The origin story of the hot hatch is cloudy, but VW cut through the murk back in 1975. Has any car ever defined its class better than the MkI Golf GTI? Fifty years on, we’re still copying the same template: front drive, useful cabin, lumpy engine, cool without trying too hard.
Odd then, that VW lost its way after only a couple of goes. The MkIII was podgy, plain and underpowered. The MkIV was worse. But then, in 2005, came the MkV. It was TG’s Car of the Year, it identified the essence of what made the MkI and MkII great, and nailed the modern interpretation.
