2015 VW Golf GTI to Start at $24,395

Amidst all of the V-dub hubbub over the new VW Golf SportWagen, Volkswagen also recently provided an update on the hi-po 2015 VW Golf GTI that will arrive in dealerships in June. The latest? Pricing for the 2015 VW Golf GTI will open at $24,395, which the automaker reports is a mere $195 over the cost of the previous model. Shoppers should be aware, however, that the new MSRP actually provides something close to a $700 advantage if you're just looking at the bottom-line entry point to the new GTI roster.

That's because, when making its cost comparison, Volkswagen seems to be comparing the 2015 VW GTI two-door to a mythical 2014 two-door model that, in truth, isn't currently sold in this country. The only 2014 GTI models now available in the United States are of the four-door variety, with MSRPs that begin at $25,095.

Be that as it may, the 2015 VW Golf GTI leverages the same award-winning platform that lives beneath the all-new seventh-gen Golf itself, then piles on performance and convenience features like:

• A new turbocharged engine that makes 210 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, representing increases of 10 hp and 51 lb.-ft. versus the 2014 GTI
• Dynamic Chassis Control for adaptive damping
• Six-speed manual or DSG automatic transmissions
• Multiple driving modes
• Volkswagen's Car-Net connectivity system
• LED interior reading and exterior fog lights
• A leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel
• Touchscreen audio
• Bluetooth technology
• Heated seats

And all that, except for the automatic gearbox, is standard in the 2015 VW Golf GTI. The two-pedal transmission, as any FYI, is offered on all models at an $1,100 premium. Plenty of additional premium content is available as well, with particular high points being Fender audio and the the first factory performance package ever offered for Volkswagen's GTI lineup. Included are an advanced, electronically controlled limited-slip differential, bigger brakes and a 10-hp bump in output, too. The cost for the package is $1,495, with availability expected "later in the model year."