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Celebrating NYE with a Golf GTI

shiladityamajumdar

New member
Location
Dubai
Hi everyone!

Happened to come across this forum after the countless hours of googling, reading, watching and hearing everything possible about the Golf GTI. This is an amazing place and a lot of concerns that I had regarding the GTI have been answered.

I am looking to adopt (purchase does not seem the right word) a GTI this January and dealing with Al Nabooda, Sheikh Zayed. In this respect, I am interested in getting the GTI "Sport" model (as quoted by Rasha) for AED 141,900. Had a few queries that Al Nabooda could not answer, that I look forward to being answered:


1. Do the stock Golf GTIs (sold in Dubai) come with the Performance Pack pre-fitted? I ask this as the normal GTI (outside UAE) is 210 bhp and then you get an additional 10 bhp with the PP. Also, the PP comes with the big red break calipers, which I have seen in almost every GTI in Dubai.


2. Does the GTI "Sport" come with DCC? I had taken the Sport on a test drive where I could select the modes. Is that it or am I missing something? Asking the sales person at Nabooda about dynamic chassis was quite the task...so hoping someone on this forum can answer.

3. Being a big audiophile, there is nothing more disappointing than having a sound system that does not deliver. I had this problem with a Peugeot in the past. My question is... does the stock audio sound system deliver adequate clarity for your music?

4. Any updates on the MIB II infotainment system? Do all GTIs now come with MIB II fitted? Does Apple Car Play work? Finally, will I really miss out if I don't get a MIB II?

5. Lastly, I am really concerned from what I have read about Al Nabooda customer service. Is this something that is a thing of the past? How has your experiences been with getting things done at Al Nabooda?


Thanks a ton for all your input on the other posts! If there is any additional advice that you would like to provide, please feel free!


P.S. Thinking of getting it in carbon steel.

Cheers,
Shil
 

NiranjGTI

New member
Location
Dubai
Hey Shil,

All the best on picking up a GTI, it's a great car :D. I took delivery of a GTI 'Sport' only last month, so my answers should be very similar to the current situation,

1. No they DO NOT come with Performance Pack, the middle east GTI's are manufactured in Germany and they come with 220hp as standard and 230hp with PP. However, in the U.S. (manufactured in Mexico), they come with 210hp as standard and 220hp with PP.

2. No it DOES NOT come with DCC, the modes that you tested are from Driver Profile Selection (Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual). What this adjusts in our GTI's are Gearbox drive mode, Cornering Light speed, Piped interior noise, steering weight. Car's with DCC have the option to adjust Suspension stiffness as well.

3. The sound system is decent, nothing really that impressive. Big audiophiles will be disappointed. But it works fine and sounds better at slightly higher volumes. After taking delivery, give the speakers a few hours to sound good.

4. Yes all GTIs come with MIB II, quite an upgrade from MIB I :D. And yes CarPlay does work. (for me atleast). The car comes with 2 USB slots, one on the dash and one in the center console, CarPlay requires you to connect the iPhone cable in the center console slot.
Siri works great. Maps however won't provide you with navigation but just a map because Apple Maps navigation is not supported in UAE.

5. Haven't dealt with the service so can't comment on that yet, but recently visited their Body Shop (because my car was Hit and Run in a parking lot :( :/ ). The body shop was small and chaotic with several Volkswagens, Porsches and Audis.

Carbon Steel is a nice colour, booked that first then changed it to Deep Black Pearl.

Cheers,
Niranjan
 

SharmaGTI

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
Dubai, U.A.E
All i can add on is .. Nabooda Customer service is non-existent... We have no choice but to bear with their crappy service, bit of a catch 22 situation....

Good luck on the car though mate.
 

GTi..FTW!

Ready to race!
Location
Dubai
I've got the driver profile with dcc and if you want to verify it, click the mode button. There are 5 modes displayed on the screen and if you look on top of those modes it'll be mentioned "DCC with driving modes". I could send you a pic of what it looks like but it's on my old phone.


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MELVIN ANDREWS

Ready to race!
Location
Dubai, UAE
Hey Niranj, can you confirm you have opted for the navigation system in your car. Reason I ask is cause I have a USB in my armrest as well but it's only for charging the phone it doesn't provide any connectivity to the mib 2


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NiranjGTI

New member
Location
Dubai
Hey Niranj, can you confirm you have opted for the navigation system in your car. Reason I ask is cause I have a USB in my armrest as well but it's only for charging the phone it doesn't provide any connectivity to the mib 2


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Hey Melvin,

No I don't have the navigation system. It's the MIB 2 Composition Media with the 6.5" screen. I've followed your issue on CarPlay, I'm not sure why it doesn't work for you.

It was one of the first things that I checked while taking delivery. My sales person said that the conditions for it to work were that you have to 1. Use the original apple cable 2. Connect to the armrest USB port.
I connected my phone and there is a small setup through the CarPlay settings on the iPhone. And it just worked.
The guy at Al Naboodah said it works for a few and not for the others. Odd.

I could check and let you know what software version I have when I get to my car. It was a build week 39 car.




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MELVIN ANDREWS

Ready to race!
Location
Dubai, UAE
Thanks Niranj, I'm back from hols on the 4th so will check out the arm rest port at that point. It could just be a case of me assuming. Honestly I was ranting a lot about mib2 before getting the car but now all I think about are dsg farts and zooming around roundabouts!!!



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shiladityamajumdar

New member
Location
Dubai
Thanks @NiranjGTI for that comprehensive answer! Congratulations on the new car!

