Hatchback Reviews

The Mazda 3 line-up has been a star in the strong, consistent performance of the Japanese carmaker’s passenger cars here, with sales reaching the million mark faster than any other of their models.

One of the biggest mistakes a car company can make is to hand its rivals a free hit by vacating the market. In this business where brand loyalty is supreme it can take a long time to play catch up - unless of course you have some serious ammunition to fire back at the opposition.Mitsubishi only has two serious full-on performance cars, the awesome Lancer Evolution MR SST ($72,190) and the slightly less potent but still full-on Evolution ($59,990).But missing in action has been a more affordable road warrior in the sub $50,000 bracket to slot in under the Evo twins — a model which could go head to head with Subaru's WRX or Ford's Focus XR5.Enter the Lancer Ralliart and Mitsubishi is back in the game with plenty of bang for the buck. It's essentially a detuned Evo and priced at $42,990 for both sedan and sportsback.Mitsubishi has been quite clever here, borrowing many of the Evo's go-faster bits but giving the Ralliart a more comfortable ride to broaden its appeal.Power comes from a detuned 2-litre four cylinder with single scroll turbo as against the Evo's twin-scroll. It also shares in part the active differential all-wheel drive system which is switchable to suit road, gravel or snow conditions, a twin-clutch transmission and alloy bonnet to reduce weight.There's 177Kw on tap at 6000 revs (down by 50kW on the Evo) and a fist full of 343Nm torque (down 23Nm) with little in the way of turbo lag. While not as potent at the Evo, the Ralliart's performance nevertheless is surprisingly surefooted and quick on and off road.But you need to get the Ralliart above 2000 revs before that power comes into play. Peak torque is on tap from 2500 to 4750rpm, just where you need it for swift overtaking or tackling twisty mountain roads.The downside: power comes at a price in the form of thirsty fuel consumption.Given a choice, in my book the sportback looks better than the more practical sedan but the hatch's rear visibility is limited by the heavy C-pillar. The cabin will fit four adults in comfort, even the back seat; the front buckets offering excellent support.The dressed in black cabin styling also gets a tick of approval, especially the instruments, although I am still coming to grips with the exterior lines, particularly the elongated nose with what Mitsubishi describes as a jet fighter grilleThe suspension set up is softer than the Evo so there's a bit more body roll and pitching in the twisty stuff. But the car is far more liveable and quieter on a day to day basis, unless you like, of course, the Evo's annoying bone jarring ride.The six-speed twin clutch manual-auto gearbox is also borrowed from the Evo with slightly modified top end ratios to provide better fuel consumption. It's better than the VW DSG setup but isn't as slick as the PDK system from Porsche although it still offers seamless gear changes. It has two modes — sport and normal — but not the track-ready Super Sport mode featured in the Evo.The shift paddles on the steering wheel are cumbersome to operate and I dislike the invasive nature of the transmission in auto mode by holding the car in too lower gear descending hills. Flicking the paddle shift takes it back to manual mode solves the problem.So, is it as good as an Evo? No, but it comes so close. You can have just as much fun and the Ralliart version for $16,000 less and it's easier to drive.SnapshotPrice: $43,890, sedan or sportbackEngine: 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinderPower: 2-litre in-line 4, 177kW @6000rpm, 343Nm @2500-4750rpmTransmission: Twin-clutch, six-speed manual/auto.Rivals: Golf Gti, Ford Focus XR5, Subaru WRX

So you, the driver, can choose who sits in the remaining seat. No kids in the back jabbing each other with their elbows, staring at the floor so they turn green with car sickness or whine about not be

