Volkswagen announced the official pricing for the new GTI version of the Golf VII in the UK market, and it starts at £25,845. That is very nearly 200 quid more than the previous generation, but you do get a whole lot more car for your money.

Now, that’s the cost of the standard Golf GTI. The car also has a Performance variant which is available as a £980 option. The normal GTI gives you access to 220 PS from its 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine (TSI), while the Performance version extracts 230 PS. Both models have 350 Nm (258 lbs ft) of maximum torque.

Performance-wise, the standard GTI accelerates to 62 mph in 6.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 152 mph.  The GTI Performance has a top speed of 155 mph and needs just 6.4 seconds for the sprint to 62 mph.The Performance version is worth the extra money, because in addition to the power, you also get uprated brakes and a limited-slip differential.

You get a six-speed manual and Stop/Start system as standard with both versions, hence the 47 mpg fuel economy. Opting for the six-speed DSG gearbox will drop that to 44 mpg.

As with the previous generation, the new Golf GTI comes with subtle styling upgrades over the standard car. They include items like the characteristic red stripe across the honeycomb radiator grille, red brake calipers, 18-inch ‘Austin’ alloy wheels with 225/45 tyres, chrome tailpipes, smoked lights, and a rear diffuser plus lowered ride height.