Mk 8 GTI dead before it's arrived?

[fredgroves]

HUD is on the Mk8 too...

The next thing will be ACP and AA working with the digital dash to display stuff there. Its coming, but slowly.

[Guzzle]

Mk8 also allows dual maps display (Active Info Display & MIB at the same time). Mk7.5 only allowed this with Nav Pro.

[king monkey]

That i30N will be brilliant with ACC. I loved it when I test drove it a couple of years back but the ride was far too harsh and the car ridiculously expensive on finance. Now if it was that alcantara interior from the special edition it’ll be mega.

Lots of genuine competition for the Mk8 gti.

[AndyGTI]

Supposedly the new N has proper ACC and also auto gearbox... still no clue when it actually is available.

Oh here we go....

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/first-drive-2021-hyundai-i30-fastback-n-performance-prototype

March 2021.

Interesting that there are a few different contenders in this sector now, even though the Megane is gone and its unclear if the Type-R will survive Honda's relocation and electrification plans.

Thanks Fred.  Well that is promising that it does have ACC. Now for a knock out colour(s) for the exterior and things will be looking very hopeful.

I feel that as a local resident I should get a Type R, trouble is I don’t like the fussy exterior, the size, the interior and even the new toned down version only sorts some of my dislikes.

Well, we will have to see what the Golf GTI throws us in the next week or so.

Also, I am one of the few people that puts car in garage, so I tend to hunt out the exact measurements of a car when it’s announced, not for me those general reviewer comments “oh it’s practically same size as last time” Not good enough for me.

Sorry I’ll get to my point;

Mk7 Golf GTI (taken from VW dimensions on PDF)

length 4268mm
width (excluding mirrors) 1799mm
Height.  1442mm

Mk8 Golf GTI ( taken from VW German configurator)

Length. 4287mm
Width (excl mirrors) 1789mm
Height  1478mm

I have seen a few comments from people saying proportions look wrong and car appears too high.  Well these dimensions seem to confirm that GTI is much taller and also narrower so from some angles the car will look strange and not as elegant as mk7.

Does anyone else agree?

[fredgroves]

That i30N will be brilliant with ACC. I loved it when I test drove it a couple of years back but the ride was far too harsh and the car ridiculously expensive on finance.

I've not driven (the current) one yet, but i thought it had DCC already? Should have been able to soften the ride up?

Finance isn't too bad actually - well, i didn't think so. When I did my TCO calc earlier this year, it was the cheapest out of all of the cars I looked at (M135i, N30, Golf TCR and Audi S3)

[fredgroves]

I have seen a few comments from people saying proportions look wrong and car appears too high.  Well these dimensions seem to confirm that GTI is much taller and also narrower so from some angles the car will look strange and not as elegant as mk7.

Does anyone else agree?

36mm taller and 10mm narrower? I doubt you can see that with the naked eye ;-)

It won't be the actual dimensions you are "seeing" it will be how the various lines make it look.

[king monkey]

That i30N will be brilliant with ACC. I loved it when I test drove it a couple of years back but the ride was far too harsh and the car ridiculously expensive on finance.

I've not driven (the current) one yet, but i thought it had DCC already? Should have been able to soften the ride up?

Finance isn't too bad actually - well, i didn't think so. When I did my TCO calc earlier this year, it was the cheapest out of all of the cars I looked at (M135i, N30, Golf TCR and Audi S3)

The car hadn’t been out that long when I went to drive it. They wanted circa £480pm for it. I was paying £280pm at the time for my S3 and they didn’t want to negotiate at all. Looks like that’s changed over time.

Not sure if it had DCC but it was so crashy I couldn’t drive one every day. Really hope the newer version sorts this.

[AndyGTI]

I have seen a few comments from people saying proportions look wrong and car appears too high.  Well these dimensions seem to confirm that GTI is much taller and also narrower so from some angles the car will look strange and not as elegant as mk7.

Does anyone else agree?

36mm taller and 10mm narrower? I doubt you can see that with the naked eye ;-)

It won't be the actual dimensions you are "seeing" it will be how the various lines make it look.

Granted it will be down to lines and what you eyes pick up, but it was more a point to confirm people expressing a view the Mk8 looked strange from some angles and the rear view appearing to be tall and narrow, because the dimensions back that up, even if by small amounts.

I know 10mm is hardly anything but seemed strange that VW have narrowed Mk8 maybe down to all that wind tunnel work to make Golf super slippery

[AndyGTI]

I think i30N has always had adaptive suspension but I know the earlier models were criticised for firm suspension settings.

When the Fastback came out they soft3n it up and these suspension settings were also passed across to the i30N hatchback, coming in this year according to reviews.

£480 is absolutely mad especially if you were paying £280 for your S3. Watched a car wow drag race today...didn’t learn anything useful other than the chap who bought his i30N along had bought it through Carwow dealer for £21,000. I think things have changed a lot now as seen some other low prices for i30N

[king monkey]

I think i30N has always had adaptive suspension but I know the earlier models were criticised for firm suspension settings.

When the Fastback came out they soft3n it up and these suspension settings were also passed across to the i30N hatchback, coming in this year according to reviews.

£480 is absolutely mad especially if you were paying £280 for your S3. Watched a car wow drag race today...didn’t learn anything useful other than the chap who bought his i30N along had bought it through Carwow dealer for £21,000. I think things have changed a lot now as seen some other low prices for i30N

Wow! £21000 is nothing for the i30N. Things must definitely have changed. At the time I asked the salesman how many they’d sold. He said none. He told it was because of brand snobs. I said it was probably due to the fact I could buy a VAG hatch far cheaper.

The i30N did make a lasting impression on me though and is always on my list.