2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI

BOSTON -- Someone well-versed in automotive history could turn the GT nameplate into an upper-level college class. Race down memory lane and you’ll discover the various suffixes that have been attached to it: GTA, GTB, GTC, GTD, and GTE are among the variations of the gran turismo theme, and each one means something different. GTL? That’s the Renault 4 with the “big” engine (34 horsepower!). GTO? That’s the classic Ferrari worth a small country’s GDP. Or, you know, a Pontiac. GTI appeared on anything from a Citroën BX to a Nissan Sunny in the 1980s before fading away. Reverse up memory lane to 2023, and Volkswagen’s global range stands proud as the GTI name’s last bastion. I took a GTI on a trip from Boston to Mid-Coast Maine to find out how the nameplate represents the gran turismo today. It took only a handful of miles to realize that my plan to beat rush-hour traffic out of the Boston area was as optimistic as trying to race the sun. But, in hindsight, crawling toward Maine one car length at a time gave me the opportunity to familiarize myself with the eighth-generation Golf GTI’s interior layout. My colleagues have extensively covered Volkswagen’s current infotainment system, and I’m not going to rehash their thoughts; I agree that the user interface, which is dominated by awkward touch-sensitive surfaces, is as well-cooked as steak tartare. Volkswagen seemingly agrees, because a complete overhaul that will include software updates and bring back at least a small handful of buttons is around the corner (although it won't arrive soon enough to save the revised Atlas). However, it’s worth separating the user interface and the software because there are some pretty good features lurking in the 10-inch touchscreen. It offers sharp-looking graphics, I don't find it difficult to navigate, and I like the ability to show different functions (such as navigation directions and radio options) on the same screen – it saves you the time and trouble of having to exit the navigation widget to find a song. Beyond the infotainment system, the GTI’s interior feels like a digital remix of the last-generation model's. It remains driver-focused, but the horizontal lines on the dashboard make the cabin appear much wider, and the overall layout isn’t as analog. Despite all the buttons that Volkswagen plucked out, a handful of new switches elbowed their way onto the center console. The automatic gearbox’s shifter is now a small, razor-like device that almost feels like a Porsche 911’s, and the parking brake is electronic. The driver faces a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that can display a stunningly wide selection of data, ranging from basic metrics like the car’s speed and the engine’s revolutions to a g-force meter. The rear passengers face, well … the front seatbacks, but there’s a cool feature back there as well. Rather than adding storage nets, which tend to sag over time, Volkswagen fitted clever phone-sized pockets. As traffic gradually thins, a forest of “LIQUOR STORE” signs inform me …
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