2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI and Golf R Up Close: No Manual Needed, Allegedly
Volkswagen’s performance Golf GTI and Golf R hatchbacks are updated for the 2025 model year, and while their looks and tech are newer, the headline-grabbing news is that no manual transmission is available for 2025. As the creators of National Stick Shift Day, we are legally obligated to tell you: It stinks! (But honestly, it’s probably fine and, in this day and age, the automatic cars are going to be quicker than any with a manual could be anyway.)
Related: More 2024 L.A. Auto Show Coverage
Ditching Other Things, Too
The good news is that VW has finally started learning its lesson about interior controls. The buttons and controls on the steering wheel of the 2025 models are physical rather than touch-sensitive; same for the door-mounted controls for the windows and mirrors.
There’s a new touchscreen display, as well, and it looks great and is very responsive. The bad news is that right below that display are still goofy touch-sensitive slider controls for climate and audio functions. This isn’t a new-to-VW feature, but we wish it were an old-to-VW one.
Stylish, Throwback Interior
While the manual has gone the way of the dodo, the plaid cloth trim that VW has used to signify performance Golf models survives and is a fun visual touch for the die-hard fans. The seats are comfortable front and rear, too, with aggressive bolstering up front in preparation for spirited driving. In the back, unfortunately, those large front seats make the rear seats feel especially enclosed.
More PoweR
Adding more power the Golf R to give it 328 horsepower should, in theory, help the R keep pace with other higher-performance versions of once relatively affordable vehicles like the Honda Civic Type R and Acura Integra Type S — which are manual only, gatekeeping (pun intended) the fun to those who know how to row their own. Unfortunately for U.S. shoppers, despite the Golf GTI getting more power in other markets, the U.S. version retains its 241 horses.
The performance Golfs still promise a lot of fun, but time will tell if ditching the manual transmission means shoppers who want that fun gravitate to something else.
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