We take a closer look at some of the key differences between the first VW Golf GTI and the most recent, in a new series called Then and Now.
The VW Golf GTI is one of the staples of the South African motoring landscape. For over 40 years it has been the yardstick for hot hatchbacks. In addition it was seen as an aspirational buy and accumulated a cult following. But just how much as the GTI changed since it debuted all those years ago?
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The Originator
The Mk1 Golf was the replacement for the massively popular Beetle. Like its forebear, the little hatch was not supposed to have a performance derivative. But a small skunkworks inside the company saw potential in the hatch. As a result they developed a ‘hot’ version after hours and in secret.
The ‘Sport’ Golf gained board approval and a 5 000-unit production run was greenlighted. The Grand Touring Injection with its fuel-injected Audi engine boasted spritely performance and nimble handling, which made it a bit of a giant killer. The Mk1 GTI went on to sell over 450 000 units worldwide as performance was made available to everyman at an attainable price point. Over 2,3 million Golfs wearing the GTI badge have been sold since day one.
A Local Favourite
It’s handy to start this series with the VW Golf GTI as it has been on sale in SA since the very first generation. You can check out all generations by clicking this link. And we suspect that this post will attract plenty of readers (but that’s a handy side-effect). Plenty has changed in the automotive world in 40 years. This includes increased legislation, tighter emissions and higher demands from buyers.
Click here to check out some of the rarest Golfs to ever go on sale in SA.
With that in mind, check out the main differences between the car credited with creating the hot hatch genre and its youngest offspring. We have chosen a few key areas. If you can think of others you’d like to see, as well as cars you’d like to see featured, let us know on our Facebook page.
| 1983 VW Golf GTI | 2025 VW Golf GTI (Mk8.5) | |
|---|---|---|
| Intro date in South Africa | 1983 | 2025 |
| Price in ZAR | R10 635 | R908 000 |
| Engine | 1,8-litre inline-four | 2,0-litre inline-four turbocharged |
| Power/Torque | 81 kW/142 N⋅m | 180/370 N⋅m |
| 0-100 km/h | 9,3 sec | 6,4 sec |
| Top speed | 182 km/h | 250 km/h |
| Length in mm | 3 815 | 4 287 |
| Width in mm | 1 610 | 1 790 |
| Wheel diameter in inches | 13 | 19 |
| Mass in kg | ~900 | ~1 500 |
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