DrivetrainsBoth cars are fitted with a 1.5litre SOHC i-VTEC engine that puts out 88kW at 6600rpm and 145Nm at 4800rpm. The VTi we tested gets power to the wheels via a five speed automatic transmission and the VTi-S uses a five speed manual.Combined fuel economy for the VTi auto is 6.7L/100km. That figure drops by 0.3 for the manual. The VTi auto has a CO2 emission rate of 159g/km and the VTi-S creeps under that at 151g/km.ExteriorThe Honda design team call the new Jazz shape a ‘super forward form with front pillars as far forward as possible’. The tapering effect gives the impression of more space but also makes it look agile and ready.Side-on you notice the quarter window in front of the a pillar which takes a bit of getting used to but again gives the impression of more space outside and in. On the outside, the main bits the VTi-S gets over the VTi are 16 inch alloys, side skirts and sports bumpers.InteriorInside the Jazz is deceptively spacious. The front quarter window — although a bit weird — does help it look bigger thanks to the extra light. Honda has retained the same simple principles of the outgoing Jazz for the interior design in the new one. The dash is simple and intuitive and the finish is polished.As well as a multi-information display, steering wheel controls and 60/40 split fold rear seats, the VTi-S also gets a little more leather and cruise control. The cabin has plenty of storage space including 10 cup holders and the cargo area holds 848 litres with the back seats down (337 litres with them up).SafetyBoth the VTi and VTi-S have achieved a four(out of five) star ANCAP safety rating. Safety features include a front and rear airbag package, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, central locking and an immobiliser.PricingThe Honda Jazz range starts at $16,490 for the manual GLi. The automatic VTi costs $21,890 and the VTi-S manual is $22,490.DrivingThe Jazz has undoubtedly been a sales success for Honda here in Australia. It is a competent, practical car for the young female market as well as pensioners with active grandchildren.Honda has a reputation for quality and there is a minor prestige associated with the name but does the Jazz offer enough bang for your buck. We thought probably not.After driving both the VTi Auto ($22,790) and the VTi-S Manual (22,990) were left less than impressed. The auto in the VTi made highway cruising a frustrating experience with a poor change pattern and whining engine tone. The manual is a far better option.The manual is also the better option for purchase price and on-going costs with the auto adding $2300 to the tag and 1.1 litre of fuel per 100km under urban driving conditions - which would account for most of the driving this type of vehicle would do.While styling is mostly a thing of personal taste, the Jaz appears both fussy and bland. The main selling point with this style of car is its versatility, and in that respect it delivers, but so does its competitors.Overall, it is competent and not a bad choice – just not the best choice. Recommendation? Also look at the Korean Honda – the Hyundai i30CW.Rating: VTi auto - 6.6/10 — Vti-S manual: 6.8/10.

Development took place between 1995 and 2001 under the directorship of the Rover Group.In 1999 BMW took control of the Rover Group in one of the many large takeovers of the period. BMW sold off Rover in 2000 but decided to keep the Mini as a seperate brand. This second period Mini is sometimes called ‘BMW Mini’ or the ‘New Mini’.Mini is 55cm longer, 30cm and 400kg heavier than the original. These figures have prompted many enthusiasts of the original to feel that Mini is not a true successor and some purists disparage Mini as unworthy of the name, however many other enthusiasts have embraced it..First Generation Mini was launched in April 2001 and on 3 April 2007, the one millionth Mini was produced after six years of production, one month longer than it took the classic Mini to reach the same total in March 1965.Since 2001 many variants have been produced as well as numerous show and concept versions. The Mini is now in what is known as the Second Generation and currently there are three body types: hatchback, convertible and Clubman. as well as many power variants from electric, diesel through to the 155kW John Cooper Garage versionFirst generationMk I Mini HatchbackFirst generation Mk I Mini Cooper SProduction2001-2006 (Mk I hatchback)2005-2008 (Mk I convertible)Body style(s)3-door hatchback2-door convertibleEngine* 1.4L Tritec I4 (One)* 1.4L Toyota 1ND-TV diesel (D)* 1.6L Tritec I4 (Cooper)* 1.6L Tritec supercharged I4 (S)Transmission* CVT* 5-speed manual* 6-speed automatic and manualSecond generation – 2007 - continuingMini introduced a brand new, thoroughly re-worked second generation car in 2007. The Gen 2 Mini (or R56), utilises a re-engineered platform with numerous engineering and styling changes. The drivetrain is shared with Peugeot and Citroen and is designed to be more cost effective to manufacture and fuel efficient to run. Generation Two was engineered in the UK by BMW.Body* 3-door hatchback* 2-door convertible* 5-door estateEngine* 1.4L Prince I4 (One)* 1.6L Prince I4 (Cooper)* 1.6L Peugeot DV6 diesel I4 (Cooper D)* 1.6L Prince turbocharged I4 (Cooper S)Transmission* 6-speed automatic* 6-speed manualRelated articles:Mini: Car of the Week (part 1)Mini diesel price announcedFirst drive: 2009 Mini Cooper CabrioIn the garage: Mini Cooper ChilliBathurst 1000 - past winnersFind your very own Mini

