Known as the Golf in Europe and abroad, the Rabbit is Volkswagen's lone American hatchback offering and is the fifth major revision of the car since its debut in 1975. The body style was introduced first to Europe in 2003 but only appeared in the US by June 2006, having shed the Golf name it held in the country since 1984.

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Volkswagen offers the car with a 2.5-liter, 170 horsepower inline five-cylinder engine that generates up to 177 pound-feet of torque. Unlike its performance variant, the GTI, the Rabbit lacks FSI (Fuel Stratified Injection) technology that boosts performance across the power band and reaches its peak torque at 4,250 rpm versus the 1,800 rpm of the GTI. Horsepower crests at 5,700 rpm.

Americans have the choice of two transmissions for the car that are less exotic than for the more upscale GTI model. A five-speed manual transmission is standard with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic as an option in place of the GTI's faster Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG). Like the S-tronic transmission found in Volkswagen's premium Audi brand or the Tiptronic in Porsche's sports cars, the Rabbit's implementation includes a manual-like override but is still considered a "true" automatic.

Seen as a high-end alternative to many basic cars, the Rabbit provides air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, power doors and windows, as well as an eight-speaker audio system with auxiliary input as standard on the two-door and four-door editions of the vehicle. Power seats, heated seats, and a premium multi-CD audio system are standard on the four-door but optional on the two-door version.

The four-door also gains access to options such as side-impact airbags for the rear seats, a sunroof, and Sirius satellite radio.

2008 revision brings added power, safety

For the 2008 model year, Volkswagen addressed complaints of low power in the initial version, which came to American shores as a 2007 model. The five-cylinder engine has been upgraded from 150 to 170 horsepower without affecting the weight of the car.

The new Rabbit also comes with a tire pressure monitoring system as standard to warn the driver of weak tires. A 15-inch spare wheel is also stowed away for emergency use in the event of a puncture.

Most other changes are minor and include upgrades to the premium radio that bring a clock and the auxiliary input jack to the center console, new 15-inch standard steel wheels, and improved accelerator and gas pedals.