CAR REVIEW: We drive VW's new 'matured' Golf GTI

Volkswagen has officially launched its updated Golf GTI in South Africa, and the facelifted model is sure to make a splash in a GTI-mad culture.

The German carmaker punted the winning combination of a striking new exterior with enhanced performance.

The latest version of the GTI 8 - the 8.5, has also entered a new price zone, pushing towards the R1 million mark.

It comes in at R 908 000, but as motoring journo Melinda Ferguson points out, its main competitor the Honda Civic Type R sells for just over R1 million.

The new Golf GTI brings a slight increase in power, delivering 195kW from its 2-litre TSI engine, a 15 kW increase over the previous model.

At the same time the GTI has matured, says Ferguson, offering a more sedate drive than the previous popping iterations beloved by the "boy racers".

Linked to a 7-speed DSG gearbox, VW says it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds.

"The 'vrrrpha' is a bit more muted compared to the previous generations, but it's got such class... I think the maturing of this Golf is also going to be attracting an older audience, not just the young guys."

"It's almost not a competitor anymore of the Honda Type R; it has a much more sophisticated suspension... but it has this adaptive chassis control so you can still have differ driver profiles ranging from 'comfort' to 'sport'."

Overall, the new Golf GTI is a brilliant, well-thought-out package which delivers a great drive, Ferguson says.

She awards it a stellar rating of nine out of ten, giving you a lot of car for your R908 000.

To listen to Melinda Ferguson in conversation with Sara-Jayne Makwala King on CapeTalk's Weekend Breakfast, click on the audio link below: (skip to 3:17 for Golf GTI discussion):