THE arrival of a new Volkswagen Golf for a substantial road test was of particular personal interest to me.
With a much beloved 24-year-old Golf still in the family - which has yet again just flown through its MOT - I am always interested to see how the range is developing.
Not that you could directly compare our sedate 1.3-litre MkII with the latest sporty 2.0 GT Sport
For starters, the newcomer was a diesel. In fact the most powerful diesel you can get in the Golf line up with a beefy 170bhp under the bonnet, all kept in check by one of VW's revolutionary DSG gearboxes.
The DSG offers all the benefits of an automatic gearbox with the flexibility and performance of a manual.
That means you don't pay the penalty of heavier fuel consumption that comes with regular automatics yet have a box that changes gear faster than any rally driver can. Each change is completed in less than four hundredths of a second, and it's all so smooth and seamless.
Beefing the 2.0-litre engine up to 170bhp does make this Golf relatively noisy when cold compared with less powerful models but from inside the car you don't notice it and after a few minute of warming up the decibels drop anyway.
What you do notice is the outstanding amount of torque this car has and how superbly quick it is in mid range performance.
Slip the gearbox into Sport mode and floor the accelerator and you will wonder why you ever bothered with a petrol engine, such is the pulling power. In Sport the car winds the revs up to around 4,000 before changing up and with a six speed box you run out of road before you run out of gears. And for all that power you will still average some 44mpg.
The Sport comes with a firmer suspension which has been lowered by 15mm compared to standard models but still offers an exceptionally comfortable ride.
It also ensures tenacious grip and the sort of handling that has kept sporting Golfs popular ever since the first models were built in 1974.
Since then 25 million Golfs have been sold worldwide and now 55 per cent of all sales are diesel.
Apart from the appeal of its outstanding performance and economy the Sport comes with that extra flair that lesser Golfs don't have thanks to it special styling pack, which includes a uniquely designed front bumper and twin exhausts.
You also get sports front seats and 17 inch "ClassiXs" alloy wheels.
But it is possible to spend a lot of money personalising your Golf. This car had a hefty £5,345 worth of extras on board, increasing the basic price of the car by nearly 25 per cent.
From behind the wheel this Sport model delivered what Golfs have been delivering for decades; great fun to drive space for the family and plenty of flexibility when it comes to carrying luggage or large objects - such as flat pack furniture.
They may not make them to last quite as long as our 24-year-old but for me they are still one of the best family car around.
FAST FACTS
Volkswagen Golf 2.0 GT Sport TDI DPF 5dr auto
Price: £21,540
Mechanical: 170bhp, 1,968cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6spd automatic gearbox
Max speed: 135mph
0-62mph: 8.2 secs
Combined mpg: 44.1
Insurance group: 16
CO2 emissions: 169g/km
BiK rating: 23%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles, 3yrs paint, 12yrs anti-rust