VOLKSWAGEN'S FIFTH-generation Golf GTi is a high performance hatchback. It's equipped with a 200bhp turbo-charged engine, enough to propel the car to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds. The suspension is so flawless it could be one of the most outstanding handlers in its class. Being a factory-modified model, it retains all the comfort, civility and usability of an everyday Golf. That's to say that the GTi is well suited to a romp around the countryside as well as crawling in mid-town traffic.
That said, finding yourself stuck behind unpredictable minibuses and overly cautious multi-purpose vehicles isn't the best way to enjoy the GTi. A road racer driving a pumped-up whatever with an eat-my-dirt grin couldn't break a sweat out of it. Meanwhile, I just grit my teeth and hope these running road blocks will turn off into their respective driveways.
If you like driving (fast), sitting in traffic in the GTi may have you fuming. Driving at a sedate pace, I scrutinise everything to see if there was a single flaw with this car. The verdict: not really. And once the road opens up, the GTi is a gem.
Based on the already excellent Golf, the GTi is endowed with the handsome cabin, remarkable fit and finish, structural rigidity, spaciousness and quietness of all the other models.
The interior is deserving of the GTi badge. There are aluminium trim pieces on the dashboard and door, gauge surrounds, gear shift and steering wheel. The flat-bottom steering wheel is anatomically designed with perforated leather on the hand grip, and a proud GTi logo on the lower spoke. The front leather seats are unique to the GTi, providing more support than the standard model.
While stuck in traffic, I marvel at the civility of the suspension. As a top performance model, and with VW's pledge to create one of the best handling front-wheel-drive hot hatches, the GTi doesn't show any of the side effects of its contemporaries after going under the knife. The front struts and rear four-link suspension have been given harder springs and dampers on the corners, a rear stabiliser that's 20 per cent stiffer, bigger tyres and a 15mm reduction in ride height. It's as amiable as any Golf, with a slightly firmer ride and quicker suspension re-bounce.
The GTi's improved performance won't go unnoticed. The engine, which it shares with the Audi A4 2.0 FSI, is the first to combine turbo charging and direct petrol injection. There's a four-cylinder unit, single turbo charger at the most upstream position of the exhaust manifold. Twin intercoolers keep intake air cool and performance hot. By numbers, the maximum torque of 280Nm is available from 1,800rpm to 5,000rpm. And the 200bhp maximum horsepower is there to be taken at 5,100 to 6,000rpm. The result is a car whose engine is always in the mood.