New Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance arrives in the UK with 242bhp – priced from £29,280

The new, more powerful, Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance arrives in the UK with 242bhp, as does the option of a new petrol 1.5-litre TSI EVO engine.

Volkswagen are still having enormous problems with dieselgate, and their solution is to concentrate on delivering new electric models to side-setp further issues, and deliver more focus on petrol engines and stuff like this – the new VW Golf GTI Performance.

When VW updated the Golf at the end of last year, the GTI came with with the same power as the previous GTI Performance, so clearly there needs to be a new GTI Performance with even more power. So the new GTI Performance arrives with 242bhp and a £29,280 price tag.

That extra smidge of power gets the GTI Performance to 62mph in 6.2 seconds – whether you opt for the manual or DSG gearbox – and also gets bigger brakes with red calipers, electronic diff and 12.3″ Active Info Display.

The other update for the Golf’s Uk range is the arrival of the new petrol 1.5-litre TSI EVO engine, which comes in  two flavours – 128bhp and 148bhp – both available as a manual or with DSG and with Active Cylinder Management. The 148bhp version of the 1.5 litre EVO is available now, with the lower powered 128bhp version later in 2017.

The 128bhp version is available on the SE and SE Navigation, and the 148bhp on the Golf GT and R-Line – and Gt Estate – with prices from £23,445.