The New VW Golf GTI Cabriolet the most powerful ever, set to be unveiled next week at the Geneva Motor Show. The car is to be available in the UK in  the second half of the year.

Here are the first pictures, the Golf GTI Cabriolet with all the performance and practicality of the GTI hatchback.  A very neat looking cabrio with the power roof folding down and up in just 9.5 seconds, which is also possible while travelling at speeds of up to 18 mph.

The New VW Cabriolet includes all the GTI design cues. Honeycomb radiator grille with red edging and the GTI badge, the front bumper incorporates a deep honeycomb air intake and neat looking vertical fog lights. The sure footed look of the car is enhanced more with side sill extensions, while a bespoke rear diffuser is framed by a chrome tailpipe on either side. Smoked LED tail lights complete the GTI look. Wheels are 17-inch ‘Monza’ alloys as standard.

As expected the hood is fully automatic and well insulated. In the car the seats are covered in the classic tartan ‘Jacara’ cloth upholstery, not sure about the tartan too many memories of Cabrios gone by.  A ‘Vienna’ leather upholstery is an available option.

The bespoke GTI multifunction steering wheel is leather, as are the handbrake and gear lever gaiter, a nice touch is the contrasting red stitching. The pedals have brushed stainless steel caps, doors and facia include black ‘Edge’ decorative inlays. The hood lining and roof pillar trims are all finished in black.

For power the engine is the same 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder found in the GTI hatchback, with either a standard six-speed manual or optional six-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox and producing 210 PS. The cars gives a respectable but not overdone 0 to 62 mph in 7.3 seconds with either transmission (versus 6.9 seconds for the hatch), top speed is 147 mph or 146 mph with the DSG gearbox. A maximum torque of 206 lbs ft (280 Nm) is available from just 1,700 rpm to 5,300 rpm, at that point maximum horsepower is achieved. The VW GTI Cabriolet is an excellent cruiser – even at low revs in a high gear. The GTI’s power is always easy to tap in to. A standard EDS electronic differential lock and XDS transverse differential lock help to ensure that the power is easily transferred to the road.

Safety as always paramount in the VW Golf Cabriolet models. The GTI comes with automatically deploying rollover protection, front and side head/thorax airbags and a driver’s knee airbag as standard. The car achieved a five-star/96% cent rating for adult occupancy in Euro NCAP crash tests.