Fitting a 1.4 litre petrol engine into a family hatchback may seem like the ideal formula for an economy car. But a performance model? Surely not? If you think this then you have obviously not heard of the Volkswagen Golf GT. This car comes with a choice of two diesel engines, both 2.0 litres with one churning out 138 bhp and the other 168 bhp, and a 1.4 litre petrol. It's neither of the two diesels that interests me. While much of the UK motoring world has woken up to the benefits of diesel driving there are still those who prefer their car powered by a petrol motor and the petrol GT could be just the model for them. The secret of the engine in this particular Golf is that it's the first direct injection petrol engine in the world to have both a supercharger and a turbocharger. This may sound like overkill to you but it's a very effective way of making the engine super efficient and giving a high level of performance. Although they both serve the purpose of providing a denser charge to the cylinders, superchargers and turbochargers have a different method of operation. True, they each have a turbine to force the charge into the cylinders but the supercharger is mechanically driven off the engine, so always operating, while the turbocharger relies on an increased flow of exhaust gases as the engine revs rise to drive its impeller and thus make the engine spin faster still. Combined, they have an exhilarating effect. Both can turn at fantastic speeds and Volkswagen is no stranger to superchargers in its road cars, although its previous G series models (based on the Polo and the Scirocco in this country) were fairly short lived. Both now have a following among enthusiasts. We have become used to high output diesel engines giving sporty cars a good turn of performance but this 1.4 litre petrol unit in the GT manages to give it the best figures, with a 0-62 mph time of 7.9 seconds for the manual gearbox model and a very impressive 7.7 seconds for the DSG dual clutch manual which makes superfast ratio changes. Top speed in the manual is 137 mph with the DSG 2 mph slower, but all this is fantastic from a 1.4 litre motor. My mate Big Al is casting around for new wheels to replace his BMW 525d Touring, which he bought on a whim and now regrets. The shortlist is down to the Golf, which he had already tried from a dealer with 1.6 FSI petrol engine in Match trim, the Audi A3 Sportback, and the new Toyota Auris, which arrived in showrooms this month. Al was not impressed by the 1.6 Golf, which he felt was a little coarse. But the 1.4 litre Golf was right up his street where get up and go was concerned and also scored top marks for comfort with its superb sports seats and optional leather trim with heating. Leather may not be your bag but it suits this car very well. Even in cloth trim in the inelegant sounding "Brick" trim that's standard, the seats have the same shape and they are superb at holding you in place. Over a long spell at the wheel, the car is not tiring to drive and the position seems superb. But does this £18,595 1.4 litre petrol hatch really deliver on the economy front? Well, it's not as good as a diesel but I was still getting just over 40 mpg from it (VW promises a combined figure of 38.2). The diesels both do 40 plus with ease but they don't have the petrol car's refinement and that's what swings it to the petrol car for me. Maurice Hardy Annette's View Performance cars can almost be viewed as selfish by some environmental lobbyists these days, and I might agree that a fuel guzzling two seater that rips about at breakneck speeds has little place in society. Having said that, there's no reason we should all join the hair shirt brigade. Some of us have worried about environmental issues since long before they became fashionable and a major concern for a wider audience than just Guardian readers. So cars like the Golf GT have their place if you like pleasure from your car and want to lessen your environmental footprint. You won't quite turn into the type of person who would paddle to Majorca by canoe rather than go by plane but you will be pumping slightly less CO2 into the atmosphere than if you bought a Golf GTI. And you'll be consuming less oil by a fair margin. While it has good sporting credentials, the Golf GT also impresses as a family car and will easily take two adults and three children or four adults in comfort. The Golf has grown quite a bit since its early days, when it was smaller than the current Vauxhall Corsa supermini, and is now more than capable of fulfilling family duties. If you hanker after a sporty family car, it could be just right for you. Car: Volkswagen Golf 1.4 GT TSI five door Does it fit your ego?... 0-62 mph: 7.9 secs Top speed: 137 mph Bhp: 168 @ 6000 rpm Torque: 177 lb ft @ 1750 - 4750 rpm ...and your wallet?... Price: £18,595 Urban: 28.8 mpg Extra urban: 46.3 mpg Combined: 38.2 mpg CO2 emissions: 178 g/km Insurance Group: 16 Best bits: ingenious engine; blend of performance with economy; family car capability.