Story & photos by Patrick P. Tulfo
VOLKSWAGEN Philippines has something for their ardent Golf GTI fans to cheer about nowadays, as their beloved “Hot Hatch” is here and ready to pit against Honda’s Type R and Subaru’s WRX STI in terms of horsepower and torque.
In a recent event held at Volkswagen Quezon Avenue, the souped-up version of their best-selling Golf GTI hatch was introduced. The launch was dubbed as the “Walk the Talk with the Golf GTI” where the motoring journalists and guests got a first glimpse of the Golf GTI equipped with ABT Body Kit and Power-Up Module.
During his speech on the introduction of their latest offering, head of VW Quezon Avenue Bob Palanca said, “ABT of Germany has been the partner of VW Group in so many years. They have been in tuning business for past 120 years, and they are the biggest tuning company in the world.”
He proudly added, “The vehicle here in front you, this red GTI is now equipped with that ABT tuning kit. The stock horsepower of a GTI is at 220 horsepower with 350 N-m of torque and with ABT tuning kit, the engine increases by 32 percent in power. So that means this unit is now at 290 horsepower and 420 N-m of torque. You can just imagine the rush you will feel when you drive a GTI tuned by ABT.”
But the good news for would-be buyers of the ABT equipped Golf GTI models according to Palanca is that their new pocket rocket will get the ABT body kit and the power module for free. The new Golf GTI ABT can be purchased with a 20-percent down payment at zero interest for 12 months through BPI family bank partner.
The additional aerodynamic kit from ABT includes a chin spoiler upfront, side skirts below the body and at the rear, as well as an angry-looking combination of dual exhaust on each side and the newly designed 19-inch mag wheels from VW, which complete the sporty appearance.
The biggest addition can be found under the hood, which is the ABT power module just above the battery on the right side. This computer module is what’s responsible for the 32-percent increase in horsepower and torque.
Because of this, the zero- to 100-kph time has been reduced by a full second from 6.5 seconds to just 5.6 seconds.
Inside the vehicle, one is greeted with the familiar VW ergonomics where everything is within the reach of the driver, although the pattern on the cloth used on the seats seems out of place.
Meanwhile, aside from the introduction of the Golf GTI ABT edition, the Golf GTI Lifestyle Center was inaugurated, the first of its kind among VW dealerships in the country. Located on the far end of the showroom, the Lifestyle center displays various model-specific accessories and lifestyle-collection items, such as shirts, jackets, toy cars, cups, mugs and bags, as well, which are for sale for collectors at special prices. The special event organized by Volkswagen Quezon Avenue, in cooperation with VW Philippines, is just one of the many events organized by the leading European brand in the country, whose purpose is extend world-class motoring lifestyle to more Filipinos.
The Golf GTI ABT edition is now available in all VW showrooms all over the country and it is still priced at P2.290 million.
Image credits: Patrick P. Tulfo