Enthusiasts starved for affordable German performance were rewarded with the Volkswagen GTI back in 1983, a monochromatic hot hatch patterned after one of Europe’s most fun models but based on the relatively pedestrian Americanized Rabbit. Nevertheless, the original GTI featured practicality blended with responsive handling if not outright straight-line performance, and the car cultivated a loyal band of customers.
Over the years, the VW GTI gained more weight than oomph, but by the start of the 21st century it enjoyed healthy horsepower combined with understated good looks. The only thing missing was the sharp, crisp handling that had characterized the GTI for years.
Half a decade later, enthusiast buyers on a budget have a brand-new, and extremely compelling, GTI to consider. This one is equipped with Volkswagen’s new direct-injection turbo four, offers the company’s excellent Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) as an option, and based on seat time in the similar Jetta GLI, ought to prove big fun to drive.
What it is The
2006 Volkswagen GTI is a three-door hatchback based on the redesigned VW Golf, tweaked and tuned for speed and handling but priced within range of most people’s pocketbooks.
Why it matters Icons don’t come easily to car companies, and the GTI is one of two that Volkswagen has in its current arsenal (along with the New Beetle). Volkswagen sales have stalled in recent years, and it’s up to the 2006 GTI – along with other new products like the Jetta and Passat – to revive the company’s fortunes in North America.
What’s under the hood Straight-line performance is not a problem with the completely redesigned 2006 Volkswagen GTI. Running the same mechanicals as the excellent Jetta GLI sedan – a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder delivering 200 horsepower and plenty of low-end torque to the front wheels through a standard six-speed manual or available Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) transmission – the new GTI continues a tradition first started, and frequently mimicked since, the early 1980s. Larger brakes, available 18-inch wheels and tires, and suspension upgrades round out the GTI’s performance-tuned package.
What’s inside Inside the new 2006 Volkswagen GTI*, sport-bolstered seating with a retro plaid pattern grips front occupants in turns, and the driver faces a meaty flat-bottomed steering wheel that would be right at home in a racing car. Silver trim pieces lighten the gray interior décor, and there are metal alloy pedals for your feet. Side-impact, side-curtain, and whiplash-reducing head restraints help to minimize injury in an accident, and standard stability control works to keep a wreck from occurring in the first place.
* The similar
Volkswagen Jetta GLI is shown
What it looks like The 2007 VW GTI might look like a dowdy economy car at a glance, but with its monochrome paint, big 18-inch wheels and tires, red brake calipers, and blacked-out trim, it’s clear that this new Volkswagen means business.
What we think The 2006 Volkswagen GTI might not be pretty, but based on a drive in the larger and heavier Jetta GLI (which gets the same engine, suspension, brakes, steering, wheels, and tires), we’d say this new GTI is going to be a screaming good time from behind the wheel. And at a starting price of $22,000, it’s a raging bargain, too.
When you can buy it The 2006 Volkswagen GTI is on sale now and starts at around $22,000, continuing the VW tradition of offering driving enthusiasts practicality in an affordable, fun-to-drive package.
Key specifications Engine Size and Type: 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder
Engine Horsepower: 200 between 5,100 and 6,000 rpm
Engine Torque: 207 lb.-ft. between 1,800 and 5,000 rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual or Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) automatic
Curb weight, lbs.: 3,308
EPA Fuel Economy (city/highway): 23/32 mpg (manual); 25/31 mpg (DSG)
Length: 165.8 inches
Width: 69.3 inches
Wheelbase: 101.5 inches
Height: 58.4 inches
Leg room (front/rear): 41.2/35.3 inches
Head room (front/rear): 39.3/38.5 inches
Max. Seating Capacity: Five
Competitors: Acura RSX,
Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged,
Chrysler PT Cruiser GT, Dodge Caliber R/T, Ford Mustang, Honda Civic Si, Hyundai Tiburon, Mazda 3s, Mini Cooper S, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Pontiac G6 Coupe, Scion tC
Photos courtesy of Volkswagen
