With an upgraded and larger touch screen, we have to say that the 2.0 liter, 6-speed, 241 horsepower 2025 Volkswagen GTI 2.0 SE 4-door hatchback is a pleasure to drive for a number of reasons. The front wheel drive makes it easy to handle and the 18 inch wheels on the one we reviewed tendered a great deal of attention on the streets of Woodside, Queens. It’s called GTI, meaning Grand Touring Injection. Direct fuel injection gives it a signature response that gives a different experience that’s actually thrilling, as it feels close to driving a stick. They discontinued the 6-speed manual option this year, replaced by the 7-speed (what they call ‘dual-clutch’) automatic. It truly feels like a sports car, which makes it fun to drive. 0-60 in just under 4 seconds, this ride takes curves in the tight way that gives you confidence, and it seats five pretty comfortably. It’s a ‘hot hatch’ for sure.

There is a distinct difference in the look of the 2025 version of this model. There is a newly designed grille and headlights and one new cool feature is that the VW logo on front of the car lights up. Nice touch.

The driver touch screen panel on these Volkswagens seem to be easier to navigate than most, mainly because the system is quite intuitive. Cruise control is easy to use and has all the lane control features in top-notch cars. For just about $40,000, the GTI 2.0 SE we drove had all the luxuries we would want in order to feel like we were driving a car we love. The collision avoidance system, heated – power seats and phone charging is what you’d expect from VW and the rain sensing wipers is always a great feature. Get in, drive and have fun with this model.