Volkswagen Golf GTI – design
Crisp detailing of the Mk8.5 doesn’t elevate it to Mk7-esque effortless coolness
Visually, the new car is a bit more square-jawed thanks to a new front bumper; the LED front and rear light units are new, and there are now GTI badges on the front doors, which seems an odd choice. The 19-inch horseshoe alloys are new, too, and have probably ruffled a few feathers at Alfa Romeo.
Fundamentally, the Mk8.5 GTI, as before, shares much of its basic hatch proportions and aesthetic with the previous Mk7. The body is a typical two-box hatchback, and despite retaining an upright windscreen, there’s still the same front-quarter windows that (marginally) help front-end visibility.
The GTI always had plenty of unique elements marking it out from lesser Golfs, led by the red stripe that stretches across the slim grille slat and into the headlights, which are standard matrix LED units, revised gently for sharper looks on the Mk8.5. Under this, the large single grille opening has a simple, oversized honeycomb pattern, which cleverly integrates five-point LED fog lights and also now has visual ‘fangs’.
When the headlights are switched on it also reveals two further lighting units that join the headlights to the central VW badge, making for a busy nighttime aesthetic. This is joined by dual exhaust outlets, but the rest of the design is otherwise fairly subtle.
Clubsport models are more aggressively styled. There’s also a more substantial splitter-like section to the lower bumper that joins more aggressive sills and a protruding rear bumper insert. It also has a more extreme rear wing, and comes with standard black decals running down the doors. It’s not overly fussy, but does require the larger 19-inch wheel option to not look contrived.
