Debuting in early 2024, the 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI marks a significant leap forward for the iconic hot hatch.
With a starting price of $49,350, it enters the performance car market positioned towards the premium end.
This price increase reflects a substantial upgrade in standard features, safety tech, and powertrain compared to its predecessors.
Let’s go deeper into the details. The 2025 GTI boasts 261 horsepower from a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, a 20 horsepower gain over the previous generation while maintaining the same peak torque.
This surpasses the 238 horsepower offered by the well-regarded Mk4 Golf R32, which utilized a larger 3.2-liter VR6 engine.
While future Volkswagen enthusiasts may miss the option to shift gears themselves, the iconic Golf is revving up for a battery-powered future. Production of the GTI and R models with a manual transmission will cease after the 2024 model year.
However, fans can get behind the wheel of the updated 2025 GTI starting June 20th. Looking even further ahead, the ninth-generation Golf, expected in 2028, will ride on a new platform designed to accommodate a variety of electric and potentially hybrid powertrains.
This shift reflects Volkswagen’s commitment to electrification, with the possibility of hybrids remaining available to cater to evolving global electric vehicle demand.
In the meantime, those seeking a more eco-friendly option within the Golf lineup can turn to the plug-in hybrid Style eHybrid and GTE models available for order later this month.
Both offer impressive electric-only driving ranges and hold particular appeal to company car drivers due to their tax benefits.