Volkswagen Golf
Our top family hatch has long been the class benchmark. Is the Kia a threat?
Modeltested: Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI Evo 150 DSG GT 5dr Price: £26,090 engine: 1.5-litre 4cyl turbo, 148bhp
THE Volkswagen Golf is our favourite family hatchback and is the benchmark in this class, offering incredible all-round appeal. Here we’re testing it in 1.5 TSI DSG form, in GT trim (although the car you see in our pictures is an SE Nav-spec model). The GT costs from £26,090, so is £760 cheaper than the Ceed First Edition.
Design & engineering
VOLKSWAGEN updated its family hatchback last year, focusing on the bits that were starting to feel dated. It was a solid strategy that kept the car at the top of its class.
One of the additions as part of that facelift was this 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, which features clever cylinder deactivation technology to improve efficiency. The Golf uses VW’S versatile MQB platform, and its suspension layout comprises Macpherson struts at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear, just like its rivals here. There are also adaptive dampers available for £850 that are a worthwhile option; they can be set to provide a more comfortable or sporty drive depending on where you are, and because the Golf is £760 cheaper than the Kia there’s room to go for some options.
Material quality in the cabin is a strong point, although the Korean models are fast catching up. Where the Golf excels is with its neat, functional design. It’s a practical cabin, but also attractive, although darker upholstery than in our test car is likely to be more practical in the long run.
Standard equipment includes VW’S excellent Discover Nav infotainment with sat-nav, Apple Carplay, Android Auto and DAB radio. There’s also adaptive cruise (like the Kia) and parking sensors, but a reversing camera is a £340 option and lane-keep assist isn’t included here, either. Both pieces are fitted as standard in the Kia and Hyundai.
Driving
THE 1.5 1. TSI petrol engine in the Golf is the most powerful here, with 148bhp compared to 138bhp in both rivals. It has slightly more torque as well, at 250Nm while the Korean duo have 242Nm.
In our track tests the Golf performed well, recording a 6.8-second 30-70mph time through the gears, which was faster than both of its competitors.
In fact, the Golf was faster from 0-60mph than the Ceed and i30 as well, taking just 7.8 seconds to complete the benchmark sprint. Plus, its 3.2-second time from 30-50mph in third gear was impressive, again beating both of the Korean models.
While the 1.4-litre engine used in the Kia and Hyundai is quiet at idle, the Golf’s engine is quieter when you bring the revs up, and it’s more hushed at speed than its rivals’ motors. It’s not quite as fun to rev as the unit in the Ceed and i30, but the extra performance will make up for that for many buyers.
The Golf’s DSG auto box is smoother than the DCT transmission fitted in the Kia and Hyundai in most situations. It changes more quickly in manual mode, and that extra responsiveness is important when you’re driving quickly, because you’re rarely left waiting for a shift in the VW. However, the gearbox isn’t perfect, and at low speed it can feel a bit jerky. If you really want an auto, the Golf’s box is best, but we’d save some cash and buy the manual.
Even Golfs without the optional adaptive dampers are comfortable, and aren’t upset too much by harsh bumps, even while cornering. However, we’d still pick the upgrade, because it turns the Golf into one of the best-riding cars in its class.
That means the VW is the best car for motorway trips, because it’s refined at speed, but it’s also fun to drive on twisty roads. The steering lacks feel, but it’s direct enough to enjoy, and neither rival here has a better set-up. Grip is strong as well, although the sportier tyres fitted to both competitors meant they had slightly better bite than the Volkswagen.
Practicality
WHILE its 380-litre load bay means the Golf’s boot is the smallest here, it’s only by 15 litres. Both the Ceed and i30 have 395 litres available, and unless you’re maxing out the load bay frequently, you won’t notice much of a difference in practicality.
The large glass area means the Golf’s interior feels spacious, and it has plenty of shoulder, head and legroom for passengers. The Golf is the smallest car here when it comes to its dimensions, and even its wheelbase is shorter than its rivals’, but there’s little difference between all three cars when it comes to space inside, thanks to the VW’S clever packaging.
Ownership
VW scored well in our Driver Power 2018 owner satisfaction survey, taking fifth place, three ahead of Kia and 10 positions ahead of Hyundai.
Euro NCAP gave the Golf five stars for safety when the model was tested in 2012, and updates to the car since then have added autonomous braking with pedestrian detection and adaptive cruise control to the standard equipment list, so it’s even safer now than when it was when tested.
However, it’s lacking lane-keep assist (£550) and a reversing camera (£340) in GT spec, and LED lights are a £995 option, which is disappointing given that they’re standard equipment on both rivals.
Running costs
THE VW’S 1.5-litre TSI engine emits less CO2 than its rivals’, at 119g/km, so it sits in a lower company car tax bracket (24 per cent). That means it will cost a lower-rate tax payer £1,242 a year to run the Golf as a business buyer. The Kia and Hyundai (26 per cent Benefit-in-kind) will cost the same person £1,385 or £1,250 respectively.
Testers’ notes
“Add the £495 Active Info Display to the spec list to get a 12.3-inch display screen instead of traditional analogue dials. It’s one of the best systems of its type and is a hi-tech option that’s well worth having.”