Purists may loathe the idea, but the two-door model doesn’t offer any benefits over its more practical four-door counterpart.
Introduced in 1975, the original two-door GTI was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, offering a high-performance package in a basic economy car suit, making it practical and sporty at the same time. Fast forward to today, and the idea of a practical, performance-oriented GTI doesn’t seem to have the same allure in two-door guise, which is why Volkswagen of America decided it was time to say goodbye to the model.
Jalopnik reports that Megan Garbis, Product Manager of the Golf product line for Volkswagen, confirmed that production of the two-door GTI will be discontinued in the U.S., in the next couple of weeks:
“Our buyers and our dealers say that they want a four-door. We’ve reduced the complexity, which allows the customer to configure the GTI he or she wants online and go to the dealership and pick it up today. Obviously, the Golf R has been a popular car in four-door trim, so we don’t feel that it will be a deterrent. Our GTI customers have families, and they want to be able to take them with them wherever they go,” said Garbis.
Throughout the years, it seems like the GTI evolved from a teenager’s choice into a family person’s all-rounder, with emphasis on sportiness.
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