Golf Estate offers great economy
THE new VW 1.5 petrol turbo is brilliant – even in lower 130bhp form in the estate. It has plenty of power for everyday use and in every situation and is one of the smoothest, most refined and quietest four-cylinder engines on the market.
Acceleration from rest is very good and it’s willing and punchy in the gears too, while still being able to trickle along at under 40mph in sixth gear and pull away without any grumbling.
So smooth is it, that with the engine ticking over and the fan on 2, I couldn’t hear it at all.
In fact, the whole car is superbly refined, with little noise from the suspension, the passing air or the tyres – except on the rough old tar and chipping surfaces of course.
Comfort is also right out of the top drawer. It takes all surfaces in its stride even though I took it down some really rough lanes.
People talk about the Ford Focus having an excellent ride. Well this one beats it for me – and it holds the road as well or better too.
The seats are beautifully supportive, the six-speed gearbox has a delightfully sweet change and the clutch is light and easy.
SE Nav spec – the model I drove – includes stability control, electronic differential lock and traction control.
It has curtain airbags front and rear, a driver alert system, pre-crash protection and predictive pedestrian protection.
There are three selectable driving modes – eco, normal and sport – all of which change the car’s driving characteristics to suit the driver.
And it also comes with adaptive cruise control, air con, battery regeneration under braking, automatic lights and wipers, parking sensors front and rear and an eigh-inch touchscreen for the stereo and sat nav.
The Volkwagen Golf Estate 1.5 TSI SE Nav I drove costs £23,090.