This has to be the best hot hatch interior yet. The seats are supremely supportive, their substantial side bolsters secure you firmly, and they’re also perfectly comfortable on a long journey. Cloth seat trim comes as standard, the tartan-patterned centre sections echoing the Mk1 GTi’s trim, while the optional leather of our test car was well finished. The scalloped three-spoke leather-trimmed steering wheel feels special, too.
The driving position adjusts for a distinctly sporty stance – seat low, legs out almost straight, steering wheel high and close. Couple this with the interior’s well-crafted solidity and roominess, and you have a car you’d feel happy to tackle any long journey in. The music system is powerful and clear; it’s especially easy to use when the colour sat-nav screen and six-disc CD multichanger are installed (£1665). Other options fitted to the test car include excellent xenon headlights (£725) and those full-leather seats (£1645).
GTi drivers benefit from the usual Golf safety systems, which include six airbags, anti-lock brakes, ESP stability control and hydraulic brake assist. It is also one of the safest small family cars on sale, with a top five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating.
The GTi starts at £19,995 for the manual three-door model, and rises to £21,820 for the dual-clutch DSG gearbox-equipped five-door. This puts the three-door car £500 above a Renault Mégane 225, and is substantially more than the £16,250 Civic Type-R. Nevertheless, the Golf’s residual value should easily outshine that of the Renault and Honda in the long term, helped by keen demand.
The Golf is also impressively frugal considering the performance it offers. We achieved an excellent 36.2mpg on our touring route and an average test figure of 24.1mpg. The 55-litre fuel tank gives a theoretical range of 438 miles, and with such a flexible engine, reasonable pace can be made on very small throttle openings.