The facelifted version of the eighth-generation VW Golf GTI is already in the works, being spotted on the roads of Germany with camouflage that leaves little to the imagination.
While the hot hatch only landed in local ports in middle 2021 and is still a rather rare sighting on the roads, it has been on sale in Europe since early 2020 and as such is due for its mid-life upgrade, which is widely anticipated to take place in 2024.
Spy shots of the prototype VW uncovered by Motor1.com show that the new GTI was treated to minor cosmetic enhancements around the outer shell, while it’s also expected to receive a slightly tweaked interior.
Makeup, not a makeover
Looking at the facelifted Golf you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for the current model. At the outset, it doesn’t seem like much, or anything at all, has changed, but rest assured, there are some visual tweaks to write home about.
Most notably, the new hatch features smaller headlights in a redesigned semi-hexagonal pattern capped by LED light strips that flow into the GTI-red strip on the nose.
The faintly camouflaged new front bumper takes inspiration from the more aggressive current-generation Golf R, forgoing the squared-off surrounds of the current GTI for corner vents that dip further down and rise back up at an angle, providing an all-round sportier aura.
While the prototype doesn’t have them, it’s likely that the updated GTI will retain the X-shaped foglights of the pre-facelift hatch as it still has the same honeycomb patterns flanking the grille.
The rear of the new GTI features even fewer alterations than the front.
Judging from the spy shots, it seems that only the LED taillights which are covered in wrinkly plastic on the prototype have undergone slight changes providing a new visual signature, similar to the light clusters on the front fascia.
The prototype can also be seen riding on the same wheels as the current Golf 8 R but it’s safe to assume that it will get its own redesigned set of rims as is usually the case with iterative updates.
Important components that have the potential to affect structural integrity and will take lots of research and development to change – such as the bonnet, sides, doors, and roof – look to have been left untouched.
Unfortunately, there are no pre-production photos of the interior just yet, but we can make a few educated guesses on what the new hot hatch might gain based on the rest of the facelifted Golf line-up.
The GTI should be on the receiving end of a larger infotainment display, fewer touch-sensitive surfaces which by VW’s own admission have mostly been a failure, and new standard features and optional extras to justify its status as the “facelifted” model.
Availability
Like the rest of the Mk8.5 Golf line-up, the GTI variant is expected to make its debut in 2024 and should be offered as a petrol-only model until the family goes electric in 2028.
The almost two-year delay between the current hatchback’s European and South African launch dates was attributed to parts shortages and shipping constraints in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, however, these have largely subsided by now, so it’s likely that the local market could receive the new GTI early to mid-2025.
With the GTI at the moment being priced at R781,800, an increase of R112,500 compared to when it launched at R669,300 in July 2021, we expect the new model to sit somewhere around R900,000 when it eventually goes on sale.
2024 VW Golf GTI prototype spy shots
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