Breaking! VW Golf Mk8.5 GTI Confirmed for SA

Volkswagen Group Africa has confirmed to CAR that the Mk8.5 Golf GTI is heading to South Africa.

VW Golf Mk8.5 GTI driving

Image: Peet Mocke

Owing to issues relating to South Africa’s fuel quality, the local introduction of the Mk8.5 Golf GTI remained on ice, with fans of this revered badge having to wait for the announcement of when (or if), the more powerful eighth generation will arrive in South Africa. However, they needn’t wait much longer – Volkswagen Group Africa has confirmed to CAR that the Mk8.5 GTI will, indeed, be available in South Africa.

VW Golf Mk8.5 SA Launch Date

The VW Golf Mk8.5 GTI will launch in South Africa towards the end of 2025.

The updated eighth-generation GTI retains the German marque’s familiar EA888 powertrain. However, for the Mk8.5, the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbopetrol unit has been handed a 15 kW increase in power, exclusively sent to the front axle via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Torque has remained untouched.

According to the Wolfsburg brand, the Mk8.5 GTI’s 195 kW and 370 N.m allows for a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 5.9 seconds, making the updated model five-tenths of a second quicker to the one-tonne than the pre-facelifted eighth generation. The top speed is electronically governed to 250 km/h.

The Mk8.5 GTI’s cabin is familiar to that of the 1.4 TSI derivative – the latter of which we evaluated in R-Line Plus guise for a road test in the May 2025 issue of CAR magazine. Though, the GTI is set apart from its “standard” siblings with the inclusion of several model-specific interior trim elements, including the option of specifying tartan cloth seats (leather upholstery will also be available). The cabin features such items as 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment, replete with smartphone mirroring, digital instrumentation, and dual-zone climate control, to name but a few.

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The post Breaking! VW Golf Mk8.5 GTI Confirmed for SA appeared first on CAR Magazine.


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