Volkswagen GTI Unveiled

Good news to buyers. You can buy nice new cars for only $25,000. And just what do you get for $25,000? Believe it or not, you can have a brand new Volkswagen GTI.

The new Volkswagen GTI is now available in the US and offered as a family friendly four-door sedan or as a traditional two-door model. Europes largest automaker and producer of the quality Volkswagen tune up parts, has created the hot hatchback 30 years ago and brought it to US in the year 1983. Car enthusiasts have fallen in love with it; unfortunately over the years the Volkswagen has somehow let the GTIs youthful energy mellows down to a more relaxed, middle age appearance.

But that was a long time ago. And now the GTI is back and has been hammered back into its original shape and spirit. Although it may not be the fastest car in its segment not it is the most spacious but it offers a combination of functionality and pure driving enjoyment that is simply hard to beat.

The GTI can accommodate enough passengers plus luggage for that annual vacation trips. The hatchback configuration with its fold-down rear seats gives it an edge over its similar-sized rivals with conventional trunk. And while the rest of its competitors rely on smooth V6 engines, the GTI makes used of Volkswagens turbocharged 2.0 liter, four cylinder powerplant that sports a direct fuel injection and four valves per cylinder. The engine revs up a modest 200 hp and 207 ft-lb of potent torque that can propel the GTI from 0 to 60 mph in 7 seconds. The same engine is also used for Audi and Volkswagen vehicles.

The EPA for the GTI is 23 miles per gallon for manual transmission and 25 mpg (DSG) for city driving and 31 (DSG) and 32 (manual) for highway driving. The GTI is also equipped with strong, four-wheel antilock disc brakes. The rigid body construction plus the independent, sport-tuned suspension with struts up front and a multilink setup at the rear wheels makes the GTI a truly comfortable ride on the highway.

The GTI hatchback is identified from its other sibling by a black mesh grille and its prominent GTI badging. And inside, are reinforced front bucket seats which offer plenty of support especially on twisty back roads. The other standard safety features of the GTI include traction and stability control, driver and front passenger front and side air bags, front and rear side curtains, xenon headlights, side-impact door beams and a tire pressure monitoring system.

The base price of the four-door GTI is $22,600 and that comes complete with air conditioning, cruise control, power windows and door locks, heatable power outside mirrors, multifunction trip computer and a 10 speaker audio system with in-dash six-CD player, MP3, and satellite radio capability.