VW has confirmed that the six-speed manual transmission option will not be available in the new Golf 8 GTI in South Africa.
“We sell significantly less manuals than we do DSG derivatives,” said VW South Africa.
This follows the announcement that the Golf 8 GTI will be launched in the country on 19 July.
The launch will take place on both Facebook and YouTube, said the company.
Local specifications
This means the VW Golf 8 GTI available locally will be driven by a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol engine paired with a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission.
The set-up generates a healthy 180kW and 370Nm, allowing the hot hatch to sprint to 100km/h in 6.4 seconds and to a top speed of 250km/h.
In addition, the eighth-generation GTI gets a new Vehicle Dynamics Manager and an electronically-controlled locking differential that integrates into the car’s control units for better handling performance.
VW said these technologies eliminate the inherent grip disadvantages of front-wheel-drive vehicles.
Moving inside, the eighth-generation GTI’s interior is a large departure from that of the previous generation.
It now offers a modernised interior with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a large infotainment display, touch-capacitive buttons, and a shrunken gear lever thanks to the new “shift-by-wire” transmission system.
Standard features include:
- Shift paddles
- Cruise control
- Ambient lighting
- Vienna leather seats
- Park distance control
- Wireless charging pad
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 18-inch “Richmond” alloy wheels
- Heated multifunction steering wheel
- Automatic LED headlights with high-beam control
A wide range of optional extras are available for the Golf 8 GTI, too, such as a 10-speaker Harman/Kardon sound system, sunroof, dynamic turn signals, and variable shock absorbers.
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