2016 Volkswagen Golf / Rabbit / GTI Photo Gallery

If you want a big grille, get an Audi. Optional LED headlamps.

Red box.

The Mazda's curves wear its red paint better. Larger, sportier wheels also don't hurt.

Same sheetmetal, sportier trimmings. I'd love to see Volkswagen offer a GTI SportWagen in NA.

A functional roof line.

Styling to like, but not lust after, even in red.

Much less boxy than the VW.

Volvo demonstrates how to do a sexy wagon.

Good, clean design inside as well. Very good materials for the price, very solid.

VW can make this interior less boring. Witness the GTI.

No shortage of unadorned silver plastic. It is high quality silver plastic.

The Mazda's interior appears more artful and sportier. Infotainment knob on console.

Simple, easy to reach center stack controls. But overly complicated steering wheel controls.

Should I have been surprised? Google knows where I'm going.

Comfortable and supportive, an excellent driver seat.

VW measures rear legroom very conservatively. There's more here than the spec suggests.

An extra foot of floor compared to the regular Golf.

Six feet of floor with the seats folded, a couple inches more than in the CX-5.

Efficient, fairly powerful turbocharged 1.8-liter engine.

The cover hides a swarm of vacuum lines. Future sources of engine lights? Turbo behind the engine.