2023 GTI / CS interior

[BanksyGTI]

Folks,
Looks as though the first ‘2023’ model year GTI Clubsports are coming through now. These are pics nabbed from a pre-registered unit for sale on 8 miles at Oldham VW (£48k if you’re interested!)

Thing to note:
- Gloss black centre console trim and phone flap cover. This brings this part of the cabin into line with relevant Audis/Mercs. Microfibre cloth fans rejoice. People may moan but I refer you to mk7.5 GTI interior!
- Dark grey Art Velours door trim and leatherette arm rest. As I understand it all Golfs apart from ‘Life’ spec now come with this. It just happens to suit the CS best due to seat material which is a handy co-incidence.
- Dash trim pattern is unchanged. Some on here saw a Configurator bug and were worried that it had changed to the stainless steel effect in the lesser garden Golfs - as I thought it remains the same.
- 2D ‘modern’ GTI badge has stayed. It was the 3D badge in mk7 fonts on 2020/21 MY cars. This is more in-keeping with the theme.

If you are awaiting your GTI or CS and it hasn’t been sat at a dealer or port for a matter of weeks then your car will have THIS spec interior. I’m not sure if there are any hardware or mechanical model year changes but that wouldn’t be unusual. VW wouldn’t document that either.


Happy days

[simonwhite2000]

Thanks for this. Was worried about the silver interior trim! Mine was built 2 weeks ago so expect the MY23 interior.

Do prefer the matt black centre console trim over the piano black. Imagine the matt black part for the previous years car isn't that expensive to change it out.

[BanksyGTI]

Thanks for this. Was worried about the silver interior trim! Mine was built 2 weeks ago so expect the MY23 interior.

Do prefer the matt black centre console trim over the piano black. Imagine the matt black part for the previous years car isn't that expensive to change it out.

It’s personal choice but I certainly think the matte plastic looks a lot cheaper and more ‘Polo’, even if it is easier to maintain. And matte it may be but it’s also a VW part, they’ll still rob you for it. In the long run it would be cheaper to invest in a good interior protectant and high quality microfibres - and if it gets bad then a local detailer will have it looking new again once they’ve ran a micro-machine polisher over it

[simonwhite2000]

Fair point. Its a pain in our Touareg Black Ed but i take your point on the matt looking a bit cheap.

[SRGTD]

I’m glad I have ‘cheap’ matt plastic in my Polo GTI+, rather than swathes of glossy piano black trim that’s a magnet for dust, finger prints and swirl marks. What glossy plastic I do have in my Polo GTI+ has an Iron Grey metallic finish - IMHO far better than gloss black to maintain as it doesn’t show dust, finger prints or swirls - not that I let my car’s interior get dirty / dusty or scratched and swirled. 
 
It’s good we don’t all like the same things though.

Before the days of VW cost cutting, I seem to remember that matt plastic interior trim was pretty much the norm in earlier generations of the Golf and other VW models. That was when VW’s build quality was - IMHO - up there with the best for a mass production, high volume car manufacturer.

[fredgroves]

I’m not sure if there are any hardware or mechanical model year changes but that wouldn’t be unusual. VW wouldn’t document that either.

There will be something no doubt.... they already robbed the car of its (arguably garbage) voice control, taking that back for "navpro only" or in car purchase.

Oh, the engine cover will be missing from new too 

Probably a spare key also something you've got to wait for... which makes becoming primary user an impossible task.

[BanksyGTI]

I’m glad I have ‘cheap’ matt plastic in my Polo GTI+, rather than swathes of glossy piano black trim that’s a magnet for dust, finger prints and swirl marks. What glossy plastic I do have in my Polo GTI+ has an Iron Grey metallic finish - IMHO far better than gloss black to maintain as it doesn’t show dust, finger prints or swirls - not that I let my car’s interior get dirty / dusty or scratched and swirled. 
 
It’s good we don’t all like the same things though.

Before the days of VW cost cutting, I seem to remember that matt plastic interior trim was pretty much the norm in earlier generations of the Golf and other VW models. That was when VW’s build quality was - IMHO - up there with the best for a mass production, high volume car manufacturer.

Gloss plastic is far more expensive to produce, per item, than matte - no doubt. The shiny grey is much easier but this is absolutely a design decision; people don’t want matte plastic any more. It isn’t doom: my mate who has had 4 Golf mk8 demos says that these rattle and cream a lot less than his mk7s ever did. Less component parts to move against each other I guess

[WelshGolf]

Had my CS just over a month now and I have that interior. I prefer the look of the gloss black but yes I do have a microfiber cloth in the arm rest ready 

[Foxy367]

£48k though 

I know it has DCC, Pan Roof, winter pack and 19's but wow its still a 1 owner car! Dining out on the long wait times there I think

[BanksyGTI]

It is a ridiculous amount of money. I’d guess that it was a cancelled order by someone who’d given up waiting or needed a car. At that price and spec they’re clearly targeting someone who has a long wait and just wants their CS - or who missed the boat before the order books closed. Two problems with that: 1) everyone awaiting their CS will have agreed prices at 2021 prices and will laugh at £48k. Fair to say the used CS market is slow, I’d say for this reason. 2) the colour of this one!! Great spec though and to be honest it doesn’t look too bad. Yellow red and black reminds me of the German flag