IF YOU were Mad Max roaming a post-apocalyptic wasteland and scavenging for scarce fuel while evading a marauding gang of vicious bikers, you would be quite happy driving a Volkswagen Golf GT.

That's because, according to the German carmaker's specifications, it should be the perfect car with which to outrun your pursuers while conserving your precious reserves of petrol.

The GT's proposition is simple - put in a small engine to make it economical to run but tweak it with twincharged or TSI technology so that it is also powerful and fun to drive.

The GT has a 1.4-litre petrol engine which is boosted by a unique combination of both supercharger - placed in front - and turbocharger - located behind. The aim is for the former to provide good low-end torque without the latter's traditional turbo lag. The result is brilliant.

Floor the accelerator and the GT responds with the kind of back thumping acceleration only a turbo diesel engine can give. There is barely any delay in the delivery of power and the GT will take off eagerly. Maximum power is 170 hp and maximum torque is 240 Newton-metres. All this from just 1,390cc.

And it is this relatively small displacement that is key to the GT's frugal consumption. VW says it is 7.2 litres per 100 km under a combined cycle, or an enviable 13.9 km per litre.

Some Japanese cars can achieve that kind of mileage, but they won't have the GT's stonking torque. Put another way, the GT has the power of a conventional2.5-litre engine but with better fuel economy than a 1.6-litre petrol unit.

This doesn't mean the GT is the perfect car, though. It may have sports suspension and 17-inch low-profile tyres but it doesn't feel perky. Its handling lacks a certain fluidity and it seems closer to a lumpy pie than a smooth souffle.

But if you were Mad Max, the Golf GT will probably do just fine.

Engine: 1,390cc supercharged/turbocharged
Gearbox: 6-speed DSG transmission
Max power: 170 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Max torque: 240 Nm @ 1,750-4,500 rpm
0-100 kmh: 7.9 secs
Top speed: 220 kmh
Price: $102,000 (with COE)
Distributor: Volkswagen Group Singapore, tel: 6474-8288