Walking up to the latest Golf GTI, you know straight away that this is not your everyday run of the mill petrol or diesel car. This is something a little bit more special. Climbing into the driver seat feels very similar to any of the Volkswagen group but yet again just that little bit different. The red stitching on the steering wheel and the seat beading hints that this may just go a bit further. The car that I was driving for the week was fitted with the DSG automatic gearbox with the flappy paddles behind the steering, another hint of what may be ahead. Once fired up by a twist of a good old fashioned key – which are becoming a rarity in this world of big fobs and push-button starting – the two-litre petrol with a turbo strapped on fired up with just the slightest burble from the twin exhausts.

On the road

With the gear lever slotted into drive, it was time to see how the latest GTI got down the road. At first I was surprised at the civility of it. I was expecting it to be more raucous and difficult to handle in stop-start Dublin traffic. It was as agreeable as any standard Golf would be in these conditions.

Once out of the jam and getting up to motorway speed, the quick Golf yet again got on with it in a very unflustered way, but with a serious requirement to be very gentle with my right size nine or run the risk of very quickly being above the national speed limit.

For this reason the adaptive cruise control (ACC) fitted to this car was engaged straight away to remove the risk of straying over the limit. The ACC in the Golf was very easy to use, with just a couple of button pushes on the steering wheel, maximum speed and following distance to the car in front are set and you can concentrate on the road and traffic conditions rather than trying not to lose your licence.

Once off the motorway, the Golf really comes alive, even without engaging sport mode, which is an option. The Golf just exudes an air of wanting to be driven spiritedly and when you take up its invitation it rewards you with a really enjoyable driving experience without being a handful.

However if you go for the sport button, this car really changes its spots and becomes a different beast. The engine note changes to a throaty roar, the suspension hardens up and the steering becomes arrow-precise. It handles in a way that inspires confidence even in the wet weather. The razor-sharp turn in and explosive acceleration is a real pleasure. Although all of this is available to you, it should be used sparingly as it yet again tempts you to do silly things.

Speaking of silly things, the GTI comes with launch control, which to be honest is an experience but has no actual use on the public road. Hence why I brought it to a private road and ran through the process of button pushes that engage the system, then with my left foot on the brake pedal and right foot planted on the floor. The computer took over and modulated the revs until I released the brake pedal and the little golf hurtled down the road at what seemed like warp speed. Reaching 100km/hr in a claimed 5.7 seconds, it felt a lot quicker than that from where I was sitting. After that madness was over the Golf retuned to its very well-behaved self and got on with being an everyday car.

Verdict

After spending a week driving the latest GTI and managing to remain on the correct side of the law, I believe that the Golf really is capable of being all the car that anyone could ever need. It goes about the day-to-day stuff with great ease and comfort, but can also do things that should only ever be attempted on a race track.

I think that mix of normality with the small tinge of madness makes the new quick Golf one of the best cars you can buy at the minute if you have any interest in driving for fun as well as the everyday stuff. The new Golf GTI is a brilliant car and is a worthy heir to the long line of sporty Golfs.