It’s near impossible to sit behind the wheel of a Golf GTI without smiling. Little on offer beats the excitement of a pace-setting hot hatch, and this little beauty has always been up for top contender alongside the more value-driven Ford Focus ST and rapid Renault Megane Sport. Performance 4.5/5 The latest GTI hosts a 2.0-litre 217bhp turbocharged petrol engine which produces 258lb ft of torque from as little as 1500rpm. And for the first time, there’s an optional performance pack which bolsters power to 227bhp and gives you bigger brakes and a front limited-slip differential. Our test car, the standard GTI, reaches 62mph in 6.5 seconds with a top speed of 151mph. And this car is undisputedly fun, while hitting the 6000rpm mark will make the car really come into its own. On deceleration, there’s the joyful sound of the exhaust’s pops and bangs, while the brakes are seriously reactive. GTI purists will rebuke the DGS gearbox fitted to our car, arguing it takes away some of the rawness that you want from a hot hatch. And it’s true, being driven the way it was built to be driven, it can be reluctant to change up gears quite quickly enough, but day-to-day is more than fine. Still, it’s a £1540 add-on, so while it’s not the most awful thing in the world, it isn’t the wisest option. Ride and handling 4.5/5 The Golf GTI has always tempered the Focus ST and Megane Sport by being the comfortable choice as far as hot hatches go – it’s not quite as fast as the Megane, and not quite as unforgivingly hard as the Focus ST – but this doesn’t take away from its outstanding handling and balanced steering, which leaves you begging for more. Chuck this around a corner and it won’t even blink. We shudder to think how good the Performance Pack iteration could be. It also handles urban driving brilliantly, absorbing speed bumps far better than you’d expect. And that’s the thing with the Golf GTI – it’s more easy to live with as a daily car than its rivals, without ruining the joy of owning a hot hatch. Equipment 4/5 The GTI is definitely a step above for interior finish on its rivals, while sporty touches include a red-stitched steering wheel, tartan sports seats and GTI badging. Equipment includes two-zone air conditioning, Bluetooth, automatic lights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors and a 5.8-inc colour touchscreen with DAB, CD player and all the obvious sockets for Apple-based products and beyond. Driving systems include automatic distant control - a radar sensor-controlled distance monitoring system, city emergency braking and cruise control, as well as an automatic post-collision braking system. The Golf GTI is the safest it’s ever been. As with all Golfs, there’s ample room to comfortably fit passengers and a respectable 380 litres of boot space. Running costs 4/5 The Golf GTI costs £28,195 compared to the Focus ST at £24,495 and the Megane Sport at £26,745, making it the most expensive model out there. Fuel economy on this model with DSG is a claimed 44.1mpg on a combined cycle while it emits 148g/km CO2. Choosing the manual is not only £1415 cheaper at the offset, but those figures will improve to 47.1mpg and 139g respectively. Nonetheless, DSG or manual options are easily surpassing the competition here – what you lose in price, you make up for in efficiency. The Megane offers 37.7mpg and 174g/km CO2 while the Focus emits 169g and achieves 39.2mpg. Verdict 4.5/5 The Golf GTI is perhaps more polished than it used to be, which will disappoint some hardcore fans. But for me, this offers the perfect all-round package. A lot of fun, with a lot of comfort and some practicality thrown in too.
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