The Czech company’s vRS stock continued to grow with this Skoda Octavia model, and the famous badge is still recognised by many as a more practical alternative to a GTI. That’s very true of this Skoda Octavia vRS. It uses the same platform as the 2013 Volkswagen Golf, and the same engines too. The...

While some manufacturers may have pinched the GTI badge for sporty versions of their hatchbacks, the fact is that there is only one true claimant to the name and that’s the Volkswagen Golf GTI. The seventh generation Golf GTI follows the now familiar formula with a turbocharged 2.0 TSI petrol...

The Ford Puma ST certainly looks the part. With a sporty bodykit, lowered suspension and 19-inch alloy wheels, it appears purposeful without being in-your-face. It’s a similar story inside, where oh-so-comfortable and supportive Recaro seats are complemented by a flat-bottomed steering wheel, aluminium...

Sticking with that dog theme, you won't find another hot hatchback on the market with more pedigree. The first-generation Golf GTI is now over 45 years old, and while some fast Fords were kicking around back then, the latest models don't carry the same lineage.  The Golf GTI has been constant, proving...

The Volkswagen Golf GTE is a hot hatchback that promises pious fuel consumption and environmental friendliness. Pitched as a plug-in hybrid version of the legendary Volkswagen Golf GTI , the GTE accordingly has big shoes to fill. Volkswagen has set the bar high, giving the GTE the same 245PS power...

None of us are getting any younger, but despite our ever-advancing years, we all like to think we’ve still got something to offer the world. Besides, it’s not nice to think we’ll be headed straight for the knacker’s yard the instant a wrinkle or a grey hair appears. But while age comes to us all...