VW reportedly ditches plans for hybrid GTI, resumes old-fashioned hot hatchery
VW's planned hybrid GTI was killed off by new boss Herbert Diess, Autocar reports.
If you were bummed by rumors that the Volkswagen GTI was going to go hybrid in its next generation, then we have some excellent news for you: It's not going to anymore.
Volkswagen has decided to go evolutionary rather than revolutionary when it comes to the next generation of its beloved hot hatch, Autocar reports. The eighth-generation car will receive a revised and improved version of the current car's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Autocar credits VW Group chairman Herbert Diess with the decision.
It's likely that the car will be offered in two performance flavors, with the higher-spec version being dubbed TCR to draw parallels to the company's racing GTI. We're also betting that both variants will sneak in under the 300-horsepower mark, lest they start to take big bites out of the Golf R's lunch.
Those of you with long memories will remember that VW has flirted with hybrid-electric GTIs before. In fact, our fearless leader Tim Stevens drove one -- then dubbed the GTE -- in Europe way back in 2014 and he came away from the experience with some nice things to say about how it drove, despite it being heavier and less powerful than the regular ICE-powered car.
VW representatives confirmed to Roadshow via email that for the US market, the GTI would remain internal-combustion-only.
While we don't have anything official, we'd bet on seeing the new Golf at the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall, with the new GTI alongside it -- so all you rabid plaid-seat enthusiasts will have to wait until then.
