The Volkswagen Mk 7.5 Golf GTI – In the Naughty List

Recently I had to deal with a social media outrage where one of my customers took to Facebook to share his dissatisfaction of my company’s product and services. To put it simply, there was a mismatch of expectations in the durability of the product which was purchased quite a while ago & was sold by the previous distributor before my company took over. I have since addressed the issue with an official reply & there were no further criticism aimed at us in that thread.

The whole experience gave me a glimpse of the life of the Facebook admin of Volkswagen. No doubt what happened to me would be considered mild in comparison but I see lots of similarities between us. Let’s talk about the type of commentators I encountered;-

1. The Trouble-maker – These are people who are not customers and have never owned the product. They do not have any experience with the brand and by all rights is in no position to comment about the ownership experience. They exist solely to create conflict & do not forward the narrative in any positive way.
2. The Disgruntled Customer – Customers who may had an issue in the past and although the problem(s) has been resolved, he/she will never pass up an opportunity to comment about his/her ‘bad’ experience. These people may still be using the product or have disposed/sold the product and no matter what the company do, nothing short of jumping into a time machine & preventing the incident(s) happening would placate these individuals.
3. The Genuine Customer – Owners/users who have genuine unresolved concerns/issues & raises them in the comment section hoping to get a solution.

That’s pretty much it.

The fact of the matter is while social media can be used to create awareness and consideration, it can also be used as a tool to destroy anyone’s reputation. In my opinion, genuine customer grudges must be addressed by the company and if there is sincerity and willingness to resolve the issue, there should not be any problem.

The challenge is with the first two kinds of commentators; they spew so much vitriol that the entire thread becomes so toxic to the point where meaningful debate & positive critique is lost in the cesspool of frustration & anger the thread has become. Truly the Internet can bring out the worse in us sometimes.

That experience of mine lasted a mere 24 hours. Compared to what Volkswagen Malaysia faced (and still facing), mine was like a walk in the park with light showers.

Which brings me to the Golf GTI Mk VII 1/2.

For the longest time (and still is, in my books) the GTI moniker belongs to Volkswagen. While we may find some other car manufacturers flaunting those three alphabets in some of their sportier hatchbacks, there is no other model that offers the balance of power, build-quality, space and recognition.

Why recognition, you ask? Simple; tell anyone you drive a Golf, people will nod knowingly. Say you drive a GTI, people will immediately discern;-

1. It’s a Volkswagen Golf
2. You can afford a car that’s over RM200k that qualifies you to be able to afford a luxury brand
3. But you choose not to join the masses so that marks you as being different

For a time, the GTI  was absent in our shores as VW Malaysia cleared its last batch of Mk 7 GTIs in early 2017 but didn’t get the Mk 7.5 GTI until March this year. During this period, eager buyers migrated to other marques to satisfy their need for speed and it’s a real shame that these buyers could not enjoy what the new GTI has to offer.

In terms of looks, the uninitiated may mistaken the Mk 7.5 GTI for the Mk 7. They both share the same sharp silhouette, horizontal red line that runs across the front grille into the headlamps and horizontal fins on the front fog lamps. The rear trapezoidal lamps also look similar and the rim design is identical.

Look again and you’ll note the double ‘L’ LED DRLS (as opposed to the U-shaped DRLS in the Mk 7) with the red line curving up two times tracing the outline of the DRLs,  a longer headlamp that makes the front look more aerodynamic (and cleaner IMHO) while the rear LED tail lamps features more horizontal motifs. Overall the Mk 7.5 looks leaner and meaner without going over the top with unnecessary garnish.

Performance-wise, it uses the same 2.0TSI turbocharged engine with an output of 230PS with a maximum torque of 350Nm between 1,500 to 4,600rpm. Where the Golf R-line is ‘enough’, the GTI expands that word to the point where after a few days of driving this, the 1.4TSI seems ‘inadequate’. It’s not to say the 1.4TSI is slow, mind you; it’s just that the GTI does everything so much better. Coupled with the time-tested 6-speed wet clutch DSG direct shift gearbox, the GTI dispatches 0-100km/h in 6.4 seconds, almost 2 seconds quicker than the 1.4TSI and this is possible with the introduction of the Launch Control program from the Mk 7 onwards. Here’s a video of the action and a quick tutorial on how to activate Launch Control; GTI 0-100km/h

 

Even if you”re not the kind who likes to drive-it-like-you-stole-it often, another compelling reason why you might consider the GTI over the 1.4TSI is the inclusion of Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) which allows you to alter the car’s dampening to suit different driving condition. Part of the appeal as to why continental models such as the Golf offer unforgettable driving experience is that it isn’t limited to raw power; how that power translates to control is what makes them outstanding. In the case of the DCC found in the GTI, it transitions from meek comfort to hellblazing sport mode at the press of a button that also changes the steering response, engine and transmission performance. We’re all whimsical creatures so having a car that has the ability of altering its driving dynamics to suit our occasional capacity for doing silly things on the road is much appreciated.

 

Inside there’s nothing much to tell apart from the R-line; they both have the 12.3-inch Active Info Display virtual instrument cluster and while both of them have an 8″ media head unit with App-Connect, the GTI’s Discovery media has navigation which is omitted in the R-line’s Composition media. Not really a big deal since everyone uses real-time traffic navigation apps on Smartphones these days. The GTI ‘Vienna’ perforated leather seats with red stitching betrays its athletic DNA though and I must say, the one thing I miss most about not driving a VAG are the seats; they’re so comfortable and supportive, you won’t feel tired after a long drive.

Safety-wise, it has one knee airbag more than the 6 found in the R-line as well as the usual ABS, EBD, BA, ESC, ASR, ISOFIX as well as the Proactive Occupant Protection System just to name a few.

All in all, the Golf GTI is for all in intents and purposes a better Golf than the R-line. Faster, more agile and certainly more presence on the roads, it’s easy to understand why until this day it is one of the most lusted after models by boys and men.

There’s only one little pickle; it’s RM239,990 (on-the-road without insurance) asking price.

For that amount, there are a lot of cars to choose from. Also since the GTI is a CBU, stocks are likely to be limited, don’t expect much in terms of discounts from the dealerships. The same cannot be said of some premium marques who’re able and willing to reduce some margins of their CKD models to achieve their targets so the temptation from premium brands offering similar priced models to switch buyers over is ever present.

Furthermore, if you want a powerful GTI engine with the flexibility of DCC, potential GTI buyers would have to consider the Passat B8 Highline too since it shares the same technology. Granted there’s no way a Passat can beat a GTI in a hard race, the Passat’s retail price of just under RM200k for “a lot more car” with the same bells and whistles makes it a compelling proposition.

Facing challenges from within its own stables and as I have mentioned at the start of this article, external negative comments from trolls and angry (ex) customers, the GTI is a hard case to sell.

But that’s ok because the people who would appreciate and buy it are purists, people who’re immune to the judgement of others & is strong-willed enough to stay true to their heart’s desires. And the GTI owners I’ve had the pleasure of knowing in real life are some of the most interesting characters around; quirky, successful in their respective field, individualistic

 

And 100% naughty.