The Volkswagen Golf is entering its eighth generation. It’s almost hard to believe that Volkswagen’s beloved hatchback is nearing 50 years in production. Still, VW’s Golf is giving hatchback fans a well-sorted and continually confident option. Well, that’s the case at least in the United States with the performance variants of the Golf, which fill the void for the departed base model. The 2022 Golf GTI is the entry point to VW Golfs in the US, and that’s not a bad thing. The latest Volkswagen Golf sticks to the same MQB platform as the outgoing generation, and sports an updated version of the same powertrain. This version of VW’s EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mill sends 241 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels. Controlling that power is either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed automatic.

On this episode of Quick Spin, host Wesley Wren puts the 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI through its paces and brings you along for the ride. Wren walks around the latest Golf GTI and highlights its design, features and interior before taking you along for a live-recorded drive review. Along with these segments, Wren chats with Mark Vaughn about the legacy of Volkswagen’s GTI, how it compares with previous models and what they like about the latest model. Closing the show, the two discuss what makes this eighth-generation Golf GTI special.