TIME moves on, and so does the Volkwagen Golf. One of the best-known of all model names, the Golf has been among VW's stars for as long as most of us can remember. More than 19 million have been sold over the last 25 years.

Not quite as long as Toyota's venerable Corolla (born 1966 and still going strong after nearly 30 million cars around the world) but probably better known to us.

The Golf's most celebrated era was in the Eighties when it became the unofficial staff car of the Yuppie generation.

In its GTi form the Golf earned the image of hardworking A-to-B transport for the well-off trendies, in an era when go-getting Yuppies were too single-minded to care much about charm or pleasant surroundings.

Frankly, it never appealed to me, but today's Golf has converted me. It is better looking, without that unfriendly boxy shape, and altogether more appealing.

VW say this Mark IV, introduced in 1998, followed the strong cues of its predecessor, largely because owners insisted that it shouldn't be changed. OK, but one look at the smooth corners and rounded edges of today's car shows how much more welcoming it is. (The company makes a special point of telling us that the car's underside is also smooth, to minimise turbulence.)

But now for the REAL change.

The car I've been driving is not only smart and elegant. It may not carry the GTi badge, but it is still an astonishing performer.

And it's a diesel. Yes, one of the best performers in the Golf range is powered by a diesel engine. At one stage, I suspected that it was the best performer of them all, but among the seven petrol engines available, this 130bhp diesel is beaten by the 150bhp of the petrol 1.8 20v, and you can also have the 2.3 before you reach the 2.8 with its 204bhp.

But why bother with those when you can have this eco-friendly diesel? If you can't find enough sophistication with one of VW's diesels, you're never going to be happy. They're probably the best around.

And this car listed in the catalogue as the GT TDI PD 130bhp is a constant delight because of its lively performance. Once, we had to buy uncomfortable, noisy sports cars with draughty soft-tops to get so-called performance, and still they were nothing like as capable as this.

The PD in that string of initials stands for Pump Deuse loosely translated as 'unit injector'. The effect is high torque and power, but low emissions, and high fuel efficiency you will be unlucky if the fascia read-out falls below 50mpg.

No doubt this is helped by the six-speed gearbox. Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but I find six ratios is one choice too many!

There's also VTG. This allows the engine to respond very quickly when accelerating from low revs, when the turbo-charger has not yet built up enough pressure.

The moment that convinced me was as we climbed the long hill back home from my local town. It's a road punctuated by bollards which usually prevent the chance of overtaking slow, fume-belching lorries.

No problem to the Golf. After minimal turbo delay, we are whisked forward with an astonishing burst of speed and power. That's the sort of remark which tends to infuriate safety workers, but which in reality makes such cars so much safer than steady chuggers.

The current Golf is available in 10 models with seven trim levels. The body is twice as stiff as in the original Golf, so we get a quiet ride, no rattles, precise handling and a high level of occupant protection.

Volkswagen has long been known for its attention to safety, and all models have twin airbags, twin seat-mounted airbags and anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution. The maker proudly states that it was one of the first in the world to comply with the rigid Isofix child-seat mounting as standard.

Entry-level models have 14-inch wheels, but by the time you reach the GTi level you get 16-inch alloys, and the car has more road presence than earlier versions.

Inside, there's a sense of travelling in a far more expensive car. This is epitomised by the leather-clad brake handle topped by its chrome button.

Interior door handles are also chromed, and the Golf was the first car in its class to have fabric-covered door pillars here with creamy leathercloth which enhances the well-furnished feel.

Electric window controls are in one cluster on the driver's door armrest. The steering column is adjustable and there's a footrest for the driver's left leg.