Understeer occasionally lurked in the shadows, but attentive driving, a conscious effort to not overcook things too dramatically and the good tyre choice kept the car on track. It is a remarkably well-balanced steer and capable of very quick point-to-point driving.

We must note that our tester came fitted with the optional Sport Pack, which brings with it a quartet of sophisticated adaptive dampers as well as the aforementioned 17-inch wheels. Handling was appreciably taut as a result, but as we found out on the Golf VI press preview, the non-sport pack equipped model isn’t exactly a sloppy steerer either.

The traction control lit up a few times, but we’ll put that down to the roads being a little damp in places, with some light surface water in a couple of the corners.

Ride quality, to put it simply, is excellent. There are a few secondary road options for the trip to Walhalla, but if there’s a car I’d be happy to make the trip in again, it’s this one. The Golf VI eats bumps like they’re marshmallows, absorbing broken shoulders and potholes like they’re not there.

It’s quiet too. Volkswagen has thrown a lot of euros at improving the Golf’s NVH characteristics, and it shows. Gone are the squeaks and rattles that plagued the Golf V’s dashboard, and thanks to 10 percent thicker windows, more aerodynamic wing mirrors and a special sound-deadening layer on the windscreen, all traces of wind noise have gone with them.

Sadly, as beautifully quiet as it is inside, it’s just too damn quiet outside. Looking at it from the rear, you’d assume those twin exhaust tips were hinting at some noise, but, unlike the luscious burble of the GTi, the TSI is a tad flat. (Nothing much going on in the aural excitement department.)

But it should be remembered that the target market for this car, despite its turbo and supercharger assisted engine, is not the enthusiast sporting driver. No, the reality is that this car is aimed at ‘the masses’ - commuters, younger buyers, young families - and priced accordingly.

As such, perhaps it shouldn’t be looked at as anything more than a very, very nice way to get from A to B (with the occasional detour through C… and D; with this Golf, you go looking for the long way round).

With the Golf 118 TSI, Volkswagen has given us a non-GTI Golf that is fun to drive, has a hot-hatch turn of speed, offers sharp handling, and, thanks to that robust and efficient little engine, combines all three behind a miserly fuel economy.

It is also beautifully equipped and presented. With packages like this, ‘the masses’ are getting awfully spoiled.

Equipment and Features

Our test car was fitted with Volkswagen’s RNS510 satellite navigation and media control unit, which we found to be almost faultless. It seemed to wander off into the forest on the road to Walhalla, but we’ve yet to find a GPS system that didn’t manage that feat.

Volkswagen’s rear view camera was integrated with our test car, as well.

Also featured - and this was a favourite of ours - was Volkswagen’s “Park Assist” system, which flawlessly parallel parked our test car between two other vehicles. A hairy experience, to be sure, but you get used to trusting it. The robot revolution is on the way…

For safety, the new Golf features driver and front passenger airbags, driver’s knee airbag, driver and front passenger side airbags, as well as curtain airbags front and rear, across the entire range.

The 2009 Volkswagen Golf features ABS, Brake Assist, Electronic Brake-pressure Distribution and, with the DSG model, Hill Start Assist.

Traction control is standard on all models, with Anti-Slip Regulation, Electronic Differential Lock, and ESP.

Verdict

It’s an early bet, and mine is just one voice, but if the new Golf 118 TSI doesn’t figure well in the 2009 TMR Best Value Best Drive Awards, I’ll… well, I’ll have to eat my hat.

Thanks to turbo and supercharger assistance, the 1.4 litre petrol engine has been turned into a micro-powerhouse. It’s no GTI, but until the hero Golf arrives later this year, the 118 TSI will hold the fort. For those that don’t need or can’t stretch the budget for the GTI, this is the mini-hot hatch for them.

Likes

• Amazing power for a 1.4 litre
• Stunning, upmarket interior redesign
• Brilliant handling

Dislikes

• Not a DSG convert just yet
• Underwhelming, almost non-existent exhaust note