IT'S hard to believe that it's almost 30 years since the birth of the first Volkswagen Golf GTI and the phrase "hot hatch" was coined.
But like fine wines the GTI has improved with age. True like grape harvests there might have been the odd poor year but the latest generation is certainly a vintage to savour.
The fifth incarnation of the GTI is one of those rare cars that puts some sparkle into driving. It's a car that's inherited all the good points of its predecessors without any of the bad ones.
It's certainly easy to identify compared to other models in the Golf line-up - thanks mainly to its deep distinctive black honeycomb grille with its red border - giving a real macho appearance.
Other GTI features include unique bumpers, twin exhaust pipes, black sills and red brake calipers. In fact more than ever before the new hot hatch looks what it is - a sporting icon.
Inside the car the first thing that struck me was the strange shape steering wheel with its straight section at the bottom - reminding me a little of the square steering wheels once fitted to Austin Allegros - only not quite as radical.
This one however, is far more sensible with superb thick padded areas just where you need them for comfortable grip and control.
High backed sports seats with plenty of side support hold you in place on tight corners and have plenty of adjustment. I am not too sure about the chequered red design, however, even if it does hark back to the first GTI seat generation.
This car is also the first in a long time which has enough steering wheel adjustment for me to get totally comfortable.
Normally I find that in order to be able to depress the clutch fully I have to sit too close to the steering wheel. In this case the enormous amount of in and out travel on the wheel adjustment meant there was no such problem.
In keeping with its sporting pedigree the new GTI boasts a top speed of 145mph and will hit 62mph from rest in just 7.2 seconds on the six-speed manual version that I tested. Opt for the direct shift gearbox and that time comes down to 6.9 seconds.
On the road the two-litre FSI turbo-charged engine delivers an abundance of power on demand.
This is one of the most responsive two-litre engines I have come across with no hint of turbo lag, thanks to the combining for the first time of FSI technology with a turbo charger.
This unique combination also gives the added benefit of excellent fuel consumption for a hot hatch, averaging 35mpg.
Whatever gear you are in the accelerator response is instant and dynamic making this a great fun car and a credit to its lineage. The throaty exhaust sound too adds to the sporting image and helps to set the car apart.
The new chassis and steering configuration make this Golf exceptionally agile and superb fun to drive, particularly on twisting country roads.
The Golf also has the advantage of being designed to be exceptionally easy to control and is very forgiving to drivers who misjudge their speed around bends.
And unlike many performance cars VW have got the steering ideally weighted on this car. It feels just firm enough and there is plenty of driver feedback.
Ironically I didn't appreciate just how good it was until I "traded in" the GTI for a Jaguar X-Type which - while an excellent car in general - in this respect at least came in second best of the two cars.
FAST FACTS
Volkswagen Golf 2.0T GTI, 3dr
Price: £19,995
Mechanical: 200bhp, 1,984cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 6spd manaual gearbox
Max speed: 146mph
0-62mph: 7.2 secs
Combined mpg: 34.9
Insurance group: 17
CO2 emissions: 194g/km
BiK rating: 25%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 12yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint