Volkswagen Golf
Does solid and dependable hatch make as much sense with a big diesel under the bonnet?
MODEL TESTED: Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI 150 SE Navigation PRICE: £23,465 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 148bhp
LIKE the Leon, the new Volkswagen Golf is essentially an update of its predecessor. Yet the brand left no stone unturned in its efforts to improve the car’s competitiveness, with the result that it took a well-earned victory on its road test debut (Issue 1,466). However, that was the entry-level 1.0-litre petrol; can the Golf repeat the feat in £23,465 2.0 TDI SE Navigaton trim test here?
DESIGN & ENGINEERING
VW has always taken a cautious approach to the styling of the Golf, so it’s no surprise to find the latest version looks very similar to the old car. Look carefully and you’ll spot the new LED tail-lights, reprofiled bumpers and altered headlamps, but not much else has changed. The R-line Edition car in our pictures gets some racy kerb appeal courtesy of its alloys and bodykit, but the standard SE Navigation tested is a more subtle affair.
The same low-key approach has been taken with the car’s structure, which is the same scalable MQB platform that underpins everything from the Audi A3 to the Skoda Kodiaq SUV, as well as the Leon tested here. At the front, there’s strut suspension, while all versions with more than 148bhp, including this 2.0 TDI, get a multi-link rear axle. Cheaper, lower-powered versions have a torsion beam set-up.
Our car’s tried-and-tested four-cylinder engine is installed transversely and drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. The brand’s seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox is available as a £1,415 option, but CO2 emissions increase by 8g/km.
Inside, the dashboard and fittings are largely unchanged. That’s no bad thing, because the old car set the standard for quality. New additions are limited to the upgraded infotainment system, which features an eight-inch touchscreen on all models. A larger 9.2-inch unit costs £1,325, while the analogue dials can be replaced by the 12.3-inch TFT Active Info Display for £495. Standard kit isn’t quite as generous as in the SEAT, but air-con, adaptive cruise, sat-nav and Apple Carplay all feature.
DRIVING
NOT only does the new Golf look similar, it also drives in very much the same way. You get a desirable package that blends refinement and composure.
That’s not to say there haven’t been any changes. The 2.0-litre TDI is lightly tweaked, so it delivers a decent blend of performance, refinement and frugality. Yet despite being identical to the unit used in the Leon, the VW actually trailed its Spanish twin during our in-gear assessments. For instance, it covered the sixth-gear 50-70mph dash in 9.7 seconds, which was three-tenths slower than the SEAT. Only on the 0-60mph sprint was the VW quicker, beating the Leon by two-tenths at 8. 2 seconds.
On the road, these differences are hard to detect, and with 340Nm of torque at just 1,750rpm, the Golf delivers muscular real-world pace. You don’t need to work the engine hard to make decent progress, but even when extended, the 2.0-litre isn’t as gruff and strained as the smaller unit used in the Astra.
The positives continue when you enter a series of corners, where the Golf responds swiftly to the direct and well-weighted steering. There’s also bags of grip and rock-solid body control, which make the VW a confidence-inspiring machine. Better still, this agility is matched to impressive refinement . It’s not as entertaining as the Vauxhall, but it delivers a good blend of poise and comfort.
PRACTICALITY
THE Golf ’s subtle facelift means that its external dimensions remain unchanged. Yet while it’s no bigger than before, it’s still more than spacious enough to match its rivals here for practicality.
The rear doors have larger openings than its rivals, while the excellent packaging and upright rear means there’s fractionally more leg and headroom in the back. There’s also handy storage, with vast and flock-lined door bins, a big glovebox, plenty of cup-holders and a deep, lidded cubby between the front seats. Its 380-litre boot matches the SEAT ’s and is 10 litres up on the Astra’s, while a variable-height floor allows you to choose between extra space and no load lip. The upright tailgate also means there’s a healthy 1, 270 litres with the rear bench folded.
OWNERSHIP
THE VW badge has upmarket appeal, but that premium image isn’t reflected in the brand’s Driver Power 2016 results. In our satisfaction survey, the company finished in a lowly 24th place, while its dealer network performed worse, ranking 28th. In fact, none of our trio performed well in our poll, proving that mainstream firms need to work harder to keep customers happy.
Still, there are no complaints about the Golf ’s safety credentials. Its predecessor was awarded five stars by Euro NCAP in 2012, and there’s no reason the new car won’t achieve the same result. All versions get seven airbags, stability control and pedestrian detection, while SE models and above add adaptive cruise and driver fatigue monitoring.
RUNNING COSTS
AT £23,465, the Golf falls between its rivals here – although you’ll have to shell out around £1,750 in extras to match the Leon’s generous kit count. On the plus side, exceptionally strong residuals of 46.8 per cent mean you can invest in a few options with money saved in depreciation.
Business users don’t do as well, with higher-rate earners facing an annual salary sacrifice of £2,140 to run the Golf, compared with £2,127 for the Vauxhall.