports multi-function steering wheel.

Distinguished by an ‘Original’ badge on tailgate, it also comes standard with driving profile selection, 8.0-inch infotainment system with App-Connect, Air Care dual-zone climate-control, LED low- and high-beam headlights, LED fog lights, alarm system with interior monitoring and parking distance sensors with front/rear manoeuvre braking.

“The Golf GTI is one of the few mass-produced cars that can accurately be called ‘iconic’,” said Ben Wilks, Volkswagen Australia’s General Manager of Marketing and Product.

“The GTI was the original hot hatch and the GTI Original embodies its spirit.”

The Golf GTI Original follows the recent release of the Golf R Grid Edition priced under $50,000. Together, GTI and R variants comprise about 20 per cent of Golf sales Down Under.

2018 VW Golf GTI pricing (plus ORCs):
GTI Original manual — $37,490
GTI Original DSG — $39,990
GTI five-door manual — $41,490
GTI five-door DSG — $43,990
GTI Performance Edition 1 — $47,990