So here it is. The latest Volkswagen Golf GTI. This has always been in my mind the grown-up person's hot hatch - too much so in fact in MK 2, 3 and 4 incarnations. Whereas the Mk1 version truly was the shopping rocket of its day, that car's predecessor's were progressively dumbed down. To the point where when our red MK5 GTI test car appeared in the carpark, my expectations weren't high. I was in for a shock.

Top Gear raved about this car, not only because it was fast but because it felt like a quality piece of kit. It didn't take me many miles behind the wheel to agree. Everything feels as it should in a £20,000 car. Which is just as well because this car costs a not insubstantial £20,815 in its most basic three-door form. A full-length honeycomb grille, 17-inch alloy wheels, a roof spoiler and GTI badging differentiate this car from its humbler brethren. I recognised the fascia design from the £50,000 Phaeton luxury saloon (no bad thing), although the centre console is lifted from the Touran mini-MPV. With the possible exception of its pricier Volkswagen Group cousin, the Audi A3, the cabin has the beating of anything out there as regards ambience. The interior features soft-feel slush-moulded plastics, high-quality switches, subtle use of chrome, fabric-covered A-pillars plus beautiful blue instrument backlighting.

This is where it counts of course. The engine powering the GTI is a turbocharged version of the 2.0-litre FSI engine, fettled to produce a hefty 200PS - around 198bhp in old money. Drive is directed to the front wheels in classic GTI style, and there's a six-speed manual as standard or the excellent DSG twin-clutch transmission available as an option. Owners can expect to accomplish the sprint to 60mph in around 6.5 seconds in a DSG-equipped car and look forward to a top speed that knocks on the door of 150mph. A combined fuel economy figure of around 36mpg means that the Golf won't cost a fortune to run either. Although I'd probably go back and reconsider the pearlescent paint and leather seats of my test car, I'd have to keep the DSG gearbox. The revolutionary Dynamic Shift Gearbox was first seen in the Audi TT 3.2 V6 coupe and is based around a sequential manual transmission but utilises an ingenious twin clutch system to ensure creamy smoothness. Engage first gear and the gearbox will pre-engage second gear in advance, the second clutch engaging as soon as you flick up to slot instantly into second gear. This means a seamless flow of power. The electronics predict what gear you're about to engage, depending on whether you're accelerating or braking and the result is astonishing, making every other gearbox look distinctly clunky. The other option is to slip it into 'D' and drive it like a normal automatic. Even in this mode it's butter smooth and makes other attempts at sequential manual systems such as Ferrari's F1, BMW's SMG and Alfa Romeo's Selespeed appear distinctly clunky and yester-tech. The GTI's engine is a real work of art too. Stand by for the technical bit. 'Fuel Stratified Injection' is a system that apparently promises the twin benefits of more power and better economy. A high-pressure fuel line mounted on the side of the cylinder head, often dubbed 'common rail', injects fuel straight into the combustion chamber. The shape of the pistons and the clever working of a set of valves make the air 'tumble', thus creating more efficient combustion.

If I could justify the upfront price and wanted a premium hot hatch, then yes. The Golf GTI is still the grown-up person's hot hatch but now, you don't need to lose your sense of fun to own one.