Volkswagen says that the Mk.V car returns to the GTI's real roots, but after the

Adding more power and more weight didn't work on Mk.III and IV. Mk.V needs to do more to win hearts back. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

past two generations it's going to be hard to convince people. Right off the bat, the outlook is overcast: this latest GTI is based off the fifth-generation Golf, which is longer, wider and taller than the ones currently roaming the planet. Eighty percent more torsionally rigid it may be, but it's also substantially heavier than the previous generation. That's not a good thing, either, as weight is the natural enemy to anything that's supposed to go fast and be able to change direction quickly. But don't be too quick to discount it as a GTI imposter: this is the real deal.

One thing that the designers in charge of the GTI got 100 percent right is the bodywork; it's jam-packed with all of those heritage details,

Honeycomb grille, red outline, and classic GTI typeset re-kindle the classic spirit in appearance. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

giving a healthy nod to the original without being a blatant rip-off. The changes made are subtle and tasteful; they really do transform a rather ordinary looking machine into something that's not just a Golf. The chrome 'bib' has been replaced with one that's pitch black; the grille, reworked with honeycomb mesh, is ever so delicately outlined in red. The lower bumper with its three deep intakes is aggressive but not showy, and much the same can be said about the rear spoiler or the red-painted brake calipers. What I like most about its design is that it isn't susceptible to fads and trends; it should forever remain timeless and most likely won't ever go out of style. Sort of like those classic white tennis shoes or an un-tucked white dress shirt.

There

You couldn't ask for a better interior in a sporty, compact car. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

is absolutely zero doubt in my mind that the GTI has one of the best interiors of any sports compact car, bar none. The Recaro seats are perfect, their aggressive bolstering holds you firmly in place, and the flat-bottomed steering wheel's about as good as they come; combining a narrow diameter with a plump rim that's perfectly contoured for driving with hands at 3 and 9. It really puts you in the mood for enthusiastic driving. The shift knob isn't a golf ball (an option), but it's funky and chunky, plus the pedals are hunks of rubber-studded aluminum. Yet what makes me want to give VW a standing ovation is the fact that at the heart of the new GTI is a Golf. Everything's screwed tight, with no squeaks and rattles, the plastic is of high quality, and the whole car feels thousands and thousands of dollars more expensive than it actually costs.

The new GTI doesn't make any more horsepower than the outgoing 200-hp 2.8L V6, but that 200-horsepower is now generated from an

2.0T engine sounds and performs wonderfully. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press)

engine that's seven-tenths the size and has two less cylinders, which saves precious kilos; not to mention even more precious gasoline. Mind you, no other GTI has benefited from as much technology as this; assisted by a low-pressure turbocharger and the same FSI fuel-injection technology that helped Audi sweep Le Mans, the new car actually manages to deliver 207 lb-ft of torque, or twice that of the original car. This is important, considering it weighs about twice as much as the original. It's also much quicker than the classic '79; for the six-speed manual car, 100 km/h is eliminated in just seven seconds, and with the DSG the numbers dip into the high sixes. Keep your foot planted and it'll keep accelerating until it hits an electronic barrier of 208 km/h (130 mph).