Refreshed a year ago, the Volkswagen Golf GTI remains true to the hot hatch genre it pioneered. Practical, powerful and pleasant to drive every day, it benefits from a rigid chassis and high build quality. However, the GTI’s reliability proves inconsistent and the human-machine interface still suffers from ergonomic issues. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivers 241 horsepower (compared to 261 hp in Europe), but it is no longer available with a manual gearbox.