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Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 TSI (Mk6) 3-door
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“You might not
  believe in ‘love at
  first sight’ but
  ‘love at first drive’
  is no urban myth.
  Don’t agree?
  We dare you to
  spend a weekend
  away alone with
  the new GTI — and
  then tell us you’re
  not smitten...”
JUST ONE QUICK GLANCE. That's all it takes. The clues are all there: thin red horizontal bars defining a slim black honeycomb grille; purposeful secondary airdam filling the deep wraparound front bumper; tailgate-capping rear wing — so neatly integrated that you almost miss it; smoked 'Cherry Red' rear light clusters; and — two purposeful hints of its sporting intent — a chromed exhaust tailpipe poking out at each side of the rear diffuser. One glance and you know exactly what you're seeing — the latest Golf GTI.

Sit in the cabin for just a few moments and it's immediately apparent that this is 'premium' space. Ergonomics are faultless; the soft touch plastics are of high standard and well fitted; controls are intuitively sited and the overall attention to detail is meticulous — just check out the tasteful chrome and satin aluminium highlights and detailing on the switchgear along with the delightfully slim bezels of the secondary fuel and temperature dials located within the speedometer and rev-counter.

The crystal clear instrument panel, with dials sitting in individual cowls, is a welcoming sight made even better by new lighting: out has gone the traditional blue back-lighting, replaced by white backlit dials that are illuminated regardless of whether the car's exterior lights are switched on. A grippy, leather-rimmed flat-bottomed 'GTI' multifunction steering wheel enhances the sense of a 'special' cockpit, as do the anti-slip aluminium-look pedals.

Thoughtful touches include the easy-to-use lever for adjusting the steering wheel (now at the side rather than underneath the column); the 2Zone climate control air conditioning that automatically switches to recirculating mode and momentarily cuts off the fresh air supply when reversing or when using the windscreen washers to prevent exhaust fumes or the smell of washer fluid from entering the cabin. Another much-appreciated feature is the option of switching off the nanny-state 'comfort' indicators and returning them to straightforward driver-controlled manual operation.

Truly excellent sports seats, with height and lumbar adjustment, provide support in all the right places, including under-thigh — crucial for long-distance comfort. And to ensure that journeys, long and short, are as enjoyable as possible, VW have gone to town on the sound-deadening — officially, this is the quietest Golf yet produced. An ideal place, then, to savour your personal playlists on the MP3-compatible CD player — it has eight speakers along with an AUX-in socket for external media including iPods, MP3 players and the like. Yet another well-considered touch: a dedicated storage space under the centre armrest to keep your iPod out of harm's way when connected.

“The three-door GTI will
accommodate four adults
in real comfort...”
You'll also find a generous number of practical cubby-holes and storage compartments including a lockable and cooled glovebox, accommodating door bins, a large storage area between the front seats complete with two cup holders and an overhead sunglasses compartment.

And you don't have to be a Scottish nationalist to appreciate the pleated, tartan-look 'Jacara' cloth seat inserts: not only do they look great, but the heavily bolstered seats are, as we've already mentioned, addictively comfortable. Other options fitted to our test car that you will definitely want on your GTI include the latest touchscreen DVD navigation and entertainment system with Dynaudio soundpack.

As well as providing foolproof spoken and 3D visual directions from a simple postcode and playing CDs, it also lets you watch a DVD on the 6.5-inch colour screen whilst stationary — perfect while waiting for your partner to complete the weekly shop in Sainsbury's. What's more, the in-built 30GB hard-drive will not only store your favourite music tracks but will also record a route for re-tracing on the way back — particularly useful for off-the-beaten track situations and regions for which digital mapping does not exist.

Other standard-fit comfort and convenience equipment includes 2Zone electronic climate control, power adjustable and heated door mirrors, 60:40 split/folding rear backrest with load-through, front sports seats, tyre pressure indicator, auto driving lights and auto wipers, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a leather-bound, flat-bottomed three-spoke multifunction steering wheel and one-shot up/down electric windows.

The three-door model we tested will accommodate four adults in genuine comfort (no problems with near-six-foot rear passengers sitting behind a similarly-sized driver and front passenger) and the big, well-shaped boot accommodates a matching amount of luggage: real-world cases for real-world people are a fact of GTI life.

Other 'goodies' fitted to make life easier included a winter pack with headlight washers, three-stage heated front seats and heated windscreen washer jets (£340); front and rear parking sensors (£390); a luxury pack that includes power-fold door mirrors, door puddle lights and reverse activated kerb-view adjustment on the passenger's door mirror (£115); ultra-efficient gas discharge (bi-Xenon) headlights that turn 'night-into-day' (okay, not literally — but at two-and-a-half times more powerful than standard lights they really do provide brilliant illumination) with automatic range adjustment and headlight washers (£1,025).

“While it does ‘dynamic’
so well, the GTI also
doubles up as a very
civilised everyday car...”
You can even specify a rear-view camera and, for those of you who can't parallel park (that's most British drivers, both male and female, who reportedly dislike doing it and would rather drive around until they find a drive in/drive out bay) there's ParkAssist — a 'parking assistant' that sizes up a space as you drive past at up to 19mph, checks if the GTI will fit and then takes over the steering the moment you engage reverse gear!

The heart-warming news for drivers who take their on-road pleasures seriously is that this new sixth generation GTI is every bit as dynamic as it is discreet. So if hairy 'n' lairy is your thing, look away now.

