Key Points
- No changes for the 2026 model year
- 241-horsepower GTI priced from $35,865 (all prices include $1,275 destination charge)
- 328-hp Golf R starts at $50,730
The Volkswagen GTI is an untouchable blend of practicality and everyday performance, with two comfortable rows of seats and a spacious cargo hold in a tidy and efficient package. Thanks to a standard all-wheel-drive system, its Golf R sibling offers the same strengths with more power and more traction. Having received minor tweaks to their head- and taillights for 2025, the Volkswagen GTI and Golf R are unchanged for 2026.
Related: 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI Review: Still the Does-It-All-Fun-Machine Champ
Release Date and Pricing
The 2026 Volkswagen GTI and Golf R are on sale now. Full line pricing is as follows:
- GTI S: $35,865
- GTI SE: $40,355
- GTI Autobahn: $43,755
- Golf R: $50,730
Trim Levels and Safety Features
VW’s IQ.Drive suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies is standard on every 2026 GTI and Golf R. It includes forward collision warning with pedestrian and bicyclist detection, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, lane departure steering assist, blind spot monitors, rear cross-traffic alert and road-sign recognition.
Even the entry-level GTI S is well equipped, with a limited-slip differential, 18-inch wheels, LED exterior lighting, rain-sensing windshield wipers and heated side mirrors. Its cabin features plaid cloth seats that are heated in front, automatic climate control, metal pedals, ambient lighting and push-button start. Cabin tech consists of a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel, wireless phone charging, seven speakers, and a 12.9-inch touchscreen with navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Upgrading to the SE nets buyers a panoramic moonroof, keyless entry, synthetic suede upholstery and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. The range-topping GTI Autobahn rides on adaptive dampers and 19-inch wheels wrapped in summer performance tires. It also does a fine impression of a luxury car, with standard features including leather upholstery, ventilated and power-adjustable front seats, heated outboard rear seats and tri-zone automatic climate control. The Autobahn also boasts automated parking and a head-up display.
If you think of the Golf R as a GTI Autobahn with 87 more horsepower and torque-vectoring AWD, you’ve pretty much nailed it. But the Golf R also includes Volkswagen’s XDS brake-based limited-slip front differential, blue brake calipers, larger front brake rotors (14.1 inches versus the GTI’s 13.4) and black exterior mirror housings.
Read More About the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R:
- Face-Lifted 2025 Volkswagen Golf R: 328 HP, New Infotainment System, No Manual
- 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R Up Close: No Manual Needed, Allegedly
- Research the VW Golf GTI
- Research the VW Golf R
- Find Your Next Car
Powertrain Specs and MPG
The heart of the 2026 GTI is a 241-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 273 pounds-feet of torque, which it sends to the front wheels. Much to the dismay of the GTI’s most fervent fans, VW dropped the six-speed manual from the lineup for 2025, leaving a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic as the sole available transmission. With it, the GTI returns an EPA-rated 24/32/27 mpg city/highway/combined.
In the Golf R, the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder cranks out 328 hp and 295 pounds-feet, also routed through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. But in addition to its higher output, the Golf R gets AWD. It is rated at 22/31/25 mpg.
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