So the arrival of Golf the fifth begs more questions than those pertaining to extra space (plus-2in rear legroom thanks to a longer wheelbase), extra safety, extra equipment and extra eco-friendliness. We want extra evo-friendliness, too, something the newcomer promises, thanks to a new suspension design that came with the ex-Ford Focus engineers that VW, newly aware of its best-seller's dynamic shortcomings, poached for the purpose.

The problems before were the result of the ever-larger chunks of insulating rubber that Volkswagen had inserted in the Golf's suspension during the breed's 30-year life to date. That rubber excess made the mk4 feel refined and dull-witted like a bigger car; the light-footedness of a mk1 or the friendly agility of a mk2 had long gone. What to do? The Golf needed stiffness laterally (for sharp, accurate responses) but suppleness longitudinally (to maintain a decent ride).

Achieving this meant the end of the dear old torsion-beam rear axle and its replacement with a multi-link layout. And to sharpen up the front end the anti-roll bar ends are linked directly to the struts, a trick Ford copied from Peugeot.

So the mk5 Golf gets new suspension, plus a new electrically-assisted rack with the ability to alter its self-centring to take account of road cambers and crosswinds, all of it already seen in the platform-shared Audi A3.

Wrapping all this up is a body new in its wedginess, prominent lights and short nose, but still clearly Golfesque. The style seems underwhelmingly not-new, scared to kill the golden Golf goose, until you see a Five next to a suddenly-frumpy Four. Then you realise that it does work, that the Golf iconography is skilfully played out again.
The interior is more obviously new, with a facia less slab-like than before and featuring a pair of quasi-TT braces between console and tunnel. But what's this? The dash-top is a fine piece of padded slush-moulding, but nearly everywhere else is hard plastic with the only relief felt in the rubberised door-pulls. There must be a story here, given how Golf Four shocked its rivals into a new level of cabin finish, and there is. Golf Five will cost virtually the same as its predecessor, despite the more expensive suspension and higher technology tally, so money had to be saved somewhere.

Don't worry, it's still a high-quality cabin, all the better when garnished with little strips of aluminium (Sport) or wood (Comfort, or SE in the UK). The driving position can be rendered near-perfect, the dials and controls are bold and simple, the stereo sounds fine and there's plenty of space to put things.

Direct-injection FSI petrol engines feature prominently in the line-up, in 1.4, 1.6 and 2-litre capacity. Until the 200bhp turbocharged GTI arrives in the autumn, the most evo unit is the 2.0 FSI. Its 148bhp isn't startling, but this is an engine simultaneously torquey and revvy with a crisp note and more vigour than I remember from the A3. A standard six-speed gearbox helps; a DSG robotised three-shaft double-clutch sequential (and, breathe) is optional.

We also tried a 2.0 16V turbodiesel, in which marvellous mid-range overtaking ability made up for questionable high-revs refinement; six speeds and a DSG option here, too. As for the DSG itself, no other such device manages the first-to-second shift so cleanly, or works so convincingly in automatic mode.

Does the Golf handle? Yes, it does. In regular suspension trim it grips avidly with minimal tyre scrub, and you can point it and trim your line a little with the throttle. VW wanted a mk2 GTI's interactivity with a better ride, and that's what we have. The only cloud in dynamism's new blue sky is steering whose precision and consistency would be all the better if backed up by meatier weighting and a better feel of the road. It's competent but aloof.

Can the Sport suspension's stiffer settings, 0.6in lower ride height and broader tyres on bigger wheels help here? It certainly firms the ride (still far from harsh), crispens the helm and shows that here at last is a decent base for a proper GTI. But the weight and feedback? No change, I'm afraid.

Those assistance curves need re-writing - I'm sure the chaps will remember how from their Focus days.