2018 Volkswagen Golf GTI Original brings three doors and sub-$40K pricing

VOLKSWAGEN Australia has announced it will make the three-door bodystyle a permanent member of the Golf GTI lineup once more, with the imminent arrival of the new Golf GTI Original at the start of next year.

Available exclusively as a three-door with your choice of a six-speed manual or DSG automatic, the GTI Original is priced from $37,490 for the manual and $39,990 for the auto. Options? Not many – just a driver’s assistance pack ($1600) for a little more safety tech – and the only colours available are gloss red or white.

Leather upholstery is also off the cards, but the pared-back offering is deliberate. Volkswagen Australia says the GTI Original is aimed squarely at the purists, those who reckon a “true GTI should be near to unadulterated”.

Regardless, it’s far from a stripper model. You still get 18-inch alloys, an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, dual-zone climate control, LED headlamps, AEB and front and rear parking sensors. Under the bonnet lies the same 169kW/350Nm turbo inline four that powers the five-door Golf GTI, so you’re certainly not getting short changed there either.

A handy discount compared to the $41,490 five-door Golf GTI manual, the Golf GTI Original is available for order now with local deliveries set to begin in January 2018.

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