Volkswagen Australia has announced the Golf GTI Original will arrive here early in 2018 priced at less than $40,000.

THE VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI Original which won’t get to Australia until early next year will be priced at just under $40,000 (before on-road costs). This will make it the lowest entry price into the GTI family.

Interestingly, the launch of the three-door Golf GTI Original will line up with the launch early next year of Hyundai’s competitor the i30 N. Pricing hasn’t been released for the i30 N. In a statement, Volkswagen said: “Evoking the model’s unique and hallowed heritage, the GTI Original is designed to repond to the clamour of fans who have long demanded a “pure” three door GTI”. 

While the GTI Original won’t be here until next year, the Golf R Grid Edition will launch later this year. According to Volkswagen, it will slot in below the R hatch and wagon and R Wolfsburg variants. It will be the first R model to be priced at less than $50,000.

Despite the price, it’ll still run the R variant’s 213kW and 380Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, run either a six-speed manual or seven-speed wet clutch DSG transmission and fifth generation 4Motion all-wheel drive. 

Full pricing and final specification for both new models is expected in the coming weeks. You can read Practical Motoring’s first drive of the new Golf GTI and Golf R HERE.