Three-Pedal GTI Going Away Down Under

Volkswagen is upping performance but dropping a pedal for Australia’s 2019 Golf GTI.

The Performance Edition will now be the standard GTI down under for 2019. That means the 241 hp model, not the 226 hp base car, which is being dropped for emissions reasons. The Performance Edition also gets an electro-mechanical front diff, as well as front and rear brakes from the Golf R.

But what it loses is a six-speed manual. Sent to the bin, replaced by a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch box. It drops the three-door body too, becoming five-door only.

Why? Changing emissions standards in Europe is the reason given, although it’s not clear how exactly that affected the GTI. “Change brought about by the advent of Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) in Europe is one of the major challenges confronting European brands in this market,” VW’s Australian marketing manager Ben Wilks told Motoring Australia. He added that “this GTI embodies what customers want.”

But don’t worry, Australian GTI buyers. This is expected to be a temporary shift. Motoring expects that even though Australian GTI buyers pick the DSG 9 to 1 over the manual, the next-generation model will bring back the third pedal.

[source: Motoring]

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