Walkaround

While not as stylish as, say, a Mini Cooper, the all-new 2006 Volkswagen GTI has come quite a way from the very boxy hatchback of yore. And though its corners may have been softened, it's face has been made bolder. Plus, there's just enough of a muscular bulge to its fender wells, which are well-filled by 17- or 18-inch tires, and just enough lip to its rear spoiler to hint at this car's performance potential.

This new hot hatch wears the same GTI badge as the original, and it displays it like a well-earned lapel pin against a black, honeycomb grille that features a red accent stripe in the shape of a slightly devilish smile.

The shape of the headlamp covers, which have an almost winking eye form, accentuates this mischievous attitude. Three large, black honeycombed air vents in the lower fascia enhance the strength of the front end, with large fog lamps housed in the outboard intakes.

Viewed in profile, the windshield rakes quickly back over the front of the passenger compartment and the roofline ends with a wind-cheating spoiler above the back window. This view also gains visual strength and a sporty stance from the way the car's waistline rises and the side windows taper above the rear fenders.

Also noticeable in the profile view are the red-colored brake calipers that show through all of the various wheel choices and proclaim that this is an all-around performance car, designed to stop as well as it goes.

Like the profile, the rear view is clean, with large tail lamps mounted high on the car's haunches with twin exhaust tips peaking out from the lower left side of the black bumper.

Interior Features

While the GTI may look compact on the outside, there's an amazing amount of room inside, some 94.2 cubic feet of passenger compartment volume (almost as much as in the passenger compartment of the VW Passat, a roomy, family-sized sedan), including 15.1 cubic feet for cargo behind the rear seatback. The cargo area is fully carpeted, and cargo can be secured via four tie-down hooks. There's also a cargo cover to hide your gear; the cover can be removed when carrying taller objects.

The rear seat can hold three people, though it's best suited for two, who can get even more comfortable by tipping out the wide armrest that forms the center seatback. Those sitting in the back have both cup holders and storage cubbies for their stuff. There's plenty of rear legroom, at least when someone in, say, the 5-foot-10 range is occupying the front seat.

Access to the back seat is easier because of a feature that VW calls its Easy Entry System. Here's how it works: You tip the front seatback forward until it snaps into a locked position, then you can slide the entire seat forward to open a good-sized path to the back seat. Slide the front seat back and it stops in its original position and the seat back also returns to its former position so the driver or front-seat passenger can climb in without having to make any readjustments. It works well.

The front passenger's seat offers good legroom and easy access to climate and audio controls, though the seat you want in the GTI is the one immediately behind the steering wheel. This is a car for driving enthusiasts and it's best experienced from the driver's seat.

Both front seats are nicely bolstered so you won't slide around while exploring the car's dynamic capabilities. However, this is not a car for everyone. The seats may be too snug for some, and others won't like the black, grey, white and red-striped Interlagos plaid pattern in the seating and back area between the bolsters. GTI faithful will love these seats, however, and consider the Interlagos plaid an iconic part of the original GTI. Those who really don't like it can always opt for the black leather seats with the small GTI emblem stitched into the upper part of the seat back.

Drivers will like the way the three-spoke, leather-covered and flat-bottomed (like a racecar) steering wheel both tilts and telescopes to enhance steering control and comfort. The alloy pedals with rubber grips are nicely placed for heel-and-toe shifting, and there's a large dead pedal for your left foot when it isn't depressing the clutch pedal.

The steering wheel includes audio and trip computer control buttons. On cars with the DSG transmission, racecar-style paddle shifters are on the steering wheel right at your fingertips.

The instrument panel (which is not shared with the new Golf) features VW's blue-lit gauges with red indicator arrows as well as trip computer to track miles to empty or to display redundant navigation system instructions within the driver's line of sight. The gauge cluster is very readable, even in bright sunlight when the driver is wearing Polarized sunglasses.

Not only are the seats height-adjustable, but so is the arm rest on the center console, so you can put it high for comfortable cruising or lower it so it won't interfere when you get aggressive with the six-speed manual shifter. Cup holders also are positioned on the center console so they don't interfere with gear changing. And when the driver gets really aggressive, there's a grab handle on the center console so the front-seat passenger can hold on.