THE mighty VW Golf GTI might get most of the column inches and the 'legend' tag - and rightly so - but its little sibling is a pocket rocket not to be missed.

If your budget can't stretch to the Golf GTI, or you simply don't need a mid-size car, then the Polo equivalent is a little cracker.

Under the bonnet is a 1.8 TSI turbo petrol boosted to a meaty 192ps, which will fire you to 62mph in a tidy 6.7 seconds.

The driving experience is exemplary, especially with the manual six-speed gearbox.

It's firm, assured and handles like it's glued to the road.

The power is addictive and just so much fun - get on the right road and you could play all day long.

It's a perfect, flawless drive for those that just love the sensation of speed - even if you're not actually going that quickly.

It doesn't come at too much of a hit to your pocket, either, with combined mpg around 50 and CO2 at 139g/km.

The excellent seven-speed DSG auto 'box is also an option, but the Polo GTI just feels so right with a manual.

On the outside, it looks superb, sitting low - 15mm lower than the standard car - on sports suspension and the quintessentially VW 17in Parabolica alloys.

The GTI styling kit gives you bespoke bumpers, grille and headlights that have an angry red line running along them.

It all adds up to a mean-looking hot hatch.

In the cabin it's all superbly VW - which means top-notch quality - and you get the lovely three-spoke, minimalist GTI steering wheel, with red stitching.

And there's the piece de la resistance, tartan upholstery, which harks back to VW's sporty hatch heritage.

The touch screen media system is excellent and there's also air con, hill hold and stop-start.

You can have three-door or five-door, but the three has to be the better looking for a coupe feel.

Of course there's some decent competition in this sector, but the Polo GTI is up there with the best for smile-on-your-face motoring.

Prices starts from £18,900 and rise to £20,775, before options.

Find out more from Breeze Volkswagen in Poole; visit breeze-volkswagen.co.uk or call 01202 713000.