That problem is simply getting bums on seats. That usually takes a hero car. One that is a bit special, whether that's a high-performance star or something so different as to be irresistible. The Kia Soul has gone down the ‘let's be different’ road and it could just be the tonic the company needs.The Soul will be released in Australia in three specification levels and two engines — a 91kW/156Nm 1.6-litre DOHC petrol and the 94kW and 260Nm 1.6-litre common rail diesel already seen in Australian in the award-winning Hyundai i30. Both engines are coupled to the company's ageing 4-speed automatic and slick 5-speed manual.The entry level Soul starts at $20,990 for the manual petrol with a $2000 premium for the automatic. The bottom spec car will not be offered as a diesel.The Soul comes standard with six airbags, ABS with EBD, 15-inch steel wheels, air-conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, immobiliser, central locking and 6-speaker MP3 compatible stereo.Step up to Soul2 (Squared) for $23,990 and stability control with traction control, 16-inch alloys, driver's seat height adjustment, roofrails and steering wheel mounted audio controls become standard. You can also get the diesel engine for an additional $3500 and automatic for $2000.At the top of the range the Soul3 (Cubed) is $27,390 (plus $3500 for the diesel) and is available as automatic only. There are also standard 18-inch alloys, additional body mouldings and headlight `eye-liners’, heated external mirrors, privacy glass, an underfloor wet box in the boot and a premium sound system with sub-woofer, external amp, centre speaker and ‘mood’ sensitive speaker lighting. Strangely the roof rails that come standard on the Soul2 are a cost option on the Soul3.Stylistically the Soul is an urban box. That is not to be unkind, some of the most successful of the so-called compact urban vehicles are just that — a basic square block on wheels, and there are some very good reasons for that. But more of that later.From that starting point the trick is to sex-up the basic product. Give it a cool name, trick up the look and add a hook that a cashed-up segment of potential buyers will find hard to resist.For Honda it is the Element, Nissan the Cube and Toyota the Scion Xb — all aimed at relieving the restless and style-conscious Gen-Y of their cash.What is very much in Kia's favour in Australia is that the Soul is the first such car into the market.The hook, in the case of the Soul, is the ability to add some individual flair. This doesn't stretch to the Smart car's interchangeable body panels but there is enough scope to do a soft-core `Pimp My Ride'.A selection of decals — three at this stage, a range of flashy bits and pieces such as a sports kit and extra chrome, 11 exterior colours and three interior treatments are enough to give more than 10,000 possible combinations.In keeping with the Gen-Y theme the external flash has been described as the automotive equivalent of body art — tattoos and eyeliners without the permanency, as the decals can be removed and replaced at whim, for a price.Open the doors — here is where the benefits of the box design become evident — and the interior space is truly impressive.Without the need for swooping rooflines and sloping windscreens style gives way to practicality. The space belongs to the passengers and the all-round vision is impressive.There is genuine large car generosity in head, leg and shoulder room for four. Luggage space is limited but the rear seats split and fold for longer loads or that heavy shopping day.The interior plastics are hard to the touch and there is little about the cabin that could be described as plush.In the higher specification cars the blacks and greys are lightened by seat treatments that mirror some of the exterior flair.Six airbags, including curtain bags, are standard across the range as is anti-lock braking. Stability control is not available