Motors North

Make

ANY AC AIXAM ALFA ROMEO ASIA ASTON MARTIN AUBURN AUDI AUSTIN BENTLEY BMW BRISTOL BUGATTI CADILLAC CATERHAM CHEVROLET CHRYSLER CITROEN COLEMAN MILNE DAEWOO DAIHATSU DAIMLER DATSUN DAX DE TOMASO DODGE FERRARI FIAT FORD FSO GINETTA GMC HILLMAN HOLDEN HONDA HUMMER HYUNDAI INFINITI ISUZU JAGUAR JEEP JENSEN KIA KOENIGSEGG LADA LAMBORGHINI LANCIA LAND ROVER LEXUS LIGIER LINCOLN LOTUS MARCOS MASERATI MAYBACH MAZDA MCLAREN MERCEDES-BENZ MERCURY MG MICROCAR MINI MITSUBISHI MITSUOKA MORGAN MORRIS NISSAN NOBLE OPEL PAGANI PANTHER PERODUA PEUGEOT PILGRIM PLYMOUTH PONTIAC PORSCHE PROTON RELIANT RENAULT RILEY ROLLS-ROYCE ROVER SAAB SEAT SINGER SKODA SMART SSANGYONG SUBARU SUNBEAM SUZUKI TALBOT TATA TOYOTA TRIUMPH TVR ULTIMA VAUXHALL VOLKSWAGEN VOLVO WESTFIELD WOLSELEY YUGO

Model

ANY

Area

ANY Badenoch and Strathspey Caithness Inverness Inverness Area and Loch Ness Lochaber Moray Nairn and District Ross and Cromarty Sutherland Other

Price From

0 500 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000 100000

Price To

500 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000 100000

Your Local Newspaper

Inverness Courier Highland News
North Star Lochaber News Northern Scot
Ross-shire Journal Caithness Courier
John O Groat Journal Northern Times
Forres Gazette Banffshire Journal
Strathspey and Badenoch Herald

Copyright SPP Group

our test drives or view them all

Volkswagen Golf GTI DSG five-door

IS it really 33 years since the first Golf GTI appeared? Apparently so!

I was barely out of my teens then and the thought of getting my hands on Volkswagen’s first hot hatch kept me awake at night.

I felt that same surge of excitement when I heard about the latest GTI – a much more refined beast based on the excellent Golf 6 hatch and powered by the most advanced TSI four-cylinder turbocharged two-litre on the planet.

So advanced that when it comes to delivering that traditional hot-hatch exhaust bark, the new GTI literally "makes it up" as its goes along!

The engine is so refined, so smooth, so silent that it fails to deliver the snarl of the old cars. That’s why Volkswagen engineers have fitted an electronic "sound generator" just behind the engine bulkhead. I joke not!

To give the occupants the impression of raw power this "generator" gets signals from the engine and recreates authentic engine noise electronically – the GTI’s own soundtrack! Meanwhile outside, and despite a sexy pair of exhaust pipes, the acoustics are gentle and subdued.

The latest GTI may not be as raw as that first three-door hatch, but the fast five-door road test model I drove for motorsnorth proved there’s plenty of spice left in this vindaloo express – plenty of flavour with a burning aftertaste of desire.

Even the expected handicap of DSG paddle-shift automatic transmission did nothing to blunt performance.

Rest to 62mph flashed up in under seven seconds with masses of pulling power delivering blistering overtaking to help this handy family slingshot carry on to 148mph in the hands of the terminally unwary.

From the 4.2 metre long Golf 6’s curious five-layer sound-deadening windscreen to the superb quality of its interior trim and excellent seat comfort, the GTI did not disappoint.

The turbocharged TSI is a dramatically impressive petrol unit. It’s incredibly smooth for a four-potter but packs real driving punch with a maximum output of 209bhp at between 5300 and 6200rpm – a 10bhp hike compared to the last GTI engine.

What's more, I averaged 39mpg over 450 miles of brisk driving using most of the 206lb.ft of torque production that kicks in from 1750rpm. That delivery could be a problem on a front-drive car like the Golf but every TSI GTI comes with Volkswagen’s XDS electronic traction control that works alongside unique springs, dampers and a lowered suspension to keep the GTI on the straight and narrow.

Unlike the new 300bhp Ford Focus RS, the milder GTI has no torque-steer problems. It’s controllable no matter how hard you plant your right foot.

Few cars have left me so impressed – it sticks like a limpet, can be blisteringly quick yet refined and relaxed. What a car.

