The history of the model dates back to the arrival of the Golf A1, which was introduced in Mexico under the name Caribe. The first Golf GTI, called Caribe GT, was developed specifically for the Mexican market, with the collaboration of German engineers and a 1.8-liter engine that delivered 85 hp.
Production of the Golf in Puebla began in 1974 and, over the years, the Mexican plant was home to various generations of the Golf, exported not only to North America but also to markets such as Argentina and Brazil. However, in 2021, the German manufacturer ended production of the seventh generation of the Golf in Mexico, leaving Europe as the only source of production for the entire world.
The last unit to leave the Mexican production line was a red GTI. Since the assembly of this model began until the last one was manufactured, a total of 2,136,878 Golf units were produced in said factory.
“We stopped producing it in Mexico and decided to concentrate its production in Germany; today Europe is practically the only source of GTI production for the entire world,” says Arnulfo González, product, planning and price manager for Volkswagen in Mexico.
Unlike its predecessor, the new generation of the GTI sports more sporty and aerodynamic lines. Under the hood, the sporty hatchback is powered by a 2.0-liter TSI engine mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission, producing a power of 241 horsepower and a torque of 370 Nm.
Given the overwhelming response in the pre-sale, the brand is already preparing to import more units. “We are looking to have an inventory as appropriate as possible. Probably a four-digit figure,” González mentions, about his sales expectation of the model for 2024.