Volkswagen launched the GTI in the United States in 1983. This new GTI, a late-2006 model, is the fifth generation. The biggest surprise is not how much it has changed, but how much it hasn’t.
And that’s good news. The GTI invented this hot-hatchback segment of the market, and it remains at the forefront.
As always, the new GTI is based on the Golf, or, as originally called in the United States, the Rabbit — a name that VW is reviving next year.
If we compare the current GTI with the 1985 model — that’s when the GTI was given a then-impressive 100 horsepower, half of what the 2006 model has — there are telling similarities and differences.
The 1985 GTI had a wheelbase of 97.3 inches and an overall length of 158 inches. It weighed 2,150 pounds.
The 2006 GTI has a wheelbase of 101.5 inches and an overall length of 165.8 inches. It weighs 3,308 pounds — a whopping 1,158 pounds more. So, given that light weight and 100 horsepower (after all, the 1984 Chevrolet Corvette only had 205 horsepower), you can see why those early GTIs were coveted as practical sports cars.
The test GTI had a six-speed manual transmission, instead of the optional six-speed DSG automatic. The manual shifted well. The 2.0-liter engine, up from 1.8 liters in the previous model, has minimal turbo lag. One reason for the 2006 GTI’s weight is the long list of standard safety equipment, including electronic stability control and side and side-curtain air bags. As with the original GTI, brakes are four-wheel discs, rare then on such a modestly priced car.
Leather upholstery is optional. Our test GTI had the regular cloth seats, and they’re very good. Rear-seat room isn’t bad, and the front seat lifts forward to make accessing the back seat easy. Instruments and controls are handsome and functional.
On the road, the GTI is plenty quick in a straight line, but the car is really at home on winding backroads. A new multilink independent rear suspension, along with standard 17-inch tires and wheels, make this arguably the best-handling GTI ever. Brakes are excellent, and steering feel, from the new “electro-mechanical power rack-and-pinion” system, is better than I anticipated.
It’s likely that many, though, will find the ride pretty harsh. There’s a lot more tire noise than I expected. though that’s drowned out by the standard 10-speaker stereo.
The 2006 GTI has a base price of $21,990, and with shipping and a few options — including a sunroof and Sirius satellite radio — the bottom line was $23,990.
That’s about $13,000 more than a 1985 GTI. Enough living in the past: The 2006 GTI is about the future.
Base price: $21,990. Price as tested: $23,990. EPA rating: 23 mpg city, 32 mpg highway. Details: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive hatchback with a 2.0-liter, 200-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, and a 6-speed manual transmission.
Sentinel Automotive Editor Steven Cole Smith’s video road tests can be viewed at OrlandoSentinel.com/classified/automotive.
