Volkswagen Golf
One of euro pe’s best-lov ed hatchbacks is back with a refresh, but has Volkswagen done enough?
The Volkswagen Golf has undergone a minor upgrade for 2017; it’s more of an iterative update than anything, with some minor cosmetic changes and tech upgrades. Essentially, this is the Mk7 Golf that you already know and love, but with some welcome tweaks that make it an even more lovable machine. A new front bumper, headlights with LED running lights, and rear LED lights lends a significantly smarter, more refined look to the new Golf, enabling those buying the basic model (in this case, the S trim) to get the same sort of visual appeal that previously only those with the higher-specced, sportier models enjoyed. Optional LED headlights are, sadly, unavailable to the entry-level model, though.
In the wake of the Dieselgate drama, Volkswagen has wisely chosen to focus its efforts on the slightly less hazardous-to-health side of its business, with improved petrol engines in the Golf. A 1.0-litre unit replaces the outgoing 1.2-litre, which now has the same power output (84BHP), but with lower emissions. A 148BHP 1.5-litre TSI lump will also be available later this year with a clever fuel-saving mode, whereby the engine automatically shuts down cylinders whilst cruising, without you noticing; it’ll be a worthwhile upgrade over the current model’s 125BHP 1.4-litre TSI variant. The most important upgrades to this year’s Golf, however, lie on the interior, with a smattering of T3- worthy tech upgrades. First off is a new infotainment system, which gains a larger touch screen to interact with; it’s now a significantly-bigger 8-inch screen (up two inches over the old model), but the feature that Volkswagen has us most excited about is Gesture Control. On the old car, this feature’s capabilities were limited to revealing controls when your hand neared the screen, but in this new version you can also control several functions, simply by waving your hand from left to right, and vice versa. It’s a seriously cool feature, but at present it’s limited to skipping through radio stations and music tracks. What about changing the volume with a raise of your hand, or muting it with an open palm? With some development, this would be a killer feature for the connected generation. Still, Discover Pro is a worthy option – you get a larger 9.2-inch, high-resolution (for cars, anyway) 1280 x 640 display, and the hardware buttons have been relegated to the touch screen, so the interface is more streamlined.
Then there’s the new info display, which replaces the entire analogue instrument cluster with a glorious 12.3-inch, high-res colour display. As well as looking gorgeous, it enables you to tailor exactly what you’re seeing on screen to suit your kind of driving. Again, it’s an option on all models, but you’d be mad not to go for it for an additional £395.
Volkswagen is also offering optional wireless in-car charging for Android devices, which is nifty.
While the new Golf might not physically feel that different to its predecessor, Volkswagen has cleverly focused on improving areas of the car that people value most when purchasing, and with prices actually cheaper, like-for-like, than the outgoing model, there’s never been a better time to buy one.