2019 Volkswagen Golf vs 2020

What's the difference?

The Golf GTI is Volkswagen’s everyday superhero with a history that saw it as one of the pioneers (along with the Peugeot 205 GTi) of the hot hatch cult. Loved for being powerful yet still practical, small but not puny, the Golf GTI has been though seven generations in 44 years while receiving updates during each evolution.

As the end of 2018 neared Volkswagen updated the GTI for 2019 and we had the chance to drive it on the track and then live with it for a week.

So, what’s new for the updated Golf GTI? Is it better on the track or more suited to the road? Is it economical and what’s it like to drive day-in and day-out? We know and we want to tell you.

A lot has changed in the past six years. Most of it seems to have happened in 2020, but since the Mk7 Golf R first arrived in April 2014, Australia also stopped manufacturing cars, the US wound up with President Trump, England left the EU and Elon launched a human rocket.

During this time, the Golf R has been treated to a handful of special editions on Australian soil and updated to Mk7.5 status in early 2018. Despite its age, it’s hard to think of another car that quite matches the Golf R for outright ‘only those in the know’ cool and everyday proper performance at a pretty reasonable price.

But it’s almost time to say goodbye to this generation of the ultimate road-going Golf, and VW Australia has saved a couple of tricks to the end that can make you the perpetual envy of any Mk7 forum, group, gathering, club or Golf R owners in general.  

That’s because the Golf R Final Edition’s most distinctive feature isn’t just another bolt-on, but rather three hand-painted colour options yet to be seen on a Golf in Australia, which are being spread across a limited run of just 150 units. The remaining 300 Final Editions will feature a selection of regular Golf R colours, but more on that later.