Volkswagen Golf GTi
In the hot hatch world the VW Golf GTi is legendary. It's become the benchmark for the class and for good reason. It really is the complete car.Good for bumbling along to the shops, yet able to transform itself into a stunning sportster when some enthusiastic driving is needed. A car for every purpose and everybody, the GTi is more than a great compromise, it's a cleverly engineered and sophisticated car that few will find fault with. This is the five door version. As mentioned in my previous post on the Golf VII, I once drove a three door GTi Pirelli,quite quickly through some challenging bends and it was one of life's sheer delights. The Turbo 2 litre engine in this model, develops 162 kw and 350 nm. Flooring the throttle, even in D, results in instant, compelling urge, shoving you back in the seat as the twin clutch six speed DSG transmission rapidly snaps through the lower gears with enough grunt to chirp the front tyres. Incredibly, there is no torque steer. This enormous thrust accompanied by the GTi's distinctive "pop" from the twin exhausts, as the next gear is selected.
Changing down, whether using the steering wheel paddles or the console shifter, sees the engine "blip" itself to keep the car's engine speed at the appropriate level, to match the driven wheels. Select Sport mode and the excitement factor leaps tenfold. The latest GTi has adaptive suspension and it's a real winner, despite the selector button being on the wrong side of the console for a RHD car. Touching that button,opens the central screen to select which mode you want. I have driven many cars that claim to have this feature, but in reality, selecting Comfort, Normal or Sport in quite a few of those vehicles, doesn't seem to make much difference at all to the ride. However in the GTi there is a noticeable change to the suspension. In Comfort, it really is comfortable. The car effortlessly absorbs almost all normal road imperfections, and even in Sport, the ride firms up, but not excessively so, delivering a poise and grip that has to be experienced to be believed. On the move, the GTi is whisper quiet, with nary a squeak or rattle.
Creature comforts and niceties abound in the cabin. The tartan cloth seats on the latest GTi hark back to the first GTi's similar seat coverings. They are supremely supportive and comfortable from the moment you first sit in them. During my week with the car, the daily temperature hovered over 40 degrees, but it didn't faze the engine, nor the air conditioning system. It was positively arctic on the minimum setting. Back seat passengers also benefitting from rear vents in the central console.The GTi incorporates the latest engine idle stop/start technology, which can be overridden, thankfully.On those hot days,I wanted the engine A/C compressor running all the time! Rearward vision is enhanced with a camera, the lens hidden beneath the VW badge on the tailgate. It tilts up when reverse is selected. At night the interior is a nice place to be. White on black instruments and information screens are clear and concise. There's a thin red lighting accent line on the door scuff plates and on the upper edges of the front doors, Footwell lighting adding to the prestige feel of the car. The GTi has a self releasing electric parking brake, which is a feature found on many cars these days and I like it. The accolades for the GTi and the Golf VII it's based on, keep coming, being judged World Car of the Year in 2013, along with many other individual awards around the globe. Priced around 44K the VW GTi is simply one of the best all round cars you could possibly ever want or need.
After our mix of normal/quick driving, however, the Megane proved to have the greater appetite for fuel with its trip computer indicating a 15.8L/100km average. The i30 N was registering 13.2L/100km while the GTI was in the mid-12s. Such differences are unlikely to sway hot-hatch buyers one way or another, though the RS also requires the most expensive fuel - 98 octane - where its rivals will run on 95 premium. The Megane RS is the odd-car-out without an adaptive suspension system. 1490 Cup Pack, which also adds black 鈥業nterlagos鈥?rims, Brembo brake calipers, harder-compound brake pads, and a Torsen mechanical limited-slip diff. There鈥檚 a catch, though, as that Cup Pack is available only with the six-speed manual gearbox. It means auto buyers can鈥檛 access the most dynamic version of the Megane RS. It鈥檚 not a huge edge, though, and the benefit of the standard Sport suspension is an outstanding balance between ride comfort and sharp roadholding. It鈥檚 just extremely debatable whether Renault鈥檚 four-wheel steering - also found on the Megane GT - gives the latest RS any greater agility than its predecessor on a twisty road.
Turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts below 60km/h and in the same direction at higher speeds, its most obvious benefit seems to be around town, where it makes three-point turns and roundabouts a doddle. The Hyundai feels more like an old-school hot-hatch after the RS, beyond the fact it鈥檚 you rather than the car changing gears, and there鈥檚 pure joy to be had from hustling it along a great road. Its steering - enjoyable meaty in Sport mode if not any more tactile - is also the most assertive in this group when it comes to turning into corners. No other Korean car can put as big a smile on your face, and that includes Kia鈥檚 Stinger. And neither of its rivals here can match the i30 N鈥檚 acceleration out of ultra-tight corners. VW鈥檚 previous regular Golf GTI struggled with a similar technical approach, easily spinning its inside-front wheel in response to aggressive mid-corner throttle, so MY19鈥檚 Front Locking Diff - an active, clutch-based set-up - undoubtedly improves its low-speed cornering performance.
