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| Gallery: 2005 Volkswagen Golf GTI |
The Golf GTI put hot hatches on the map back in 1976, and has since evolved four times. This latest version certainly looks meaner than the GTI it replaces - but how does it score on the road?
Read the full Road Test to find out...
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| You can't see much of the FSI turbo engine under the cover, but it's an effective unit. Normally-aspirated FSIs run lean under part load, in usual direct-injection fashion, but the turbo doesn't. However, the high compression ratio and considerable air-swirl typical of a DI engine both help towards the GTI's impressive power and minimal lag. Because the fuel is injected so late in the cycle, on the compression stroke rather than the inlet stroke, there's less time for the fuel to be distributed evenly in the air charge. The swirl helps here, and is itself speeded up by the turbo's intake pressure. Injecting the fuel late also improves thermal efficiency because there's less heat loss from evaporation of the droplets. So now you know. |
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