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Volkswagen May Be Understating 2015 Golf GTI Power Figures

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.

Sean is a staff writer for GM Authority and Motrolix. When's he's not busy taking in local automotive culture, he's probably detailing his car.

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