Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI lands on Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX List
may 11, 2022 - Volkswagen

2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI lands on Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX List

  • Golf GTI accolade marks sixth consecutive year that a #Volkswagen model has made the Best UX list
  • Second win for Golf GTI following 2015 MY spot on Best Interiors List

Herndon, VA — #Volkswagen of America, Inc. announced today that the Golf GTI was named to the Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX List 2022.

“Volkswagen’s Golf GTI lands on our 2022 Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX list by fusing core hot-hatch styling, classic GTI identity and high-tech amenities and design cues into what is a relatively affordable package,” says WardsAuto Editor and 10 Best Judge David Zoia of the $36,820 SE test vehicle. Adds fellow Editor and 10 Best Judge Christie Schweinsberg: “The GTI’s iconic plaid seats, plus light-up door handles, multicolor ambient lighting and Digital Cockpit Pro make this car a winner.”

“We’re thrilled with this honor from WardsAuto,” said Hein Schafer, Senior Vice President, Product Marketing and Strategy, #Volkswagen of America. “The previous Golf GTI was widely regarded as one of the best hot hatches you could buy, but the Mark 8 ups the ante with a new electronic architecture enabling a more connected experience top to bottom.”

The annual Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX competition evaluates new or heavily redesigned vehicle interiors and user-experience technology, with scoring based on a variety of metrics including design and aesthetics, comfort, materials, fit-and-finish, connectivity and infotainment, displays and controls, as well as advanced driver assist systems and value. For the 2022 awards, 22 vehicles were evaluated, with other winners including the BMW iX, Ford Maverick, Genesis GV70, Jeep Grand Wagoneer, Kia EV6, Lucid Air, Mercedes-Benz EQS, Rivian R1T and the Toyota Tundra. The awards ceremony will be held on June 9, 2022 during the WardsAuto Interiors & UX Conference, (June 8-9, 2022) at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, MI.

Redesigned for 2022, the Golf GTI features an enthusiast-oriented cabin with premium materials and features, as well as an entirely new electronic architecture. The interior mirrors exterior design cues with red decorative seams and edging on every model, and honeycomb accents. New, heated and bolstered front sports seats recall the first Golf GTI with their unique ergonomics, integrated head restraints, red stitching, and standard grey and black tartan “Scalepaper” style fabric on the seat and backrest areas. SE models offer optional Vienna leather seating surfaces in two-tone black and grey with red accents, which are standard on Autobahn.

The seat position, height of the golf-ball manual transmission shifter and the spacing between the pedals are fine-tuned for increased driver comfort. This driver-centric design is evident from the center stack, which is angled slightly toward the driver—a trait frequently seen in premium luxury and performance vehicles. The Golf GTI Autobahn has a premium performance personality that is further accentuated with black headliner, buttons that are backlit in white, and the use of premium materials and soft-touch plastics throughout. Brushed stainless-steel pedals are standard on all trims.

Ambient lighting is standard on the Mk8 GTI and washes the interior with color. Thirty colors are selectable and illuminate the decorative trim in the dash and doors, storage compartments in the doors and center console, and the footwells. The digital instruments and infotainment system also take on the selected background color. Along with the individual colors, pre-configured “mood” lighting profiles can be selected.

The driver controls are positioned to help optimize ergonomics and usability—defying convention where needed to streamline the look and feel of the cabin. For instance, the driving lights and defrost functions are now operated using a shared “Light and Sight” digital panel to the left of the steering wheel. Touch sliders are used below the infotainment display to adjust the standard Climatronic® automatic climate control and to change audio volume. The Mk8 Golf GTI boasts a new heated multifunction sport steering wheel with touch controls for the Digital Cockpit, audio, and the standard partially-automated IQ.DRIVE® system. The top-of-the-line Autobahn adds a head-up display, which is digitally projected onto the windshield, virtually floating in view of the driver.

A new, digitally-networked world of displays and controls enables the driver to customize the look and technology of their Golf GTI more intuitively, and in greater detail, than ever before. The advanced #Volkswagen Digital Cockpit Pro system, standard on all GTI models, presents drivers with a fully configurable 10.25-inch display with three views and 21 viewing options. Models equipped with the Discover Pro infotainment system with navigation can display a full screen map in the digital cluster and simultaneously on the center display.

User experience designers have developed a unique GTI graphics layout for the standard Digital Cockpit. It can be opened using the new “View” button on the steering wheel and consists of a combination of three round instruments: the rev counter with GTI logo in the center surrounded by one round instrument each on the left and right. These can be individually assigned, for instance to show the engine’s boost pressure or the current power output.

The GTI S has a starting MSRP of $29,880 for the S trim manual transmission and a starting MSRP of $30,680 for the S trim with DSG® dual-clutch automatic. Destination for all Golf GTI models is $995.

To learn more about the 2022 Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX List, visit https://www.wardsauto.com/10-best-interiors-ux/2022-10-best-interiors-ux.