Which VW would we buy?
We reveal which Dubs delight us enough to claim our hard-earned money
In Expert Car Picks, DRIVEN journalists reveal what cars they’d actually spend their own money on from a particular genre or brand. This week, Volkswagen.
We’ve dipped into our own minds, which can be quite shallow at times, and come up with our choices for our situations: Dean for his family of five with three young kids, David for his family with almost-adult kids and Andrew with his free-living DINK.
Dean Evans: Tiguan Allspace
Of all the three model clones, the VW Tiguan Allspace is the least, er . . . out there, with the likes of Skoda’s Kodiaq and the Seat Tarraco being a little more rambunctious, at least in perception.
The slightly meeker Tiguan Allspace carries the seven-seats in a modestly compact medium SUV size, and that suits us just fine. It starts from just $42,990.
VW’S 2.0-litre petrol turbo is a glorious engine: starting at 132kw/320nm up to 162kw/ 350Nm in the R Line, it’s certainly quick, as nimble as 100km/h in 6.8 seconds (a 1.4l/110kw Comfortline model also launches this month) and decently frugal. So it satisfies my desire for a bit of excitement despite the need to cart around wife+3, and it does that component pretty well, too. Allspace offers a decent third row: good for kids/teenagers, though with the high floor and tightish kneeroom, transit time for adults may be best kept short. The extra space is very much appreciated on holidays, up to 1775 litres with everything folded and 700 litres with the third row stowed and second row pushed forward.
The Tiguan Allspace is everything we want, with so much more than we can squeeze in here, and for me and my family needs, it’s the Vee-dub I’d happily buy.
David Linklater: California Ocean 6.1
I don’t get the warm fuzzies about the Volkswagen brand like some, but I did spend many of my childhood holidays travelling around in my Great Uncle Merle’s Kombis. That, combined with the fact that I’m a sucker for some wellengineered retro nonsense, means the California is my pick.
I love a good van and the T6
Transporter (upon which the California is based) is brilliant to drive. Don’t forget, it has 146kw/ 450Nm, 4Motion AWD and a seven-speed DSG transmission. It’s really perky for a flat on wheels. So even though it’s a campervan, you can also use the California as an actual day-to-day vehicle. Assuming you’re okay with only having four seats and you’re aware the single sliding door is on the wrong side for a right-hand drive country.
Apart from that, the fact it’s a campervan created by the factory with some pride really shows in the delightful attention to detail: everything fits just-so and not a centimetre of space is wasted. And from that pop-top (shades of 1950s Westfalia) to the two-tone paintjob, it’s a heritage-style hoot. Love it beyond reason — which you’d have to because it’s $142,000.
Andrew Sluys: Golf 8
How can you look past the Volkswagen staple that is the Golf?
Just recently, the eighthgeneration Golf launched in New Zealand, and it was the main reason behind Volkswagen recording the highest sales month the brand has ever had here.
This new Golf looks quite a bit different from the outgoing model thanks to the aggressive new front and rear ends, but the real difference becomes clear when you step inside. The interior has been aligned with VW’S electric ID range, set to become the biggest driver of sales in coming years. Button lovers beware because everything on the steering wheel is now controlled via a touchpad with haptic feedback, and screens handle the rest.
The base Golf is the only model available right now, and it features a 1.4-litre turbocharged engine that makes 110kw/250nm. This is sent exclusively to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. This 1.4-litre model is offered in two guises right now in NZ, the $37,990 Life, and the $47,990 R-line. The R-line adds some aggressive looks on the outside, as well as extra tech on the inside.
The GTI and R models are still yet to arrive in NZ, but should be here within the year. The GTI will use a 2.0-litre turbo engine with 180kw, and the R will use the same powerplant, but up the ante to 235kw and throw an all-wheel drive system into the mix. With this knowledge, I’d probably be waiting for the GTI.