Volkswagen has officially discontinued the two-door GTI for the American market. The two-door shape has been around with the GTI from the very beginning. Now, there is no more two-door Golf, no more two-door Golf R, and – finally – no more two-door VW GTI.
Consumer tastes and needs have changed. The two-door version of the hot-hatch was not selling enough units to make it viable for the company. This move will allow Volkswagen to streamline production and focus on the models that sell and make money for the company.
This is a sad announcement for VW enthusiasts and GTI purists. While VW is still allowing people to configure a two-door 2016 GTI on their website, this will not be an option for the 2017 model year.
If you happen to own a recent two-door GTI or have one coming, the second-hand value of your car will likely be higher.
The 2017 GTI will continue to be offered in regular and performance variants. The standard power comes from the 2.0L turbocharged inline-4. The rating is 210 hp @ 4,500 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500 rpm. The performance version on the engine boost the peak power to 220 hp @ 4,700 rpm, but the torque rating remains the same.
Check out this fun track battle between a tuned two-door Mk6 GTI and a stock 4-door Mk7 GTi.
