New Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport review | 2021's hot Golf tested | Autocar

Volkswagen's fast Golfs give you a lot of options. This is the Golf GTI Clubsport, which is more than a Golf GTI but less than the range-topping Golf R.

It's a more powerful and focused Golf but unlike, say, a Honda Civic Type R or Renault Sport Megane, it aims to retain a degree of the Golf's fabled daily usability.

The Clubsport's power is up by 59bhp and torque by 22lb ft over a regular GTI, thanks to a different turbo and revised cooling, so it has 296bhp (300hp) and 295lb ft - enough to turn the heads of those considering a Type R or Megane?

Those outputs mean that its 0-62mph time is just 5.6 seconds, while it has a top speed of 155mph. In the UK it costs £37,315. Join us on wet UK roads as we put it to the test.


Autocar, the world's leading motoring magazine and website, delivers industry-leading news, the most in-depth car reviews and opinion from our team of experts. Our presenters include some of the world's top motoring journalists who have unrivalled access to the world's fastest, rarest, most exotic and most exciting cars on some of the world's best roads and race tracks.

Follow AUTOCAR here:

[iandavidson]

Never seen Matt Prior so annoyed as he was when ranting about the touchscreen in this car... Good on you, I agree!

[alanwayte]

Absolutely agree the VAG trend towards touchscreen and no physical buttons is ridiculous and dangerous, if I can’t hold a phone how is ok for me to take my eyes of the road to access a menu..my wife has run Golf R 7 for two years and has now changed to BMW simply due to I Drive

[PS-pduf]

2:46 what's hanging there under the car? lambda probe cable?

[kjoey]

That Touch Bar below the center screen not illuminating was my biggest complaint too!

[alexmaddox]

😂😂😂 yes Matt "what I'm going to use this space for, a fan or some chopsticks!" ... save the buttons!

[alexanderbrown]

I won't be buying this due to that touchscreen

[quicknickdriver]

I’m right there with you on the touchscreen as a distraction. Buttons and dials are so much easier to find and operate without looking. Glad the rest of the car lives up to its name.

[patrickbryan]

Thanks for calling out the apparent safety flaw with not having the temp controls illuminated, and moving some critical functions onto the touch screen display. Manufacturers must ensure focus on Driving is not compromised.

[tcecoleshaw]

Its the pick of the performance Golf range; more or less identical mid range performance to the R but the running costs nearer to the standard GTI, and because its well below 40k you can spec it more or less how you want without incurring the VED premium.

[treewasher]

Please don't hold back nor cease railing against the often dangerous substitution of tactile control with those offered via a screen of some sort. This trend toward screen-based everything isn't just an occasional inconvenience; it's the sort of thing that will bother - and endanger - drivers on a daily basis.

[CarToneHK]

Slight rant welcomed, would happily have this over a R as I don't need AWD

[dammyo]

That interior is a disaster! The implementation of those screens is horrid.

[ZylonFPV]

I agree about the buttons vs screens thing. I’m not a fan of everything being wrapped under screen menus

[thepeller]

I'll not upgrading my MK3 Leon Cupra to the MK4 due to the lack of physical buttons/dials. I will be looking elsewhere. It's a massive fail for VAG

[pauln]

VW group has a whole has had to take a step backwards in interior quality due to the Dieselgate scandal. The new A3's interior is definitely more low rent than the last model. And the Golf is exactly the same. The same thing happened in the 90s with Mercedes when they had the Pension's black hole and look how long it's taken them to sort themselves out..

[tjerry]

DUCK prior has grown a BIG pair of balls and i`m PROUD of him, to be honest i USUALLY slag him off as being Mr whoa, hold your horses, he`s finally said and i TOTALLY agree, that the heating controls on this golf are DANGEROUS, well said matt, now let`s see if any other tester`s have got BIG kahoonas LIKE MATT and back him up, BRING BACK KNOBS 🦾🦾🦾🦾🦾

[agnelt]

I hate the interior of this new golf family, it looks cheaper than an early 2000s Hyundai. The last GTI dash was so nice, seriously why did they get it so wrong!!

[martinschofield]

To be honest I only ever use the volume controls on the steering wheel on my 7.5 GTI, but the heating controls on the 8 are silly, touch screens are tricky to use on the go... shame there’s not 3 door and manual but that’s another story.

[dadmadforgot]

As a motorcyclist Im always really bemused when folks describe a car as 'still a daily drive'... im like eh?!? it a car, how could it not be suitable for daily use? Strange. I can see why a caterham or morgan might not be classed as usable every day... but anything else? its a car!!! a roof and a heater!!!!

[philipbessant]

This car has voice recognition, just say "I'm cold" and it will warm you up without having to take you eye off the road.