2025 Volkswagen GTI First Drive Review: Fun Refined, Not Redefined

Whatever you do, don’t blame yourself.

Much noise has been made about the 2025 Volkswagen GTI—and its superpowered Golf R sibling—losing the six-speed manual for their mid-cycle facelifts. It has overshadowed the important detail changes for this year’s model, which include better standard kit and the reintroduction of more physical controls in the cabin.

But the loss of the third pedal isn’t North America’s fault. Take rates for stick-shift hatchbacks were around 30 to 40 percent in Canada and the US; over 10 times what it was in Germany, where the Golf R didn’t even offer the manual. We showed up, but even that percentage can’t sway the global decision-makers.

The good news is that VW listened to feedback on other aspects of its venerable hatchback. This is a light refresh, but it makes the brand’s hot hatch even stronger.

In addition to the expected exterior styling tweaks, the GTI sees upgrades in the cabin, with a larger 12.9-inch touchscreen now standard across all trims. There’s been some feature trickle-down as well, so the base model receives a few upgrades from last year’s SE, while that model borrows from the top Autobahn. The Canadian market sticks to only the top two trims. The SE also benefits from new seats, with grippy ArtVelours coverings from the Euro-market GTI Clubsport.

Power is unchanged in the GTI, the snappily-named 2.0-liter EA888 Evo 4 engine still pumping out 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Expect the Evo 5 to show up in the next iteration, however.

This engine didn’t need changes. The EA888 makes peak torque barely off idle, yet still feels eager to rev right through the range. This sort of flexibility and responsiveness is what has made it such a great driver’s car for decades. There’s even a decent soundtrack, including little parp-parps on downshifts.

Left to its own devices, the seven-speed DSG is very good, as happy to roll through town as it is to rip through the gears on the nearest backroad. There is still a bit of that low-speed hesitance that is a hallmark of dual-clutchers, but it’s minor. Manual mode is a bit of a disappointment: not only are the “paddles” hilariously undersized, the system will automatically shift up close to redline anyway. If the three-pedal is gone, ensuring the DSG can at least be as interactive as possible would seem like a priority.

It may not be the freshest engine in the class, but the 2.0-liter is still one of the most fuel efficient. It will do a combined 27 mpg (8.7 L/100 km) without breaking a sweat, even when having some fun.

On the road, the mid-level SE is a joy. It lacks the Autobahn’s adaptive dampers yet the suspension setup strikes the ideal balance between sporting intentions and comfortable daily-driver. No wonder so many Europeans track these things. There’s a good, consistent weight to the steering, with just enough information coming through that rim to tell you how much grip the front tires have in reserve. The answer is usually “lots.” Switching drive modes amps up the throttle response and shift logic, but the GTI always stays a notch below the manic feel of something like a GR Corolla or (especially) an Elantra N.

Volkswagen brought us to Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia to unleash the hatches on its challenging Jefferson Circuit. Packing nine corners into just 1.1 mi (1.77 km), including numerous blind ones, it’s a challenging and technical track perfect for a hot hatch. The GTI impresses here: ease off the throttle and the nose tucks in nicely, the XDS electronic differential lock able shuffling power to the side that can make the most of it. It’s easy to pack on big speed here, but every time the stoppers—13.4-inch discs up front, 12.2 inches out back—rein it all in. The GTI is still relatively light and compact too, so it feels right at home.

A brief drive in an Autobahn confirms suspicions: the adaptive damping provides a wider range of ride quality. Not that the lesser trims feel short-changed. Over the narrow, rollercoaster roads that wind from VW’s head office to the track and back, the GTI remains composed and comfy. Those new seats, with interiors yoinked from the Euro-market GTI Clubsport, are fantastically grippy. Who needs leather?

There’s still good sound insulation for something in this class, allowing the GTI to feel properly grown up on the highway schleps.

Beyond those seats—and the big screen, more on that in a bit—there’s not much different inside the GTI. Largely, that’s fine: it’s a handsome enough cabin design, with a pared-back dashboard and generous storage cubbies in the door panels. I don’t like all the piano black of the center console, nor that teeny-tiny shifter, but that’s about it in terms of complaints. Rear legroom can be a little tight for taller folks, but that’s expected given the GTI’s smaller proportions.

A new steering wheel brings in good old-fashioned physical controls, replacing the touch-sensitive pads of yesteryear. The Golf R keeps those though, because it has the additional R button.

The 12.9-inch touchscreen is familiar from the ID vehicles. Illuminated sliders along its lower half do help, but there’s still some oddities about how this setup performs. While responses are quick, pairing a phone is done through more menu-diving than I’d like. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard on all trims, as is an updated, ventilated 15W wireless charger. Navigation is standard, and it works well.

The move to auto-only does mean the GTI has more standard safety goodies, including dynamic road sign recognition, auto high beams (SE) and Park Assist Plus (Autobahn).

The changes in the 2025 Volkswagen GTI are understandably minor. Volkswagen has this all worked out: the GTI and R are a two-pronged attack on the hot hatch segment, and the GTI hits a sweet spot of price, performance, and maturity. It’s still plenty capable on track, but won’t punish you on the drive there and back. While the R takes the fight to the hyper-powered models, the GTI is arguably sweeter and truer to the original hot hatch formula. Yes, even without the manual.

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