MoneywebDrive: Review
In accelerating out of sharp corners the system really comes into its
own, and for track day fun this car is going to be really good.
to dial in the rate of suspension
stiffness or compliance you desire. These range from Comfort
through Normal, to Sport. Pushing
the button to Sport also quickens
engine response to the throttle
and releases a bit more in-car
entertainment in the form of extra
induction noise from the engine.
Also new is an electronic differential lock, exclusive to the Performance Pack GTi. It employs a
multi-plate clutch unit located
between the differential and the
right-hand drive shaft, and is activated to “lock up mode” by an
electric motor that controls the
amount of hydraulic pressure to
activate diff lock-up or let the diff
run free. Sensors employ lock-up
when they detect a difference
in rotational speed between the
two front wheels, thus ensuring
30
maximum torque to the wheels
with the most grip.
its own, and for track day fun this
car is going to be really good.
In practise it works well, but under
certain conditions the system can
be a tad alarming. When pulling
away hard and then driving over a
ridge or join the roadway – which
happens all too often in my area of
Randburg – you can experience a
disturbing knocking noise through
the suspension. I believe it is the
dampers topping out – rather than
bottoming out - as both wheels
momentarily fight for traction and
then are launched off the tar, just
for a millisecond. Normally, without
the diff lock, one wheel would spin
some of the power away and you
may have to fight the steering a bit
to keep it straight.
There is a noticeable tightening
up of the damping when Sport
is dialled in, but over normal
(okay, still a bit bumpy) tar it
is quite acceptable in terms of
ride quality.
In accelerating out of sharp corners the system really comes into
For the Performance Pack,
power has been upped ever so
slightly through a slight increase
in turbo boost, from the standard
GTi’s 162 kW to 169 kW. Torque is
rated on both cars as 350 Nm.
GTis have been criticised in
some areas by being a bit short,
in the hot hatch stakes, in terms
of peak power outputs, but for
me I find the power is spot-on
because it is so linear, and delivered so undramatically.
The rest of the car