The original hatchback hotrod is baaaack. Can the Volkswagen GTI regain its crown in this crowded class? At first glance, the answer is yes. The fifth-generation GTI looks like a million bucks, blending contemporary styling with its economy roots. With a low-slung front end, body-molded headlights and honeycombed grill, the GTI is dressed to thrill. Oval-cutout rims add a little streetwise attitude to a progressive design.
Audi manufactures some of the best interiors in the business, and that's good news for VW. The Audi and Volkswagen platforms share basic design elements, and while the materials on the GTI may not quite measure up to its flashier cousin's threads, they are still light years ahead of just about everyone else. The no-nonsense dashboard sports bold, blue-backlit tachometer and speedometer gauges with aluminum accents, while the center console cradles a large-screen navigation system that also operates the radio. Eight-way adjustable front bucket seats do a nice job of holding your butt in place when the G-forces rise in a curve, and the overall interior space is surprisingly generous.
Volkswagen's two-liter, 16-valve turbocharged power plant is smooth, torque-y and fairly easy on gas at 22 miles per gallon. This perky engine has such a smooth power delivery you would swear it is naturally aspirated. The car doesn't feel quite as quick as its numbers suggest, because it evenly distributes energy across the power band. With max torque at a very low 1,800 rpm, the car pulls cleanly at just about any speed and in any gear. The feather-light clutch makes shifting a joy, and while it might strike some as too delicate, it fits the car's easy-going personality. Without question, the GTI is back to rule the high-performance hatchback kingdom.
She'll definitely think the GTI is "cute." That might not be the reaction you want but, hey, if "cute" gets her in the passenger seat of your sporty ride, you can definitely live with that.
