Five reasons why VW’s Golf GTI is the definitive hot hatch

While the current seventh-generation Golf GTI shares little with its mid-‘70s forebear, it is still the default hot hatchback. But why? 

We spent a week with one to find out how it has remained at the top of its game for four decades... 

The history

Plenty of cars can trace their roots back to the 1970s, but few nameplates have actually survived 40 years of market forces. Sure, the Golf has evolved over its 40-year history, but it has always been there in one form or another. In comparison, the Golf’s main rival – the Ford Focus ST – is a spring chicken, having been on the market since 2002.

It isn’t just the Golf’s longevity that makes it special though, it’s the fact that it was a pioneer. The first-generation GTI popularised the hot hatch to such an extent that those three letters are now synonymous with performance family cars. GTI means fast, and that’s all down to the Golf.

Engineering witchcraft

Key to any hot hatchback is speed, and the Golf GTI certainly delivers on that front. The sprint from 0-62mph takes 6.5 seconds, which is a match for the Focus ST, while the 153mph top speed is competitive too.

What’s special about the GTI, though, is not that it achieves these speeds, but that it does so without having an especially powerful engine. The 2.0-litre petrol under the bonnet has 217bhp, which makes it 30bhp down on the Focus ST, yet identical in terms of performance. That’s engineering witchcraft at work.

Nods to the original

In 1976, the MkI Golf GTI was a supremely desirable car set apart by four things: the performance, the tartan seats, the red stripe and the golf ball-shaped gear knob. All four things are still present in the modern GTI, and they make the fast Golf all the more special.

The truth is that though the MkI GTI is now a classic, it is also old, and that means there’s no warranty, minimal safety kit and, by today’s standards, nondescript performance. That the modern car can offer all those things while retaining some of the original’s magic makes it instantly appealing.

Oh you pretty things

See what happened when we put the Golf GTI from Peugeot 308 GTi

Stop. Step back, and take a look at the Golf. It’s Britain’s most popular personal lease car, and that familiarity has made us lose sight of just how handsome a vehicle it is. It’s a well-proportioned car with a restrained, classy look to the details. Yes, it’s subtle, but it’s still attractive.

The GTI continues that theme, with well-considered alterations that give it its slightly sporty air. The thin red line running through the grille is a case in point. If you didn’t know about it, you might not spot it, but those educated in the ways of hot VWs will give you a knowing look at the traffic lights. Trust us on this; that’s a good feeling.

2016: A Space Odyssey

Because the Golf GTI is ‘just’ a Golf, and there’s no space-sapping four-wheel-system shrinking the boot or ridiculous bucket seats eating into the rear legroom, it’s just as practical as your neighbour’s 1.6-litre diesel Golf.

That means you’ve got 380 litres of luggage space in the back, and if you fold the rear seats down that expands to 1,270 litres, so it’s as well-suited to taking wardrobes to the tip as it is to taking mates on hot laps of Silverstone. It’s pretty capable, then.