Part of the reason for the GTI's enduring appeal is that while it does 'dynamic' so well, it also doubles up as a very civilised everyday car that provides comfortable, fuss-free and totally reliable everyday transport — be it for long journeys or stop-start commuting — along with a degree of user-friendliness not commonly found in today's breed of genuinely quick cars. Change gear lazily and let the torque do the work and the GTI feels as easy-going as a top-end executive saloon rather than a dyed-in-the-wool hot hatch.

But if that's got you thinking that it is in any way soft-centred then you're very much mistaken. Give the GTI its head and it will surge off the line, flying past 62mph from standstill in 6.9 seconds and running easily up to its 149mph maximum speed.

Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder TSI petrol engine. With 206lb ft of torque on tap across a wide 1,700-5,200rpm rev band, the 207bhp turbocharged TSI engine is keen to rev and feels unburstable. Making full use of the six-speed gearbox is a real pleasure thanks to a smooth and progressive clutch and accurate, short-throw gear changes that are as fast as your physical co-ordination will allow. In-gear performance is excellent and however hard you press the accelerator there always seems more power available. And when you need to go the other way the brakes are equally impressive: hard-biting but easy to modulate.

'GTI' and 'fuel economy' might not seem likely team-mates but, surprisingly, they are: officially, the GTI drinks unleaded at an average 38.7mpg. Our test car returned 36.4mpg during a week's motoring on motorways, quick A- and B-roads, and stop-start urban traffic. And yes, we had to double-check that figure — but it's absolutely correct!

Predictable and confidence-inspiring to drive — the driving position really is first class — this sixth version GTI is closer to the ground than its lesser Golf stablemates: its sports suspension lowers it by 22mm at the front and 15mm at the rear. And, to facilitate a sharper turn-in, it also runs a narrower front track than the standard Golf.

“Sport mode serves up
dedicated sports-biased
roadholding — but
without the jarring you
may have expected...”
Another effective addition to the Mk6 is XDS, a so-called 'trick diff' that's actually an electronic cross-axle traction control system. Technically speaking, XDS is a functional extension of the electronic limited slip differential that's already part of the GTI's standard Electronic Stabilisation Programme system.

XDS also compensates for the understeer which is typical of all front-wheel drive cars. Thanks to XDS, the GTI's driving characteristics are significantly more precise and neutral, and the reduction in understeer means greater driving enjoyment. Overall, the result is smoother, more sure-footed and safer progress with better traction through fast corners when on the limit of adhesion.

Topping the list of hi-tech, handling-enhancing kit is Volkswagen's Adaptive Chassis Control system (ACC). We should point out that, even without the optional (£705) ACC, the GTI's handling and general balance make it a delightfully wieldy hot-hatch. Of course, that's not to say that it isn't even better with ACC, which gives the driver the ability to select between Normal, Comfort and Sport modes, each dialling-in different settings for the suspension's damping control and shock absorption rates, accelerator response and steering assistance.

Having checked out the strikingly handsome 18-inch 'Monza Shadow' wheels wrapped in 225/40 Continental Sport Contact rubber (a £415 upgrade), you could be expecting a comfort penalty — but you'd be worrying needlessly. Lowered the suspension assuredly is, and the ride sportingly firm — enough to ensure that when it comes to handling the GTI is long on ability — but this GTI is also refined, smooth-riding, quiet and free from jolts… even 'traffic-calming' speed bumps cease to annoy!

Driven sensibly, the GTI is a family hatch par excellence. But don't be fooled by the civilised and well-mannered veneer: this hatch will out-point and out-squirt most.

The flat-bottomed steering-wheel feels great in your palms and the precise steering keeps you well informed, helped by a real willingness to turn-in. Yes, the ride is sporting — 'tautly firm' sums it up best — but ride comfort remains undeniably good, particularly with the ACC set to Comfort, in which setting it maximises passenger comfort and is perfect for smoothly travelling over less than perfect tarmac and motorways.

Sport mode serves up dedicated sports-biased road holding (but without the jarring you may have half-expected) while at the same time reducing steering assistance and sharpening throttle responses. Select Normal and the dampers are constantly adjusted to the road and the driving conditions. One thing you can rely on, whichever mode you select, is that the GTI's grip never seems to run out.

Standard safety kit is comprehensive with a curtain airbag system for the front and rear passengers, driver's and front passenger's airbags with passenger's deactivation switch, driver's knee airbag and front seat side impact airbags. Active front head restraints are also fitted and, naturally, you also get ABS, Hydraulic Brake Assist and an Electronic Stabilisation Programme including an electronic differential lock and traction control along with the new XDS system for improved traction and handling. Oh yes... and a five-star Euro NCAP rating.

This classy new GTI is unbelievably good fun to drive; so well balanced, enjoyable responsive and delightfully — almost nonchalantly — composed that you sometimes feel like laughing out loud at its abilities. The best all-round hot hatch you can buy? Yes. A premium product? Without a doubt. But before you tie the knot, take note: a Golf GTI is to have and to hold... for life. — MotorBar

Volkswagen Golf GTI 2.0 TSI 3-door | £22,415
Maximum speed: 149mph | 0-62mph: 6.9 seconds | Overall test MPG: 36.4mpg
Power: 207bhp | Torque: 206lb ft | CO2 170g/km