First look at final petrol-powered VW Golf GTI
The incoming Mk8.5 Golf will mark the end of an era - probably fitting then that it looks familiar
That the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has become more and more important for car makers over the past decade reflects how vital the in-car entertainment experience now is. So much so, in fact, that VW is teasing the new Golf GTI at CES this year - but only wants to talk about the introduction of ChatGPT to its lineup.
So the car will have to wait a second, because the AI comes first. VW has worked with Cerence to incorporate 'automotive-grade' ChatGPT into cars with the IDA voice assistant (a lot of MEB and MQB evo-based machines) through something called Cerence Chat Pro. All that will be required from those onboard is to say “Hello IDA”, or a press of the voice assistant button on the wheel. VW says that personal data won’t be affected because ChatGPT has no access to vehicle information; instead, it aims simply to improve the efficacy of voice control because the AI will make the car capable of more things. To begin with, it’ll be navigation requests and general knowledge queries, but VW envisages a future - as ChatGPT improves - where it can ‘be helpful on many levels during a car journey: enriching conversations, clearing up questions, interacting in intuitive language, receiving vehicle-specific information, and much more – purely hands-free.’ Yikes.
It’s coming soon, too, set to be a standard feature from Q2 this year ‘in many production vehicles’; VW says it’s the first volume maker to do so. One of those cars will be the updated Golf, including what is expected to be the last-ever GTI powered exclusively by a petrol engine. The shift from Mk8 to Mk8.5 is not expected to be a seismic one, although the expectation is that VW will seek to offer more power from the familiar 2.0-litre unit and yet again tweak the model's handling dynamic - hopefully to befit its end-of-an-era status.
Evidently, the styling is going to be similarly evolutionary, though, encouragingly, the car does look a tad more exciting than before. Compared to the outgoing Clubsport, the rear diffuser is more prominent, the exhausts larger, the front end just a little more aggressive and the wheels pinched from a Golf R. As first official looks go, it seems like good news, basically, even if there’s only so much to deduce from a disguised car with so little said about it.
The new interior is here, however, fully exposed for all to see. And, well, anyone hoping for a drastic change is in for a bit of a shock: this still looks like a Golf 8 cabin, which means the controversial slider controls for temperature remain, as do the gearbox switch, tiny paddles and square of plastic for light controls. The biggest upgrade so far appears to be the larger infotainment screen, as in cars like the ID 7. But really the size of that display felt like the last thing that needed addressing. Perhaps this version of the Golf interior will feel much nicer and work more seamlessly than before - so let’s not judge just yet. This definitely isn’t the transformation some might have been expecting, based on VW's assertion that it would seek to improve the model's usability. At least proper buttons on the wheel mean you won’t summon the voice assistant by accident.
Kai Grünitz, VW’s board member for tech development, said: “Volkswagen has always democratised technology and made it accessible to the many. This is simply ingrained in our DNA. As a result, we are now the first volume manufacturer to make this innovative technology a standard feature in vehicles from the compact segment upwards. Thanks to the seamless integration of ChatGPT and strong collaboration with our partner, Cerence, we are offering our drivers added value and direct access to the AI-based research tool. This also underlines the innovative strength of our new products”. It’ll be a fun one to try out, for sure. Though hopefully not as fun as actually driving what looks like being the last Golf GTI with a proper engine. More (presumably) to follow on that very soon.
Also I believe the 8.5 comes with all that lane assist and speed limit guff like all 24 on cars. 2019 looks like peak car to me.
Also I believe the 8.5 comes with all that lane assist and speed limit guff like all 24 on cars. 2019 looks like peak car to me.
king awful to use and it was unlikely they would redesign it now.Can't say I'm much of a fan, but then there hasn't been any gen of gti that's really done it for me in terms of styling. Had a go in MK7 petrol non-gti at one point though, and it was pretty nice.
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