Handling is balanced and accurate. Many miles on delightfully demanding roads through Moray to Oban proved the new GTI to be every bit as good as the best of the GTI breed that preceded it – much better when it comes to comfort, refinement and practicality.

The new GTI is roomy. The boot can swallow 350 litres of luggage or shopping and if you drop the rear seatbacks there’s a useful 1305 litres of cargo space.

Safety includes a very advanced electronic stability control system, the XDS traction control, powerful ABS and front and side airbags. Added to that is a cabin that is stiffer and stronger than ever, despite being lighter.

On the road there’s a great feeling of confidence. The flat-bottomed steering wheel has a great feel and adds to driver enjoyment while the neat paddle-shifters – down-shifters on the left and up-shifters on the right – are instant. Mind you, after a few hours on a twisty road using the paddles I was happy to slip the transmission into full automatic and leave it to sort out the six well-spaced ratios.

The dash is a work of art – clear, great switchgear, soft-touch material and good to look at and use.

My only criticism is the cheap-looking GTI badge at the bottom of the three spoke steering wheel – a rather crudely-cast bit of chrome-plated metal that looks tawdry alongside the rest of this well-crafted interior.

Another disappointment came during a rain shower when I noticed the GTI has a characteristic Volkswagen irritation – squeaky wiper blades on their slow setting.

At launch the GTI cost £24,305 complete with direct shift transmission (DSG) – but on September 1 the price will rise to £24,905 as Volkswagen follows the trend and boosts prices to cover increased raw material costs.

But it still represents outstanding value for a sharp-handling hot hatch with a quality build, despite being a world away from the first 108mph left-hand-drive imports that reached UK enthusiasts in 1976 with a price tag of just over £3370.

Since that first GTI, the family has waxed and waned – not all GTI successors were as exciting. And while the Golf 6 model is refined and perhaps a little too quiet on the exhaust front, it’s a welcome return to a performance image with plenty of muscle to back it up. In fact, a superb performance hatch that’s practical and great fun.

The test car came with around £4500 of options – including dramatic two-tone 18-inch Monza Shadow alloys with 225/40 section Dunlop covers at £415. Normally I would have griped about these huge wheels and low-profile tyres, but the surprising truth is that they did little to harshen the GTI’s already firm ride and I’d be happy to make an exception on a hot hatch car like this.

The soft black Vienna leather with heated front sports seats and electrically-adjustable driver’s seat was expensive at £1675 but a wise investment to help resale value.

However one £540 expense I could live without is the front and rear parking sensor option complete with colour rear view camera. I find these cameras hard to use and pointless.

To be fair to Volkswagen it has come up with a really neat installation for the camera. Not that I spotted it! It was only the sharp-eyed enthusiasm of young Findhorn holidaymaker Matthew Smith of Aberdeen that alerted me to this clever solution.

Matthew wandered up to look at the GTI with his dad and fired off a bank of questions in the way only a keen schoolboy can.

I was showing him the rear-view camera screen when he asked where the camera was. I suggested it would normally be alongside the number plate, where it would undoubtedly get covered in road dirt, or higher on the tailgate beside the rear lip spoiler.

It was only with Matthew standing at the back as I showed dad the screen that he lightened my darkness – the camera is cleverly concealed behind the large tailgate VW badge that tilts electrically when you select reverse and allows the lens to peek out from beneath its protective shield. Clever stuff that keeps the camera head clean.

So, thanks Matthew – but I still wouldn’t pay £540 for the rear camera novelty and would be happy to use the substantial mirrors and my neck muscles instead.

The new Golf GTI is conservative, sensible – and quick. You might buy a Focus RS with your heart but if your head’s screwed on properly you’ll chose the GTI.

I said at the beginning the original GTI kept me awake at night – I’m older now but the same applies. It’s that kind of car – matured excitement!

Rating: 9/10

FINAL THOUGHT: There would be something badly wrong if Volkswagen hadn’t managed to get the Golf GTI right by now – it has been at it long enough. The Golf 6-based hot hatch is every bit as good as it should be – expensive, but great quality. It delivers refined fun, powerful performance in a quality package that makes good all-round sense for an enthusiastic sporting driver.

Volkswagen Golf GTI DSG five-door

• Price: £24,305 (£24,905 from 1 September)
• Capacity: 1984cc
• Power: 207bhp
• 0-62mph: 6.9 seconds
• Maximum speed: 148mph
• Economy: Combined 38.2mpg; Urban 28.2mpg
• CO2 emissions: 173g/km
• ESP: Standard
• Insurance: Group 17