on the base model — which weighs heavily against it — but is standard on the Soul2 (squared) and Soul3 (cubed).Another omission is cruise control which isn't offered on any grade, although Kia says it will be available on diesel models from August.On the move the story is one that has become almost a standard in the small and medium car market — pay the premium and get the diesel.The strength of the diesel with its wider torque band more than makes up for the initial noise intrusion and while the four-speed auto is no benchmark it is infinitely better suited to the 1.6-litre common rail diesel than to the similar capacity petrol where it spends much of its time hunting for torque.For both engines, the five-speed manual is a better option but the market has said time and again that when it comes to the crunch it’s an automatic world.Steering is on the light side, with feel and feedback neither exceptional nor dreadful. Adequate may be damning with faint praise, but that is what it is and all most buyers will expect.The driving experience can be improved by saving a few dollars and not opting for the optional 18-inch rims. The Blazer styling may look better but the bigger wheels with their lower-profile tyres make for a harsher ride on the Soul's independent front strut and torsion beam rear suspension package.Settle for the less imposing 16-inch rims with 205/55R16 rubber and you will find it not only more refined but also quieter with less tyre roar.

Of course, that’s part of the reason Audi has so many options available in the range – the aim is to provide something for everybody.DrivetrainsBoth engines are DOHC in line fours with gasoline direct injection, and have an exhaust turbocharger with intercooler.The 1.4 puts out 92kW at 5000rpm and 200Nm at 1500-4000rpm, while the 2.0 gets 147kW at 5100-6000rpm and 280Nm at 1700-5000rpm. Audi’s S-tronic dual clutch system is fitted to both units but the 2.0litre is a six-speed – not a seven – and has paddle shifters.With a top speed of 236km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 6.7 seconds, the 2.0litre quattro is significantly quicker than the front wheel drive which tops out at 203km/h via a 9.5 second 0-100km/h.Fuel consumption is impressive for the smaller-engined car at 5.8l/100km(combined). CO2 emissions are equally frugal at 137g/km. The 2.0litre car burns a combined 7.6l/100km and releases 180gm/km of CO2.ExteriorThe high shoulder line and striking front and distinctive rear of the five-door A3 Sportback combines the sportiness of a coupe with the practicality of a roomy hatchback.On the outside the major differences between the 1.4litre and the 2.0litre A3’s are the inch bigger dark wheels and the sport suspension on the quattro.Electric mirrors, remote central locking and an engine immobiliser are standard on both cars, and features like Audi’s park assist system, xenon adaptive headlights and the sunroof are available for extra dough.InteriorOn the inside, the A3 Sportback is what we have come to expect from Audi – simple, intuitive controls with comfortable attractive seats and trim - put together with quality materials and workmanship that reflects the attention to detail the German marque is famous for.As standard for both cars you get dual climate control, a driver information system and electric windows but in the 2.0litre version you also get a multi function leather sports steering wheel, with paddle shifters, sports front seats and a six-disc symphony stereo. The rear seats are split-fold and there is plenty of handy storage space.SafetyAlong with the comprehensive airbag package, both cars have electronic stability program, ABS, hill hold assist and anti-slip regulation, as standard.PricingAudi A3 1.4 TFSI starts at $39,950. Audi A3 2.0 TFSI quattro starts at $53,200.DrivingIn this day of multiple variations per model type, we are used to considerable performance difference per variation. The standard six cylinder Falcon versus the six cylinder Typhoon is a prime example. However never before have we driven two cars so similar on paper with such a vastly different driving experience. The 1.4-litre seven-speed A3 up against the 2.0-litre six-speed are chalk and cheese. Actually it is more like dross and bullion.One Carsguide staffer gave the 1.4 the unfortunate mantle of “the worst car I have driven”. On the other hand the 2.0-litre A3 is a car we would put near the top of its sector. The cars feel like they were built by two different