You can easily write this off as a Golf having a boot – however for some reason the sum is more than the number of parts. The Bora handles really cleanly, the quality of ride is excellent, as well as the entry-level 1.6S is quick enough to place a smile about the face.

Putting the 180PS 1.8 Turbo engine to the nose of the car is really a recipe for raw excitement. Accommodation are few things to shout about – it’s still a Golf cabin – but a minimum of there is lots of luggage space, and also the car also looks neat and smooth.

Despite reservations by critics that small saloons don’t have any real purpose in everyday life, the Bora includes a substantial group of followers amongst those who do not want a hatch, but simultaneously don’t want to progress a size towards the Passat. That the car provides a heightened sense of mechanical integrity is most likely key to its success.