Volkswagen put a particular wrap on its Golf GTI facelift for the 2024 CES show to shroud its up to date design. What the parents from Wolfsburg did not do was disguise photographs from the infotainment system displaying the new hatch. Navigating by way of the menus of that massive new display screen reveals the 2025 GTI with none camouflage.
It’s unclear whether or not that was a fake pas on VW’s half or a deliberate leak, however what issues most is that we’ve got a considerably clear picture of the 2025 Golf GTI. The grainy photograph – which is definitely a display screen seize from the video under – reveals slimmer headlights hooked up to a lightweight bar, which meet at an illuminated VW emblem. The typical crimson trim continues to be there, extending from one headlight to the opposite.
2025 VW Golf GTI
2024 VW Golf GTI
As you possibly can inform from the side-by-side comparability above, the entrance bumper has been barely redesigned. However, it retains the honeycomb sample and 5 LEDs forming the letter “X.” The automobile’s “mouth” seems to be bigger as a result of black a part of the bumper now extending to the realm beneath the VW badge. On the outgoing GTI, that part makes use of physique shade.
New “fangs” that go upwards towards the middle of the air consumption are additionally noticeable. Those alloy wheels look new and remind us of a design utilized by Skoda for the mechanically associated Octavia RS. The remainder of the profile seems to be similar – hardly a shock for a facelifted mannequin.
At the again, VW appears to have given the taillights a discreet replace to the graphics whereas retaining the identical form and measurement. The rear bumper seems to be the identical, however the angle is not that nice and the decision is subpar. VW’s CES present automobile has an impressively chunky rear spoiler in the identical vein as Europe’s spicy GTI Clubsport, however that is not the case right here.
2025 VW Golf GTI
These are all refined variations, however nobody was actually anticipating a significant design overhaul for a mid-cycle replace. The inside will even be extra of the identical, aside from that supersized display screen and the return of hard buttons on the steering wheel. It’s price nothing the Golf Mk8 has had old-school buttons on the steering wheel from day one on lesser variations offered in Europe and different markets. The costlier ones such because the R-Line, GTI, and R had these dreaded capacitive-touch keys.
The jury continues to be out on whether or not the handbook gearbox will stay on. The Golf GTI 380 was the last with a stick shift, however rumor has it that VW would possibly’ve had a change of coronary heart in mild of loosened Euro 7 rules. Should the clutch pedal survive, hopefully it will soldier on within the R as properly. In the meantime, the official phrase from VW is the do-it-yourself gearbox is useless within the GTI and R.
The world premiere of the up to date Golf will happen within the coming weeks. Hopefully, the efficiency variants are going to be unveiled along with the mundane variations not offered within the United States. Bear in thoughts the Golf has an unlimited world lineup, which features a GTD sizzling diesel hatch, an R wagon, a GTE plug-in hybrid sporty hatch, and the plebian variants with three-cylinder 1.0-liter and four-cylinder 1.5-liter gasoline engines.
