2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI First Look Review: The Automatic Choice

The starting price for the 2025 VW Golf GTI hasn't been shared for the local market yet. The base GTI with the dual-clutch starts at $31,965 currently, so the 2025 model will probably start at an MSRP of about $33k. The best-equipped trim will cost closer to $42k.

The GTI's price and performance place it below the likes of the Honda Civic Type R and Toyota GR Corolla, but you can pick up a base GR Corolla for not much more and that has 300 hp. The Subaru WRX isn't a hatchback but can also be considered one of the GTI's rivals, as it offers 271 hp and a similar base price.New Volkswagen Golf GTI Exterior And Colors
Immediately recognizable as a Golf, that's always been the first mission for VW's iconic nameplate. The exterior of the latest VW Golf GTI isn't without changes, though. There is a modified front fascia with restyled LED headlights and available IQ.Light LED matrix headlights with an extended range of up to 1,640 feet. The GTI is set apart by a red stripe in the upper grille above the headlights.

A new wheel design measuring 19 inches is mildly reminiscent of the telephone-dial wheels on some Alfa Romeos, and these have a darker center section to contrast with the outer silver finish. Another change is the addition of the GTI badging on the front doors beneath the rearview mirrors.

At the back, there are chrome-plated tailpipes on either side of the black diffuser. Above this are newly styled IQ-Light 3D LED taillight clusters. This applies to European models, though, so we'll have to see if US-spec GTIs have the same lighting technology.

Colors for the Volkswagen Golf GTI include four new options: Crystal Ice Blue Metallic, Anemone Blue Metallic, Oyster Silver Metallic, and Grenadilla Black Metallic. We can expect red to stick around, and we'll see if all these shades are added for the US-bound GTI. A new option for the GTI will be a black-painted roof.Volkswagen Golf GTI Dimensions
Volkswagen hasn't published the dimensions for the facelifted Golf GTI, but these should be in line with the length/width/height of the 2024 version, which worked out to 168.8/70.4/57.9 inches, respectively. The 2024 Golf GTI with the DSG is marginally lower to the ground at 57.6 inches. No changes are anticipated for the 103.6-inch wheelbase.

With the DSG, now the only transmission, the 2024 GTI had a curb weight of 3,188 pounds, and we don't expect specs for the 2025 hatch to be too different.Volkswagen Golf GTI Engine And Performance
The mechanical makeup of the GTI has been much the same for years now, with a four-cylinder engine matched to a well-sorted front-wheel-drive layout. The engine in the pre-facelift VW Golf GTI is a 2.0-liter turbocharged unit with 241 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. In Europe, the GTI will get a boost to 262 hp, but it's unknown if US-spec models will receive the same power bump.

Assuming power stays the same, we know that the GTI with the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission can go from 0-60 mph in around 5.5 seconds.

The 2025 Golf GTI should once again combine sharp handling with a comfortable ride, so it can be used for weekend blasts and carting the family around equally well. New driver-assist technologies include a four-camera 360-degree view system, plus Park Assist Pro. The latter enables the owner to drive the Golf into and out of a parking space using a smartphone.Estimated Gas Mileage
Gas mileage estimates for the facelifted Golf GTI should match the pre-facelift model's 24/33/27 mpg city/highway/combined. That's with the dual-clutch automatic and that matches the combined rating of the GTI manual, which won't be offered for 2025.

With a 13.2-gallon gas tank, the Golf GTI should be good for a range of around 356 miles.Volkswagen Golf GTI Interior And Cargo
The interior of the new VW Golf GTI hatchback is where the most meaningful changes have been implemented. Many customers derided the fussy controls of the outgoing GTI and VW has responded with new hardware and software for the infotainment interface.

Instead of touch-capacitive buttons on the older steering wheel that were easy to activate accidentally, the facelifted model has a revised steering wheel with more traditional buttons that require a dedicated press. The fourth-generation MIB4 modular infotainment system has new graphics and a better menu structure. The screen has two touch bars (at the top and bottom) and a home screen in the middle, with the top and bottom bars continuously displayed even as various apps are opened and closed on the middle home screen. The bottom bar is reserved for the ventilation system.The larger touchscreen expected to be standard in local GTIs measures 12.9 inches, and the touch sliders for temperature and volume control below it are now illuminated and more ergonomically designed. Complementing the center touchscreen is a 10.2-inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrumentation display with different layouts.

The 2024 GTI in the USA already has standard equipment like single-zone automatic climate control, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats, and multi-color ambient lighting, so we can expect all of this to carry over. The seats in the Volkswagen Golf GTI will have a classic check pattern, although the ones pictured here have a two-tone black/grey color scheme with red stitching and the red GTI insignia on the backrests. VW says three-zone climate control is standard, and optional carbon fiber interior trim is available, but this has only been confirmed for European models so far.

Cargo space inside the VW Golf GTI will likely match the 2024 model's 19.1 cubic feet behind the second row and 34.5 cu-ft with the rear seats folded.