MK7 GTI Facelift

[monkeyhanger]

An email newsletter from autoexpress claims 310ps for the R, an extra 10ps for the PP and nowt extra for the ordinary GTI, plus news of extra tech like gesture control, LED lights front and back and the sweeping indicators that higher end Audis now have but you never see in action as they don't indicate.

[KyleB]

Wonder if the rear lights will be able to be retrofitted onto our existing models? Same for the front.

[mcmaddy]

Both front and rear lights look the same shape so they should be do able to retro fit. Might have to reduce the voltage going to the lights though.

[JoeGTI]

Here's a pretty good review of it and you get some good shots of the new lights, front and rear in action. I like the look of them a lot. Very Audi-esque with the sweeping rears and the fronts using the LED DRL's.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3hwapJxgTE

As for retro-fitting... Rear's probably do-able but would be hugely costly!! The front's I'd say not so straightforward. You're talking about swapping from one bulb technology to another. The LED headlights don't use the xenon's levellers and do not require the washers either afaik. I guess anything's possible but it'd probably be cheaper to upgrade the whole car 

[Booth11]

I like the rear light clusters and pulsating indicators, the wireless charging function and the fact the radar is now in the VW badge, but am not sold on the rest of it.  The active dash/media display doesn't do much for me at all and I much prefer the current U shaped front lights. 

For me the whole look is too Audi-esque. If I want that I'd get an Audi. Yes, they are all VAG, but still up to now distinct in their own right, but judging by this facelift pretty soon they are going to look indistinguishable.

[CraigW]

The front and rear lights on the GTI are a huge improvement and look much better to me than the current ones. Makes you wonder how they are going to differentiate the R at the front

https://youtu.be/aq2eCk9jLFg

[Booth11]

The front and rear lights on the GTI are a huge improvement and look much better to me than the current ones. Makes you wonder how they are going to differentiate the R at the front

https://youtu.be/aq2eCk9jLFg

That's the point, you don't differentiate it, it goes under the radar.

[CraigW]

The front and rear lights on the GTI are a huge improvement and look much better to me than the current ones. Makes you wonder how they are going to differentiate the R at the front

https://youtu.be/aq2eCk9jLFg

That's the point, you don't differentiate it, it goes under the radar.

Hopefully the facelift R won't go under the radar. Top end hatchback with 300 plus ponies should look more aggressive than it currently does. Let's face it, the cat is well and truly out out the bag, most car enthusiasts will be able to tell the difference between the GTI/R by now even if they don't own one. So may as well make its looks match its performance and not be so meh

[Hawaii-Five-O]

I love the fact they've integrated the radar into the VW badge. Makes the whole front end more seemless. Like the new rear clusters. Although the GTD/GTI/R are lovely anyway. Not keen on sweeping indicators at all. Think they looks gash - on Audi S Lines too. Don't think the new front lights are an improvement design wise apart from utilising LED tech. Hate gesture control. VW should scrap touch screens and gesture for a good version of BMW iDrive or Audi's MMI. Touch screens are plain dangerous!

On the whole I'll skip this refresh and wait to see what they do with the Mk8.

[Booth11]

The front and rear lights on the GTI are a huge improvement and look much better to me than the current ones. Makes you wonder how they are going to differentiate the R at the front

https://youtu.be/aq2eCk9jLFg

That's the point, you don't differentiate it, it goes under the radar.

Hopefully the facelift R won't go under the radar. Top end hatchback with 300 plus ponies should look more aggressive than it currently does. Let's face it, the cat is well and truly out out the bag, most car enthusiasts will be able to tell the difference between the GTI/R by now even if they don't own one. So may as well make its looks match its performance and not be so meh

I actually think the current R looks pretty aggressive in the flesh, it was a pleasant surprise to me when I finally got mine that it did so.  It doesn't translate quite so in photos and it lacks some of the presence of the mk6 R, but I like the balance it strikes between under the radar and showing intent.  Time will tell what the FL R will be but I hope it's not too in your face.