THE most affordable Golf GTI of this decade can be ordered as of this week from your Volkswagen dealer.

Responding to demand for a variant with three doors and minimal embellishment, the Golf GTI Original arrives in January priced at $37,490 for the six speed manual and $39,990 for the DSG version.

The Golf GTI Original is a variant that customers have called for since the release of the Mark 7 generation Golf GTI in 2013. The GTI Performance Edition 1 (part of this year's Golf 7.5 revamp) brought back the three door shape, albeit in a highly-specified, DSG-only limited run.

By contrast, the GTI Original provides not only an accessible entry point to the range, it satisfies the purist who maintains that a "true" GTI should be near to unadulterated.

To that end the GTI Original is available in red or white only with the sole option of a Driver's Assistance pack at $1600. Otherwise it features:

• 3 Door body
• Clark tartan upholstery
• Front Assist with City Emergency Brake (City EB) and pedestrian monitoring
• 18" Sevilla alloy wheels, black with red pinstripe
• Leather sports multi-function steering wheel
• Sports suspension
• 'Original' badge on tailgate
• Driving profile selection
• 8 inch infotainment system with App-Connect
• Air Care dual zone climate control air conditioning
• LED headlights for high and low beam
• LED front fog lights
• Rear View Camera (RVC)
• Parking distance sensors with manoeuvre braking, front & rear
• Driver fatigue detection system
• Alarm system with interior monitoring

"The Golf GTI is one of the few mass produced cars that can accurately be called 'iconic'," said Ben Wilks, Volkswagen Australia's General Manager of Marketing and Product.

"The GTI was the original hot hatch and the GTI Original embodies its spirit."