Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk 8.5 2025 review: Australian first drive

It was the concession that had to happen – an admittance by Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg that its approach to slick cabin technology in the 2021 Mk8 Golf was deeply flawed.

A convoluted multimedia screen with touch-sensitive temperature controls that were bafflingly unilluminated, plus haptic steering-wheel controls that were too easily bumped when driving made the Golf 8 somewhat frustrating when it came to ergonomic functionality.

Combined with Volkswagen’s post-‘dieselgate’ cost-cutting evident in harder, less tactile interior plastics – especially in the rear seat – the eighth-generation Golf felt a step down in many ways compared to its benchmark Golf VII predecessor, even though it remained an impressive car in general.

Four years on, the Golf 8.5 mid-life facelift is here to right the Mk8’s wrongs.

All-new touchscreens (12.9-inch in the GTI, as well as the 110TSI Golf Style and R-Line) with fixed widgets across the top and permanent climate-control switches across the bottom (with illuminated temperature controls – just like a 1970s car!), as well as a return to the Mk7’s physical steering-wheel switches has increased the Golf’s liveability by a substantial margin.

Yet there’s even more news in Golf GTI form because it’s now the fastest, most powerful standard GTI in history – the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four now pumped to 195kW at 6500rpm (up from 180kW) and packing a sub-six-second 0-100km/h claim for the very first time (5.9 seconds), backed by a fruitier exhaust note.

The exterior has been similarly finessed with new front and rear bumper designs, gorgeous new 19-inch ‘Queenstown’ alloys with either Bridgestone Potenza S005 or Hankook Ventus 235/35R19 tyres.

Elsewhere, there’s classy new red ‘GTI’ lettering on the front door uppers (replacing front mudguard fillets), and sleeker LED Plus front headlights with a horizontal light band spanning the nose, plus an illuminated VW logo for the first time in Australia.

Standard equipment on the Australian GTI is decent, including 15-setting adaptive dampers, metallic paint, front fog lights, three-zone climate control, height-adjustable sports front seats, ‘scale paper’ (tartan) cloth trim, and every safety system you can think of, including an ESC Sport setting to allow for some handling fun while retaining a safety net.

Aside from Kings Red metallic paint ($300), the only options are a sunroof ($1900), Sound and Vision package ($2000 – head-up display, 480w Harman Kardon 10-speaker audio, 360-degree camera), and a Leather Package ($3900 – the sound/vision features, plus Vienna Leather upholstery, electric front seats with three-position memory and heating/ventilation).

Now starting at $58,990 before on-road costs, the MY25 GTI has nudged up a few grand in price compared to its Mk8 MY24 predecessor ($56,090), though it does get 19-inch alloys as standard – a necessary addition if the Mk8.5 was to clearly differentiate itself from the Mk8.

In the UK, the new 8.5 retains the previous model’s polarising 18-inch ‘Richmond’ alloys, which wear a slightly narrower tyre and simply aren’t as cool as the new 19s.

Volkswagen hasn’t provided specifics about suspension tuning, though a smattering of finessing has supposedly enhanced what is essentially the Mk8 set-up. Given that the new 235/35R19 tyres have a similar sidewall height to the previous 225/40R18s, the ride feels slightly improved, though it’s hard to be certain without a direct back-to-back comparison.

What is undoubtedly true is that the Mk8.5 GTI is a seriously sporty car for an entry-level hot hatch (the under-engined 1.4-litre Golf R-Line can’t even be classed as a warm hatch). Indeed, the 2025 GTI is such a focused driver’s tool and so rapid in both a straight line and around corners that it would’ve previously been muscular enough to masquerade as a Clubsport version.

That hot Golf is still on the shelf, at least for Australia, and will likely be introduced in the near future as a ’50 Years’ Clubsport celebratory edition.

The Golf nameplate may have already clocked the mid-century mark (in mid-2024) but the GTI’s ’50th’ moment doesn’t arrive until this September, commemorating its ’75 Frankfurt Show debut.

The Mk8.5 GTI Clubsport boosts outputs to 221kW and 400Nm, sprints to 100km/h in 5.6sec, and can be optioned with a Race package – at least in Europe – that raises the top speed to 267km/h and adds a barky Akrapovic sports exhaust.

In the meantime, the regular GTI will easily be sporty enough for most punters. While its ride quality lacks that all-rounder absorbency that defined the Mk5 to Mk7, even with adaptive dampers, it still devours most Aussie country roads with a decent comfort, apart from moments when big hits bang its suspension into the bump stops.

That’s with the 15-way adjustable adaptive dampers positioned at the cushier end in Individual mode.

Given its suspension discipline, the GTI can be left in Comfort mode most of the time. In that setting, its ‘progressive steering’ offers decent weighting and delightful accuracy (with just 1.9 turns lock-to-lock).

This combines with excellent handling balance and the smarts of its ‘extended electronic front differential lock’, which acts like a mechanical front diff but can adjust its severity to suit the drive mode.

Even so, in Sport mode, the GTI’s front diff is still smoother and more refined than many other hot hatches, yet really sucks the car into a corner, allowing you to trace a super-tight line with the inside front wheel, while being surprisingly aggressive with the throttle.

It also firms up the steering weighting, though tackling Victoria’s super-challenging Targa High Country roads on the GTI’s Aussie launch induced a degree of thumb ache with the steering in Sport.

Dial back to Comfort mode and there’s a little more roll, a touch more understeer in tighter corners and a touch more tail sway lifting off the throttle, as well as greater suspension absorbency.

Better yet, select Individual and choose the settings yourself, including interior and exterior engine sound, as well as the aforementioned ESC Sport stability calibration.

Annoyingly, Volkswagen doesn’t go into specifics when describing the GTI’s braking system other than “17-inch discs” – the front pair being ventilated.

But what really matters is their effectiveness when being punished, and they can cop a serious pounding without wilting or increasing pedal travel – at least on the road.

The rest of the GTI package remains much as before. Even the standard sports seats are brilliant, despite all-manual adjustment, because they’re huggy without being too cinched in, and feature crank-handle height adjustment combined with an infinite-dial backrest.

And the GTI’s rear seat is typically impressive, offering ample under-thigh support and leg/head room, combined with carpeted door bins able to take large bottles, proper door grab handles, seat-back phone holders and rear-seat climate control.

Opting for the Vienna leather option introduces a step up in tactility (the tartan cloth is a little rough-feeling, though alleviated by suede-like bolster inserts) and brings front-seat ventilation and fully electric adjustment with three-position memory as well.

The upgraded 10-speaker Harman Kardon stereo and head-up display of the Sound and Vision package are also tempting, though none of this is ultimately necessary. A base white GTI with zero options is still plenty of huggable hot hatch.

Perhaps the Mk8.5 GTI would benefit from a little more work finessing its ride for counties like Australia, and making its exhaust note even raspier.

And I wish VW still offered a six-speed manual version because its shift quality was always a delight, even though the seven-speed dual-clutch is now borderline-faultless in its ultra-rapid upshifts and downshifts.

Yet there’s never been a better handling, more wholly rounded Golf GTI than this. As far as velvet-tinged athleticism goes, this 2025 iteration remains right at the top for mixing class with clout.

And if that still isn’t enough, there’s always the mooted 221kW Clubsport version, as well as the forthcoming 245kW Mk8.5 Golf R and R Black Edition. For lovers of hots Golfs, it seems the time is now.