Sadly, VW’s Golf GTI Clubsport is not coming to South Africa - here’s why

Published Oct 15, 2020

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JOHANNESBURG - When Volkswagen revealed its new Golf 8 GTI Clubsport on Wednesday, we reached out to VWSA for information on when it could be expected to hit local streets, but the answer we got is not what fans want to hear.

“We will not get the Golf 8 GTI Clubsport in South Africa as it is only available for the European fuel emission levels,” a VWSA spokesperson confirmed to IOL.

South Africa is still on Euro 2 fuel, and although the country intends to move to Euro 5 standards, progress on this front has been slow to say the least.

As previously reported, the Volkswagen Golf 8 GTI Clubsport is powered by an upgraded version of the familiar EA888 evo 4 series 2-litre turbopetrol, and it produces 221kW and 400Nm, which makes it almost as potent as today’s Golf R.

For the record, the standard Golf 8 GTI, which is coming to South Africa in early 2021, is good for 180kW and 370Nm. Furthermore, it is rumoured that the new-generation Golf R will produce 245kW, and we can only hope that our fuel doesn’t prevent that one from hitting local shores.

Keen to see what you’re missing out on, now that we know the Clubsport will not be offered in SA? Click here to read more about it.

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