FOLLOWING a mid-life facelift, Volkswagen's venerable small car has levelled up from Golf 7 to Golf 7.5 status, with changes to the GTI hot hatch restricted to tweaked styling, more technology and a small power bump.

Just in time then, as the front-wheel-drive hot-hatch segment is set to seriously heat up with the arrival of the next-generation Renault Megane RS and the first Hyundai i30 N over the coming months, both of which hope to disrupt the status quo.

The Golf GTI has long been considered the top of its class, so are minor cosmetic updates and no major mechanical upgrades enough to prepare it for the imminent onslaught? Or was Volkswagen right to adopt the formula of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?’