manufacturers, one a start-up Indian company, the other Audi.The smaller car is borderline dangerous, with poor feel and response in both braking and acceleration. It just does not inspire any confidence to overtake.On the other hand the bigger one feels dependable and trustworthy. Touch the accelerator and you know you will get a good response, hit the brake and you can trust it won’t grab.One of the main faults with the 1.4-litre seems to lie with the transmission. The seven-speed auto just seems to get confused but that’s not the only issue. There seems to also be an inordinate amount of turbo-lag. You don’t find any of these issues with the 2.0-litre car.Verdict 2.0T – buy one – 8.3/101.8T – don’t touch it with a barge pole – 3.3/10

Kia is certainly banking on it with the new Soul crossover car, which comes with a wardrobe of slick colours, and some rather startling accessories – including decal `tatts’ and black bezel `eyeliner’.That’s coupled with a sharp starting price of $20,990, which gets you into the base model Soul, with a five-speed manual transmission mated to a1.6-litre petrol engine developing 91kW of power at 6300rpm and 156kW of torque at 4200rpm. Opt for the six-speed tiptronic auto and you add $2000 to the price.If you’d prefer the 1.6-litre diesel version borrowed from the Hyundai i30 (94kW at 4000rpm and 260Nm at 1900rpm), it’s an extra $3,500.For base Soul you get 15” steel wheels, space saver spare, six airbags, iPod-compatible audio system and the usual powered bits and pieces.Step into Soul2 (Soul Squared) at $23,190 and you get roof rails, 16” alloy wheels and extra trim. An electronic stability system is an option at this level, but as part of a pack that includes 18” alloys.Soul3 (Soul Cubed) puts you on the 18” wheels and adds all the fruit – but still with plenty of scope to add personal touches like decals, interior trim, bezel garnishes (called ‘eyeliner’ in the catalogue) or a glow-in-the-dark fabric pattern.But oddly, you can’t have cruise control, because Kia says the petrol engine is not calibrated for it, although the diesel will have it later this year.Kia Australia product planning manager Nick Reid describes the base Soul as “a blank canvas” for people to play with, and says that level and the top spec will grab most of the sales.“People will mainly go for the added value of the top level, or they’ll go for the base level and do their own thing,” Reid says.“We’ve got a strong offering of after-market factory accessories and options to dress it up.”Reid admits there’s a bit of a jump to get into the diesel, but says the extra cost is in the materials and manufacture.“There’s a higher cost of raw materials, more hardware and technology like the particulate filter,” he says.Reid expects to be one of the most attractive factors of the Soul to be the size of the five-door body: 4105mm long, 1785mm wide and 1610mm high with a wheelbase of 2550mm and tracks of 1570 front and 1575 rear.It sits on brand new underpinnings – following the concept of the Kia Cerato but not the same platform, and expected to spread to future cars – with a lightweight, tight rear suspension intended to add a sporty taste.“This is the first application of the platform, but it will be the basis for other cars going forward,” Reid says.“The thing that stands out is the overall packaging and dimensions. On paper it’s hard to appreciate the size. “Anybody from 18 to 80 will appreciate the practicality. We’re not just targeting Gen-Y.”Reid admits supply of the cars is tight because of overseas demand, and says Kia Australia will get 500 cars to last to the end of this year. Or perhaps more – head office may be flexible if the market is responsive.“There’s a need to treat the Soul differently (to the normal business case),” he says.“The Soul is about brand building, about changing people’s perceptions and attracting a younger audience.