Tag Archives: gti
2019 Peugeot 208 GTi Hot Hatch To Come In Pure EV Form
We’ve been pretty excited with the 2019 Peugeot 208 GTi hot hatch when it was introduced, but it looks like there’s another reason to party. According to the French automaker, it is lining up a pure electric form of the 208 GTi hot hatch. The electric vehicle (EV) variant will sit alongside the petrol version when both are introduced at next spring’s Geneva Motor Show.
The arrival of an EV form will mean Peugeot will switch to a new architecture, preferably the Common Modular Platform or CMP, which offers much-improved efficiency, cheaper build costs and, crucially, the scope for pure-electric variants.
This is not really a surprise since we’re expecting that an EV form will come. Earlier, Peugeot announced that the next 208 will arrive in two versions: the CMP (also known as the EMP1) and the e-CMP. However, what’s surprising to us is the fact that the electric 208 will also be offered as a GTi.
Peugeot head Jean-Pierre Imparato spoke to Auto Express and said that full details of the cars will be revealed in March, just in time for the show in Switzerland. He added that each time the brand comes up with a new model, it will be offered in an electrified form, so it will still be up to the buyers to choose the powertrain they want.
A pure EV form is being offered in the GTi version because Imparato does not want “to generate [a] difference between EV and combustion-engined models.” Aside from this tidbit, Peugeot is also working on manufacturing and developing high-performance vehicles with electrified powertrains.
Just last year, it has been revealed that the French company is developing a 300-bhp hybrid version of the 3008. There are also other concepts, though the most notable is the 308 R Hybrid.
Photos via Auto Express
Hybrid Volkswagen Golf GTI First Decade Concept Car Unveiled
A hybrid model of the Volkswagen Golf GTI was just unveiled during the brand’s fan meet at the Lake Worthersee in Austria. The concept car was made by a group of young VW apprentices.
According to Autoblog, the Volkswagen Golf GTI First Decade was created to commemorate the 10 years of Worthersee show builds commissioned by VW. Peter Christ, Head of Automotive Technology Training in Wolfsburg, said that the goal of the project is for the apprentices of the company to learn the complexities of automobile production and to let them gain further experience through the use of digital technologies, application of system technology and electro-mobility.
Power Units
Rechristened as the Volkswagen Golf GTI First Decade, the vehicle packs a petrol-fueled engine. The unit is capable of producing a whopping 410 hp. All that power is directed to the front wheels of the car.
Next to that is a 48-volt electric motor. The unit gives the Volkswagen Golf GTI First Decade another 16 hp at the rear wheels. There are no details yet about the range of the car’s twin battery at full charge using the all-electric drive system, but the company says it is handy at short distances or in stop-and-go traffic. The regenerative braking technology of the auto provides it an improved energy efficiency.
Combining the petrol and electric motors of the Volkswagen Golf GTI First Decade allows it to optimize its performance with an all-wheel drive system.
Design
The Volkswagen Golf GTI First Decade is finished in five-tone matte paintwork. The striking Atlantic Blue color in its exterior with decorative strips and contrasting Satin Ocean Shimmer foil paint, blacked out radiator grille, rear spoiler and set of 20-inch alloy wheels make the car very hard to miss on the road.
The interior design of the car features handcrafted black nappa and Alcantara surfaces with blue trim. Basically, every element found in the Volkswagen Golf GTI has been retained, except that the developers of the concept car removed the rear passenger seats to make way for a massive 11-speaker, 1,690-watt sound system.
Is a Volkwagen Up! GTI in the Works?
Rumor has it that Volkswagen is developing a range-topping GTI variant for its small Up! hatch.
According to reports, officials at the company’s headquarters in Germany are talking about a new Volkswagen Up! GTI model to compete with the Abarth 595. They believe that such a model would improve the company’s entry-level hatch since it can now provide the sporty good looks, as well as a high-caliber performance.
The car will be powered by a tuned version of the EA2 11 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine, which is currently being used in the Golf Bluemotion TSI and the new Audi A3 range. Both have been tuned to produce 85kW/200Nm.
But the regular version of the engine will be powering the facelifted Up!, which will soon be released in some markets. A prototype of the Up! GTI reportedly has a top speed of 200km/h and a 0-100km/h time in just 8 seconds.
Compare this to the Abarth 595, and you’ll be astounded by the Up! GTI. The Abarth 595 can produce 103kW/206Nm from the 1.4-liter four-cylinder turbocharged unit. It can go 100km/h in just 7.9 seconds.
The engine used on the GTI will most likely be paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. That should make up for enough power to maneuver the Up! GTI.
If the reports are accurate and the Up! GTI actually enter the market, we can expect a few more things from Volkswagen. Mainly, the new Up! GTI should have an upgraded chassis, some suspension adjustments, and the usual GTI-specific visual enhancements such as larger alloy wheels, wider skirts, and a twin chrome exhaust.
The Up! hatch was discontinued in Australian market in 2014, so it’s also highly unlikely that this new Up! GTI will make its way to local dealership anytime soon. A few more weeks, though, and we’re bound to receive more information about this development.