I think I can live without PP and DCC as 220 is sufficient for Dubai roads. For Dubai, I reckon you need a car that is powerful and looks beautiful and with the Golf GTi, it was like love at first sight and ticking all the boxes!

Is the audio system provided by Fender as standard? I think they're a bit biased on high frequencies so nothing a bit of EQ shifting cannot help sort out.

Am actually really relieved to hear about MIBII... was going nuts trying to figure out which week the car was and calling up VW every day... glad to hear CarPlay works well. For sat nav, is there a way to use Google Maps as the default sat-nav provider? Would be worth trying.

As for service, that's what I gathered @SharmaGTI... it all seems a bit 'Can I do this? - Inshallah. Is that a yes or a no? - Inshallah'. But I think for the car, it is worth giving it a go. Was thinking of getting the extended service package to cover break pads but the upfront price is not discounted so doesn't make sense buying in advance.

@GTi..FTW wow...6 months! I do not think I'll be able to wait that long really... Going back to the DCC, do you use it a lot? Is it worth the upgrade for Dubai?


Once again, thank you everyone for your answers!
 

NiranjGTI

New member
Location
Dubai
Hey Shil, yeah I'm sure you can live without PP. I've never really needed to push it far enough to need an open diff.

The thing with PP is (from what I understand), it helps you Power through the corner while the standard one helps you Maintain your line through the corner with the support from the brakes. I've done a spirited drive up Jebel Jais in RAK, was completely happy with it and actually turned a couple of heads with them DSG farts :D.

As long as you haven't test driven a Performance Pack you aren't going to immediately miss it.

Fender isn't standard, it's only on special order. Though I'm only 75% happy with the speakers, most people who step in love it.

CarPlay doesn't support Google Maps right now (The audio from google maps will come through however). If you want Google Maps on the display then you have to hook up an Android phone that supports Android Auto and you are good to go.
 

pipsyp

Ready to race!
Location
Sussex
Worth noting the MIB2 has a bigger screen (6.5 v 5.8 inch) and now has the same 800 x 480 res as the Nav Pro...looks that bit sharper actually as it obviously has a better pixel density.

I have Discover Nav on my car and it has played up a bit, coming on with a blank display or no sound at random but too frequently for it to be considered "one of those things". Its received a software update and is much better now.

Stock audio is perfectly decent.....im pretty fussy when it comes down to sound quality and whilst not perfect its very good for stock. Fender/Dynaudio is nice but I dont think id bother purposefully paying for it as an extra.

Also I dont know of Smartlink (CarPlay/Android Auto) comes as standard in UAE...certainly in the UK its a cheap factory option on all units bar the Nav Pro on which it is standard. Gather the MIB2 Composition Media and Discover Nav are hardware and software ready but it has to be dealer activated with an "activation code" down the line....that accessory item isnt yet available in the UK. May well be standard fit in UAE though as you guys tend to get some additional spec over EU markets.
 

MELVIN ANDREWS

Ready to race!
Location
Dubai, UAE
Worth noting the MIB2 has a bigger screen (6.5 v 5.8 inch) and now has the same 800 x 480 res as the Nav Pro...looks that bit sharper actually as it obviously has a better pixel density.



I have Discover Nav on my car and it has played up a bit, coming on with a blank display or no sound at random but too frequently for it to be considered "one of those things". Its received a software update and is much better now.



Stock audio is perfectly decent.....im pretty fussy when it comes down to sound quality and whilst not perfect its very good for stock. Fender/Dynaudio is nice but I dont think id bother purposefully paying for it as an extra.



Also I dont know of Smartlink (CarPlay/Android Auto) comes as standard in UAE...certainly in the UK its a cheap factory option on all units bar the Nav Pro on which it is standard. Gather the MIB2 Composition Media and Discover Nav are hardware and software ready but it has to be dealer activated with an "activation code" down the line....that accessory item isnt yet available in the UK. May well be standard fit in UAE though as you guys tend to get some additional spec over EU markets.


I wish mate, the market here is confusing as hell. Every 2016 cars come equipped with mib2 but some have CarPlay available and others rehire activation codes like you mentioned. Completely random and the dealers don't have a clue as to when they can get the activation code.


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GTi..FTW!

Ready to race!
Location
Dubai
@GTi..FTW wow...6 months! I do not think I'll be able to wait that long really... Going back to the DCC, do you use it a lot? Is it worth the upgrade for Dubai?
[/QUOTE]

DCC is always enabled. You can't switch it off, because it adjusts the suspension, when you're on any mode, constantly. I can feel a slight difference between comfort and sport, but when the car is so low, you tend to feel the road a lot regardless of soft the suspension can be.
 

MELVIN ANDREWS

Ready to race!
Location
Dubai, UAE
I would definitely recommend DCC, I have an R with 19inch wheels and I (my back) can easily make out the difference. If you do long drives it becomes very obvious. If you don't want to wait 6 months try looking at ALI and sons in AUH, DCC is standard and you won't have to wait 6 months.


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CarLover

Passed Driver's Ed
Location
UAE
I would definitely recommend DCC, I have an R with 19inch wheels and I (my back) can easily make out the difference. If you do long drives it becomes very obvious. If you don't want to wait 6 months try looking at ALI and sons in AUH, DCC is standard and you won't have to wait 6 months.


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Hi Melvin,

Do you by any chance know if top of the range Golf R in Ali & sons come standard with nappa leather (carbon) ? Is it possible that the car would take 4 months just for adding dynaudio? Thanks! Happy new year
 
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