Last year we drove the new VW Golf GTi and concluded it to be a great return to form for the original GTi. It manages to combine everyday practicality with genuinely engaging performance and drivability and led us to conclude that it is the most complete hot hatch on sale today, though at a price. That car had many options fitted but didn't have what must be the one that most buyers ponder over the longest: the DSG 'box. The one you see here does.

Now, we've sampled the DSG system before in a fairly modest application in the shape of the capable Volkswagen Touran and also in a sportier application in the Audi TT V6. We've concluded that it is the transmission of the future but questioned its suitability to a genuinely sporty car. Purists comment that a sports car has to be a manual to be completely engaging; after a week with the VW Golf GTi equipped with DSG I'm not so sure.

The Golf obviously retains the core capability of the standard GTi we tried: strong and willing engine with great throttle response, superb handling with a good ride and a roomy and excellently finished interior. The 18-inch rims on this car offer enhanced levels of grip and looks without damaging the ride quality significantly and the cloth trim is actually my preference over the leather option. The other difference on this car was the optional CD changer and satnav combination, which, whilst useful and for the most part efficient, seemed expensive in the age of the handheld satnav device.

So much the same car then, but what of the DSG? It doesn't dominate proceedings by any stretch but it is a very different driving experience to the standard manual 'box. It offers the benefits of an automatic when you're feeling lazy and the flexibility of a manual when you want to play. It's the all-round adaptability that is most impressive. It becomes second nature to drive it as a 'manual auto'; the majority of the time when cruising around you let it take care of business, but a simple flick of the paddle puts you back in charge of the situation. For example, overtaking, you can pre-empt the kickdown and save vital time by jabbing down two gears, the DSG then taking back control once you don't touch the paddles or lever for a while.

When you want to play you can lock out the auto function by pushing the gear lever over to the left. Now DSG changes character and becomes a real friend. You leave two hands on that beautifully crafted wheel (this is key, as you always have more control) and simply flick your way through the gears video game style. I won't claim that it is as engaging as doing the work yourself but I'd have to say that it is quicker from A to B and in its own way very satisfying.

So, manual vs. DSG? For me that's a tough decision and my answer would have to be that it depends very much on the individual's preference; previously I'd dismissed the DSG, now I'm not so sure. At the risk of being called a philistine I'd say that DSG is very much at home in this application. It offers a subtly different driving experience that many will love and will open up the GTi experience to more potential buyers, not least those who only have an automatic driving license. So, the new VW Golf GTi, not only does it beat rivals at their own game, it plays games that rivals can't. It remains the car to beat in this sector. The new Honda Civic Type-R due out this year had better be good.