Volkswagen May Be Understating 2015 Golf GTI Power Figures
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If you happen to own a 2015 Volkswagen Golf GTI, you may just have more power than what VW has publicizing. The automaker rates the 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder TSI engine, known internally as EA888, as having either 210 or 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. But the motor might be pushing closer to 260 horsepower in the 2015 Golf GTI.
The news comes thanks to dyno test results posted on a Ford Focus ST owners forum. According to the vendor that performed the test, the German hot hatch has a 15 percent drivetrain loss, which means that the car, in stock form, is making 263 horsepower and 314 pound-feet of torque at the crank. Those numbers were reportedly recorded on the car’s best run on the dyno, representing a colossal difference compared to what Volkswagen claims the Golf GTI makes.
The Motrolix Take
Truth be told, we were rather disappointed upon learning that the all-new Golf GTI’s equally all-new engine only makes 210 horsepower; the rating seems unequivocally low for a modern turbo 2.0L four-banger, especially given that General Motors is pushing out closer to 260 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque (and sometimes even more) from its 2.0-liter LTG engine. Heck, even Hyundai and Kia claim 245 horses and 260 pound-feet of torque from their 2.0L turbo motors in the Sonata and Optima Turbo. So it should comfort VW enthusiasts and MK7 Golf GTI owners to know that the automaker is, in fact, underrating its engines. And that’s a good thing, since in this case, more is better than less.
But we should note that the numbers in question are from a single Golf GTI tested by a single tuner, so perhaps it would be useful to take this news with a grain of salt. But if this news can do one thing, that’s to prompt Golf GTI owners to get their vehicles to a dyno. If owners dyno their GTIs and confirm these findings, then we’ll know for sure that Volkswagen is being awfully conservative in its power ratings. Until then, go to the pantry and salt it up.
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Can confirm that VW has been rating these engines for more than 10 years. I purchased a new 2014 GTI MKVI Wolfsburg in April and hit the dyno about 3 weeks later. I was very surprised to see that the advertised crank horsepower was actually being made at the wheels. The car was rated at 210 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque. After several dyno runs, we averaged 212 wheel horsepower and 238 wheel torque. With a 15% drive train loss, this equates to crank numbers of 244 horsepower and 274 lb-ft of torque. That’s approximately 34 horsepower and 67 lb-ft torque more than VW rated it.
After flashing the car with a $600 APR stage 1 ECU program, these numbers jumped to 252 wheel horsepower and 279 wheel torque. With a 15% drive train loss, this equates to 290 horsepower and 320 lb-ft torque without any supporting mods. These engines are quite impressive, especially when tuned.