Upload
littlegate-publishing
View
249
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Car Review
Citation preview
VW GOLFWRITTEN BY STEVE WARMAN
A long time ago, when I still had hair, I owned one of the
original MK’s I GTI which set the benchmark as a usable
everyday car/hooligan’s tool and I loved it. Over the
years many rivals have tried to produce their version of the Golf and
struggled to match it. Today there are more and more very good rivals
so this new Golf needs to be even better than before to succeed in
retaining its crown.
This seventh generation of Volkswagen Golf continues to raise
the family hatchback bar and is nearly 100kg lighter than the old Mk6,
however its dimensions are actually wider and longer. There is more
room in the boot and extra passenger space inside. The car is slightly
lower than its predecessor and it looks and feels that little bit sportier,
too. Inside, the Golf has VW’s usual mix of high-quality materials and
loads of up-to-date equipment – there’s an option for a huge eight-inch
touchscreen to sit at the centre of the completely redesigned interior.
You can choose between eight engine specs across four versions – S,
SE, BlueMotion and GT. All models are quiet and smooth on the road,
with either the six-speed manual or automatic gearboxes. There have
been some critics of the car’s design, saying it’s too tame and similar
to old models, especially with the likes of the SEAT Leon pushing the
boundaries a bit. But a conservative look is a small price to pay for what
could easily be described as the only car you’ll ever need.
Plenty of grip and a range of quiet engines make the Golf great to drive in any situation
Losing 100kg has made the new Golf more agile to drive than
the previous model. There’s very little body roll through the corners
thanks to plenty of grip, and all the engines on offer are quiet and
smooth at motorway speeds – even the diesel models. In fact, the
148bhp 2.0-litre TDI model we tested nearly achieves hot-hatchback
levels of speedy performance. Thanks to a variable ratio that makes
the steering light and easy at low speeds but quicker and more
responsive at higher speeds, the Golf is good to drive in all situations.
The economical BlueMotion version drives a bit differently to other
models, with a much slower pace and compromised handling.
Comfortable, quiet and effortless – the current VW Golf is more grown up than ever before
The Golf can handle pretty much anything the slowly disintegrating
UK roads can throw at it. But what’s really notable is how incredibly
quiet the Golf is. Even at motorway speeds, the interior is so brilliantly
insulated that wind and tyre noise are barely evident, so you end your
journey feeling calm and well refreshed. No other car in the class
comes close to the Golf in terms of interior quality and upmarket feel.
Well-built and beautifully engineered – the VW Golf is a dependable car.
The Golf is clearly a family car first, and there’s more room inside
it than ever before. The increased dimensions means that legroom
in the back has gone up by 15mm – which is much more in reality
than it sounds – creating enough room for three adults in the back.
It’s worth noting that the middle seat is a little cramped because of a
large transmission tunnel at the passenger’s feet, though. If you fold
the Golf’s rear seats flat, you end up with more than enough space for
lugging around large items without too much hassle. Plus, it’s the little
things that VW adds that make all the difference, like the neat little
seatbelt holders in the back that stop them snagging when you fold
the seats down. You also get a ski hatch in the rear bench for posting
longer objects through, and the loading lip is low so negotiating
bulkier items into the boot is easy.
There’s more hi-tech standard equipment on the VW Golf than ever before
You can hardly call the Golf
cheap, but the quality of the
car is so high, its starting price
just north of £16,000 is still
extremely competitive. We’d
tested the mid-range SE, as it
has all the bells and whistles
you’ll ever need, but with a more
reasonable list price. All SE
versions and above get adaptive
cruise control as standard (which
maintains a set distance to the
car in front), while hi-tech extras
like park assist and auto braking
are available as well-priced
options. What’s more, history
says that when you come to sell
it on in the UK used car market,
the Golf’s resale value should be
high. We’d also suggest paying
the few hundred extra pounds to
get the three-year maintenance
service pack, which covers
everything during the span of the
car’s manufacturer warranty..
VW has exceeded itself with
low running costs with all models
coming fitted with its super-
efficient technology to improve
fuel economy and reduce CO2
emissions. The result is by far
the most fuel-efficient Golf yet.
Our 2.0-litre TDI diesel gives
the best balance of performance
and economy overall, returning
68.9pmg while remaining fast,
smooth and responsive.