One year on from when we first showed you the Golf VI GTI Cabriolet at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, it is now on South African soil and available to order for hot hatch-loving motorists who don’t mind getting their hair a little scrambled. The real question is, with the successes of the new Golf VII, would you not have to be a bit scrambled in the head to take the old one?
The first Golf GTI made its international debut 37 years ago and since then the letter combination has become the definition of a market segment. After selling over 1.8 million Golf GTI models worldwide, Volkswagen is now launching the first open top version of the icon ever and it has 155 kW.
The Golf GTI Cabriolet is only available with 6-speed DSG transmission and is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with 280 Nm of torque. It accelerates to 100 km/h in just 7.3 seconds and has a top speed of 235 km/h. It has a combined fuel consumption of just 7.7 L/100 km and CO2 emissions of 180 g/km.
Distinguished by distinctive GTI features, the exterior includes: the red-framed radiator grille with honeycomb structure and GTI badging on the front bumper; a rear diffuser; chrome tailpipes; LED rear lights; side sill extensions and standard 18-inch ‘Detroit’ alloy wheels. Other standard equipment includes, dual zone air conditioning, Volkswagen’s XDS transverse electronic differential lock, as well as front and rear Park Distance Control (PDC).
The fabric roof is electronically operated, opens in just 9.0 seconds and can be operated while driving at speeds of up to 30 km/h. The Golf GTI Cabriolet is said to be exceptionally quiet when the roof is closed, but the sonorous sound of the turbocharged engine remains. With 250-litres of boot space when the top is down, the split rear bench backrest can also be folded, which significantly increases cargo capacity.
Like all GTIs, the convertible is equipped with a sport chassis, which is 22 mm lower at the front and 15 mm lower at the rear compared to the standard Golf 6. In front, the familiar MacPherson type suspension operates with helical springs and telescopic dampers. At the rear, an innovative multi-link rear suspension ensures the car remains planted.
Hot hatches are mostly driven by hooligans, however, so will you be safe in the open top Golf GTI? A roll-over protection system is included as a standard safety feature, which jettisons roll-bars hidden behind the rear seats within 0.25 seconds of the vehicle exceeding a predefined transverse acceleration or tilt angle. In addition, the GTI Cabrio is fitted with driver and passenger front airbags; a driver knee airbag; combined curtain and side airbags in front; ISOFIX child seat preparation at the rear; side impact beams and the usual electronic aids such as ABS, EBD, ESP and hill hold assist.
The Golf GTI Cabriolet gets a reinforced windscreen frame and numerous other structural modifications that have been added to the underbody, side panels, cross members and doors. Volkswagen say some of these reinforcements can be seen when the car is on a raised platform and viewed from beneath.
Volkswagen say one of the visual highlights of the Golf GTI Cabriolet is the fact that it has an even more dynamic look than the hard top Golf GTI, thanks to the greater rake angle of the windscreen. Tick the options box for the bi-xenon headlights and the GTI drop-top looks better still.
Inside, the GTI Cabriolet is fitted with Vienna leather sport seats that include adjustable lumbar support. Just as in the GTI with a hard top, the GTI Cabriolet has brushed stainles steel pedals, a unique GTI gear shift lever in aluminium-look and a leather-trimmed steering wheel.
The price for the Volkswagen GTI Cabriolet is R397 900, which includes a 3 year/120 000 km warranty.