“It’s 500 for the rest of the year, but we would revisit it if the demand was there.”The first thing you notice is how much room there is inside the Soul. It’s a very compact body when you put it up against even the smaller SUVs, but the Soul’s boxy shape means you’ve a lot more usable space than you’d expect – especially towards the headlining.The second thing you notice is how good the visibility is, with the exception of the rear three-quarter outlook, where the thickened C-pillar styling makes it a chore and dictates you’ll be using your side mirrors a lot.Unfortunately, the third thing we noticed was how utilitarian some of the internal plastics were, undermining some of the good first impressions.And while we were expecting to find some bids for funky Gen-Y styling in the features, the blood-red interior of the dash-mounted storage caddy was … well, strangely disturbing. And the glow-in-the-dark logo upholstery is a matter of personal taste, we suppose.But those points aside, the Soul is fitted out cosmetically well for its price range. And Kia expects a lot of buyers to upgrade into the options list.We’d advise against them putting the larger 18” wheels in the shopping trolley, as they undermine the efforts of the suspension over most surfaces, and the standard 16” wheels were fine except for the raw of the hard tyres. Spend your money on better rubber instead of bigger metal.The diesel engine puts out a bit of clatter at the start, but smooths as it warms up. The unit is a winner in its cousin, the Hyundai i30, and while it has a bit more weight to contend with in the Soul it manages the job well in the manual, but tends to lag with the auto.The petrol version can get sluggish under 2500rpm, but keep it ticked above that and its responsive for most tasks. We drove the petrol unit only with the manual transmission – which has light, but good shift feel – and found it worked well with the engine, but suspect that the auto might be too laid-back to get the most out of it.The light steering won’t win any performance drivers, but for the urban round this car will mostly be consigned to – despite Kia aiming for the active Gen-Y market — it should be just fine.The overall impression is that even if the styling isn’t to everybody’s taste, this is a big step forward for Kia, and probably signals more is on the way.

I still have fond memories of my Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti.

And VW has taken that approach with the new version.The GTI has long been the yardstick for the hot hatch class, and has a huge fan club. It´s sold 1.7 million around the world since it first appeared in 1976. In Australia, the Golf was VW´s best-selling model last year, and about 25 per cent of the 11,632 buyers were happy to pay the extra $13,000 whack to get into the GTI.So the new car has been patterned after the old one in just about every way. Anything that has been changed in this sixth generation still follows the recipe, and a lot has been carried over.The body is still in both three-door or five-door form, but now crouches 22mm lower at the front and 15mm at the rear, sitting on retuned springs, dampers and stabilisers, all aiming to increase the already agile handling..There are subtle changes to the looks, mainly around the front. Where the previous model had a gaping grille and rounded light elements, the revamped version of the black honeycomb grille has a body-coloured strip dissecting it, and the red bezel accent is now parallel lines accentuating the more geometric foglights and chunkier lower air dam.At the tail, the dual exhausts and revised diffuser have come from the concept shown at the recent Paris Motor Show, but apart from those details there is little altered around the back.Slip into the driver’s seat and you’ll find the flat-bottomed steering wheel has been given a cosmetic brush-up with more red-stitched finish, the centre stack has been revamped a little, and there are touches of chrome on the instruments.The car gets the a turbocharged 2.0-litre four cylinder TSI engine, with the same 280Nm of torque as the previous GTI but 8kW more power at 155kW due to a slightly modified induction system, and changes to pistons and pumps that make for less friction.The maximum toque now has an earlier entry and even better spread from 1700-5200rpm (1800-5000 previously), but there is no gain over the 0-100km/h of 6.9 seconds (auto) and 7.2 seconds (manual) of the outgoing mode. However, the rolling acceleration from 80-120km/h is 7.5 seconds in fifth gear and 9.6 seconds in sixth – slower than figures clocked during independent tests of GTI MkV that had it at 6.9 and 8.6 respectively.However it has picked up 5km for the top speed to come in at 240 km/h, and has cut fuel consumption from 8.2l/100km down to 7.5l/100. Emissions are similarly down from 197g/km of CO2 to 170g/km of CO2, helping it meet Euro 5 emissions compliance. .Those hoping to see the seven-speed twin-clutch transmission that is trickling across the Volkswagen stables will be disappointed – the GTI is keeping the six-slot DSG for