At The Wheel Of The New Mk7 GTI
The all-new Mk7 GTI is a giant slayer: It's easily the best GTI ever in terms of driving dynamics. Also, I think it's great looking. The seventh-generation GTI continues the recent tradition started with the Mk5 of a genuine driver's car in the most practical package on the market. You feel absolutely no torque steer, yet the system lets you feel some of what the front end is doing. GTI is a whole league faster than the one currently on sale in the U.S. And it's unbelievably composed and civilized. GTI otherworldly traction鈥攖hink halfway between a regular front-wheel-drive car and an all-wheel-drive car鈥攊n the dry at least. None. And yet the steering stillmanages to have some feel. There are a few gripes. The hoon-eliminating electronic parking brake won't come to the United States, so that doesn't matter, either. The manual-transmission version has gas and brake pedals spaced slightly too far apart for comfortable heel-and-toeing. 鈥擨'll just buy wider shoes and shut up. If last year's Focus ST raised the bar in terms of handling, the new GTI has just knocked that bar out of the park. 鈥攚ith often unpredictable results. The GTI is far more composed, far more predictable, and far faster. Focus ST. Bottom line? Transmission: 6-speed Manual, opt. Brakes (Standard front/rear): 12.3 x 1.0-in vented front discs, 11.8 x 0.5-in solid rear discs. Brakes (Performance Pack front/rear): 13.4 x 1.2-in vented front and 12.2 x 0.9-in vented rear discs.
Which car will take the hot supermini crown? Here we鈥檙e testing a three-door Ford Fiesta ST in ST-3 trim, which is the top-spec model and costs from 拢21,495. That means it matches these rivals on price, but the entry-level ST-1 costs 拢18,995. As a driver鈥檚 car, the ST has a superb basis in the brilliant Ford Fiesta. By adding more power and upgrading the suspension, the company has again created a fantastic hot hatchback. Most of the ST鈥檚 brilliance can be attributed to the chassis: it鈥檚 agile and adjustable, while still riding reasonably well over rough roads. It鈥檚 firm, but it remains nicely controlled. Clever damping builds plenty of confidence to corner hard, but it鈥檚 not so harsh over bumps that it upsets the car鈥檚 balance mid-bend; although of the three models here, the Ford鈥檚 ride is the hardest. The front-wheel-drive Fiesta turns in with real enthusiasm, working both axles to rotate itself around each bend. It feels natural and fun, but is also serious enough to satisfy even the biggest driving enthusiasts.
Even better is the steering, which is quick and precise and offers the most information of the three cars here. There鈥檚 lots of traction out of corners as well, thanks to the optional limited-slip differential, although it avoids being so tied down as to lose some of the fun factor. Further, the six-speed gearbox is more precise and satisfying to use than in a normal 1.0-litre EcoBoost Fiesta, and is more involving than the MINI - just. While the Fiesta鈥檚 chassis shines brightly, the engine under the bonnet doesn鈥檛 quite match its predecessor for character. The new three-cylinder unit doesn鈥檛 relish revs as much as the old four-cylinder motor did, or even the four-cylinder engine in the MINI here. Still, the Ford unit has plenty of pull: the low-down torque means real-world performance is very strong, and the new engine has an entertaining exhaust note. The Fiesta was the fastest of our three contenders in each gear, going from 30-50mph in third and fourth and 50-70mph in fifth and sixth faster than either the MINI or Volkswagen.
But it lagged behind the faster-shifting DSG Polo from 0-60mph, taking 7.1 seconds, compared with the VW鈥檚 6.5-second time. Testers鈥?notes: 鈥淭he Fiesta ST is more serious and focused than ever, but it retains a sense of fun that鈥檚 somewhat missing in the Volkswagen. The MINI Cooper S is the hottest model in the facelifted MINI range until the John Cooper Works (JCW) arrives, but it鈥檚 the least powerful car of our trio here, producing 189bhp from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. While the Cooper S is the cheapest of the three at 拢20,635, you鈥檒l need to add plenty of options to match its rivals鈥?specifications. AS there have only been a few changes to the latest Cooper S, it remains great fun to drive. The MINI鈥檚 direct steering and grippy chassis mean barreling down a twisty road is great fun. It responds to your inputs just as you want it to, so you鈥檙e able to tighten or open your line around a corner using the throttle as well as the steering. In fact, it鈥檚 right up there with the Fiesta ST in terms of B-road thrills.
