By There’s plenty of smoke rising from the Volkswagen Golf family camp, but no fire yet. We’re still early in the buildup to what the Golf will become, said buildup full of special editions and speculation.
We get the 2024 Golf GTI 380 (pictured) for the entire model year at $32,485 in base S trim as a sendoff for the manual transmission, while Germany got the Golf R 333 limited edition that cost the equivalent of $81,582 in U.S. dollars and sold out in eight minutes. An electric Mk9 Golf isn’t expected until late in the decade, leading the way for an electric Golf R, while the GTI name will migrate to the battery-electric ID.2 hatchback as soon as 2026. Between now and then, what’s being called the Golf Mk8.5 is headed to the market next year. While we wait to find out if there’s a chance of the updated Golf making its way here, our GTI and Golf R MSRPs rise nominal amounts for their 2024 iterations. Prices for the trio of Golf variants after the $1,150 destination charge, and their differences from 2023, are:
GTI
- S: $32,915 ($435)
- SE: $37,865 ($585)
- Autobahn: $41,455 ($435)
GTI 380
- S: $32,485
- SE: $37,285
- Autobahn: $40,625
Golf R
- 6-speed manual: $46,595 ($715)
- 7-speed dual-clutch: $47,405 ($715)
For 2024, the GTI gets power-folding exterior mirrors for all models as standard across the lineup, the middle SE trim steps up with a new wheel design. The GTI 380 screws on a golf-ball-shaped shift knob as a tribute to past generations of the model, and its S and SE trims ship with Scalepaper Plaid cloth upholstery, another heritage-laced feature. The Autobahn comes standard with leather. The 380 name refers to VW’s internal code for the eighth-generation Golf, so no sales cap nor performance mods. Power comes from the well tested turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that has powered the production model since launch, sending 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels.
The 2024 Golf R also gets those power-folding side mirrors as well as a new 19-inch wheel design. This year is also the last to offer a manual transmission, but it looks like the R will go dispense with the row-your-own without fanfare.
