Volkswagen Golf GTI 2009

The GTI has been the hot hatch benchmark for more than three decades. Does the new model do justice to the badge? RICHARD BLACKBURN finds out.

2009 Volkswagen Golf GTI

The phrase “tough act to follow” could well have been coined specifically for the existing Volkswagen Golf GTI.

In the eyes of experts and fans alike, the current Golf GTI is the best hot hatch in the business.

It’s a badge with a 33-year history of putting smiles on the faces of enthusiast drivers across the globe. It was originally born as a limited edition run of 5000 vehicles. To date, 1.7 million have been sold.

In Australia, one in four Golf buyers choose a GTI, despite the fact that it’s almost $15,000 more than the cheapest model.

But popularity and cult status can be a curse, especially if you’re part of the engineering team responsible for the new, sixth-generation model.

In sporting terms, developing the new Volkswagen Golf GTI is a bit like being the next leg spinner to wear the baggy green: if your first ball doesn’t turn square out of the rough and take out off-stump, the comparisons to Shane Warne won’t be kind.

With that sort of pressure, it’s not really that surprising that the new Volkswagen Golf GTI looks, feels and drives a hell of a lot like the old one.

Like children who don’t stray too far from their parents for fear of getting lost, the designers and engineers who worked on the new Golf GTI haven’t moved far away from the original formula.

The Golf GTI has never looked like a winner on paper. There are at least half a dozen hot hatches that are quicker in the 0-100km/h sprint. But there are none that the match it as an all-round package in the seat of the pants test.

Volkswagen says the new GTI is faster, sharper and more powerful than ever, while also being cleaner, safer and more efficient.

But in DSG guise the car is no faster in the 0-100km/h sprint, which is not surprising given its modest power increase of 8kW.

Having said that, it still feels strong and willing throughout the rev range, with enough grunt to guarantee an entertaining drive for the enthusiast.

Then there’s that wonderful exhaust note. The GTI burble is ever present in the cabin, while in cars fitted with the DSG double-clutch automatic, there’s a satisfying pop every time the car changes up gears and a rumble and spit when you lift off the accelerator coming into a corner. The old magic is still there.

Both transmissions are carryover, but neither feel off the pace, with sharp, accurate shifts that add to the driving enjoyment.