2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI Starts At $30,540 In The U.S., Makes 241 HP And Gets Manual Gearbox

Joy of joys! Volkswagen won’t detune the 2022 Golf GTI for the U.S. market. The company announced today that the eighth generation of the hot hatch will start at $29,545 plus a $995 destination fee, bringing the total up to $30,540.

All three U.S. GTI trims will be available with the manual transmission as standard, meaning you won’t have to pick the lowest S trim level to have the fun of a manual. The 7-speed DSG transmission is also available on all three trims: those being the S ($30,540 manual/ $31,240 DSG, including destination), the SE ($35,290 / $36.090), and the Autobahn ($38,990 / $40,790).

Same engine as the Euro model with 241-HP

Under the hood, the GTI gets a 2.0-liter version of VW’s familiar EA888 inline-four cylinder engine that makes 241 hp (244 PS/179 kW) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque, which is (essentially) identical to the European model, a fact that has not always been true for the GTI.

Read Our Review: We Drive The 2022 VW Golf GTI Mk8 And 2021 Golf GTI Mk7 Back-To-Back To See What’s New

That also makes it the most potent GTI ever offered to the U.S. market, power which it will handle with new performance technology that makes it one of the best handling GTIs ever, as well. Whether or not Americans will ever get the more powerful GTI Clubsport remains to be seen.

Three different trim models

Golf GTI S

18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels come standard on the Golf GTI‘s S trim, as do LED headlights, DRLs, fog lights, and tail lights. Illuminated door handle recesses, heated side mirrors, puddle lamps, and keyless entry are also standard.

A 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster is also standard. The S trim gets an 8.25-inch infotainment screen but the larger 10-inch infotainment display is standard on higher trims. The S also gets a seven-speaker sound system, wireless charging for your device, four USB-C ports, and 30-color ambient lighting.

The seats on the S model come in “Scalepaper Plaid,” which will no doubt please fans of the GTI, and the shift knob on cars fitted with the manual transmission is shaped like a golf ball, in another nod to the brand’s past.

Golf GTI SE

The SE trim, meanwhile, comes with automatic high beams, the bigger infotainment screen, voice controls, a Harman/Kardon 480-watt nine-speaker audio system, wireless App-Connect for compatible devices, Wi-Fi capability, and dynamic road sign display.

Leather seats with ventilation (up front) and leatherette door trim, and memory setting can also be had for an extra $1,225, but only the driver’s seat is electric. If you don’t mind spending another $395, you can get 18-inch gloss black wheels, too.

Golf GTI Autobahn

Finally, the Autobahn package adds 19-inch wheels, summer performance tires, DCC Adaptive Damping, Vienna leather seats that adjust in 12 directions (for the driver), heated rear seats, three-zone climate control, a heads-up display, and parking assistant.

Volkswagen says that the new Golf GTI will hit dealer lots in the last three months of 2021, so we may start seeing them on the road soon.