the moment, along with the six-speed manual – until the seven is developed to handle a better torque load.However there are still some important – although not revolutionary — changes under the skin, including a new electronically controlled diff that loads up the inside wheel in cornering for better traction, handling and to reduce understeer. It’s not activated by slip, and not actually a diff lock as such, but more an application of judicious braking to bring the wheel under better control.And just in case you exceed the limit of the diff’s ability, there’s now a seventh (knee) airbag.The main feature (seen on a lot of stable-mate Audi’s cars) is an adaptive chassis control system with three modes – comfort, normal and sport – that can be selected to change the suspension and steering to suit the conditions. Sadly, it’s not standard but an option on other Golfs, and could end up being an expensive addition to the GTI.Also available as an option is adaptive cruise control, which automatically brakes and accelerates between 30k-210 km/h, bi-xenon headlights, revised park assist that now guides you into any spot as small as 1.1metres longer than the car (1.4 previously).There are no indications yet of whether the GTI will be hit with a huge price increase, and the decision is more likely to depend on currency exchange rates than any other factor.However VW Australia spokesman Karl Gehling says efforts will be made to keep it close to the current model’s prices, which start at $38,990 for the three-door manual.“We worked hard on the new Golf to maintain a competitive price point, and will do the same with GTI,” Gehling says.“We want to keep it as close to the current pricing as possible, but we have to take into account the different specification for the new GTI, and of course there’s the effect of whatever happens with the Australian dollar.”Gehling says that while he won’t make any sales predictions, VW could reasonably expect to hold the current figures of 200-250 per monthDriving The GTI at once feels familiar, and yet you’re aware of the changes. For a start, the engine sounds rortier – but that could be extra noise defence padding the cabin.Except for some wind-rush around the wing mirrors, the interior is now hush-quiet – all the better to hear the engine with, especially in Sport mode on the DSG where you get a delicious crackle and pop through the changes.And that’s where you’ll probably want to keep it, if you opt for the twin-clutch. The normal fully auto mode is noticeably sluggish by comparison … although probably better designed for you to approach the official improved fuel figure.But it will be tempting to ignore the fuel budget, because the engine is an enthusiastic partner in environmental crime, letting you dip into the torque quite early and happy to give up more right across the range.Steering is precise and refined, perhaps too refined as there were complaints from some of the drivers at the launch in France about a lack of feedback. However VW says nothing has changed on the system from MkV GTI.And the tendency of the comfort setting on the chassis control system to render the steering and dynamic abilities of a chocolate pudding — compared with the sport mode – didn’t endear it a great deal. In comfort mode with full auto on the DSG, the car felt too sluggish, and very uncharacteristic of a GTI.Dialling up the sportiest notch on the chassis control system helped the dynamics a bit when you were in auto, but by far the best fun of course is with all that added to the DSG’s sport function.It insists on holding the gears, changes down almost before you think you want to and offers slot-car manners around the corners.The suspension in this setting was brilliant for cutting through some sharp cornering, but you could clearly feel the effect when the wheels hit uneven edges in some places.The manual shift is smooth and solid — without being heavy — and deliciously precise, and is probably going to remain the favourite of those who want to really get to grips with their driving, despite VW saying the DSG shifts faster.The electronic stability control is unobtrusive, and there was little sign of understeer – even when it was punched hard through the bends – which suggests that the faux diff control’s braking effect is a worthwhile system.Of course, most of those performance and handling points are part of the recipe of the current model. But with the new – or slightly new – one, it’s all slightly improved.