Next VW Golf GTI Will Have 245 HP in Base Form

A video published by Auto Bild magazine claims the big GTI will get the usual cosmetic treatment - bigger brakes, bigger wheels, enlarged front intakes and the trademark red stripe going through the grille.

But what's under the hood? The obvious answer is: a 2-liter turbo. Volkswagen uses it in nearly every car, from the Polo GTI to the gigantic Atlas crossover. It won't get any major power bump either, some might say.

The base version of the car will have 245 horsepower, which is what you currently get with the GTI Performance, the only model to pass the new European emissions tests. But we think that's more than enough, even if it's a carry-over.

The iconic Mk5 came out with 200 HP and the Mk6, which was more of a revision than a new car, increased the output to 210 HP. Meanwhile, the Mk7 started out with 220 HP, which was upped to 230 during the facelift while retaining 350 Nm of torque.

So where would a 245 HP Golf GTI sit in comparison to the competition? Well, the closest rivals would be the 250 horsepower base Peugeot 308 GTi and Hyundai i30 N. Of course, Volkswagen will launch more powerful version and track-focused models.

The GTI Performance is probably going to boast 265 HP while the successor to the Clubsport should arrive by the time the GTI turns 45 in 2021. How the years fly!

In any case, our source claims the most powerful GTI will have 300 horsepower, which is believable since that's what the Leon Cupra makes. Only time will tell if the tech package of the hot hatch will grow to include mild-hybrid assistance.