2025 VW Golf GTI Unofficially Shows Its Visual Secrets Before Grand Unveiling

At first glance, nothing has changed, though that's the camouflage doing its job, as the hot hatch features a few important revisions at the front and rear, like the redesigned lighting units and a pair of new bumpers to set it apart from its predecessor.

Reports indicate the car might gain the same infotainment system as the latest Tiguan and Passat with its 15-inch display, and we expect the digital gauge cluster to feature new software. Other work might revolve around tweaking the center console, giving it a new steering wheel, and probably wrapping things up (pun intended) with new upholstery and trim.

Look for the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood, which develops 241 hp (244 ps/180 kW) in the current iteration and puts 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque under the driver's right foot. It could be safe to assume the motor will soldier on with no modifications, but we cannot be entirely sure of it. The stick shift is said to survive, and those looking for improved performance will have to order the automatic transmission.

Now, you are probably wondering what's up with the pictures above depicting the naked VW Golf GTI Mk8.5, though pictures is too big a word. They are renderings that try to decipher what lies beneath the camouflage, and while they may seem spot-on, they're not. In fact, the production model will look slightly different at the front and rear, as we've seen in the recent scoops.

The shape of the headlights doesn't have much in common with the real car, especially on the lower part, and the graphics will be different, too. The lower part of the front bumper will be less intricate, and we wouldn't bet on the taillight pattern either. The rear bumper and diffuser seem to be on par with the parts equipping the upcoming hot hatch, and we wouldn't look for that exact wing, as its styling will be far less aggressive.

Mind you, these updates will likely fly under the radar to anyone looking at the car unless they're fans of this model. The facelifted Golf GTI is expected to premiere in the coming months, and the first copies should arrive in our market for the 2025 model year. Thus, we'll probably see additional renderings in the near future, which will hopefully be more realistic than these ones, which were shared by the peeps at Kolesa.