Volkswagen GTI Overview

The GTI is available as a two-door or four-door, with a 200-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a choice of six-speed manual transmission or the six-speed Direct Shift Gearbox, or DSG, which allows the driver to shift without doing the clutch work. It comes with an extensive list of standard equipment including well-bolstered seats with plaid cloth insets, blue-tinted glass, xenon high-intensity gas-discharge headlamps, halogen fog lamps, alloy pedals, Sirius satellite radio, and a carpeted and covered cargo area. It also comes standard with 17-inch summer performance tires on alloy wheels. Front-side and curtain air bags are also standard, as is tire pressure monitoring.

For 2009, the GTI gains standard heated seats and heated washer nozzles, as well as VW's new Carefree Maintenance Program.