Volkswagen Golf Magazine Article by Jonathan Minns

www.jminnsdesign.co.uk

THE ALL NEW MK7 GOLF

> INTRODUCTIONThe VW Golf is the benchmark that all family hatchbacks, such as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and Renault Megane, measure themselves against. This seventh generation carries up to 100kg lighter than the one it replaces, despite being longer and wider and offering more boot space and interior room. It’s slightly lower, too, which gives it a sportier stance to go with its sharper styling. The interior has been completely redesigned, with high-quality materials and lots of new technology –

including the option of a vast eight-inch touchscreen and a system that parks the car for you. Two diesel and two petrol engines are available, all of which are smooth and quiet on the road, along with six-speed manual and six-speed automatic gearboxes. Many will think it’s design is a little tame - inside and out - but that’s a small price to pay for the only car you’ll ever need.

> DRIVING Those looking for the most engaging family hatchback may still want to prioritise the

Ford Focus over the new Golf, but most of the critics who’ve reviewed the Volkswagen reckon it’s actually quite a pleasant car to drive and live with. All the experts agree that it steers nicely, overall body control seems to be pretty good and the ride seems to be quite a noticeable improvement over the previous MK6 Golf.

The critics also reckon the VW’s pretty competent as something to tackle the urban jungle in, courtesy of the light controls and impressive all-round visibility.

THE LATEST REVISION OF VOLKSWAGENS AWARD WINNING HATCHBACK; THE VW GOLF MK7

THE ALL NEW MK7 GOLF

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THE KEY TOPERFECTION

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It’s the car’s refinement though that’s really impressed our test drivers so far, with many of the reports stating that the overall road, wind and tyre noise suppression is as you’d expect from a car from the class above. As a tool to use on long distance journeys, there aren’t many hatchback rivals at this price range that can claim to be better suited for motorway and dual-carriageway cruisers than the new Golf.

The only quibble so far is that Golfs fitted with sub-120bhp engines (currently the 1.2 petrol and the 1.6 diesel) are fitted with slightly rudimentary torsion beam suspension at the rear, whilst the rest get a more advanced setup. Some of the critics reckon there is a slight difference in the ride quality and handling between the two, but it’s only noticeable if you really look for the changes, so it won’t affect most buyers.

> ENGINESWhilst the range in the Golf will inevitably balloon when the upcoming GTI and GTD models arrive, the engine line-up from launch

consists of five engines – three petrols, two diesels – of which all bar the 1.2 petrol have been tested so far. Those wanting the optimum in fuel economy will most likely sway towards the 1.6/2.0 TDI camp, as these have

the best on-paper running costs. The most efficient is the 1.6, which claims to return over 70mpg and is exempt from road

tax and the London congestion charge, though those wanting a bit more poke can opt for the more powerful 64mpg 2.0 TDI which returns 150bhp.

It’s the petrols, though, that seem to be the pick of the range. This seems to be particularly

the case for the 1.4, as many experts are hugely impressed by its refinement,

tractability and, with the cylinder deactivation technology fitted, almost

diesel levels of fuel economy. That said, the ‘lesser’ 1.4 is still a pretty

frugal little engine.

> VALUE FOR MONEY The VW Golf is now firmly established as a

premium car and as such, it’s by no means the cheapest car in this class. Rivals such as the Ford Focus and Alfa Romeo Giulietta are noticeably cheaper to buy, and even the top spec Golfs are encroaching on the territory that’s usually the preserve of the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

That said, you certainly pay for what you get. There’s no denying it’s certainly one of the best cars in its class. Standard equipment levels

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/ SAFETY AT NIGHT:All Golf models now feature LED bulbs for improved visibility at night.

/ LARGER STORAGE:With the new golf being longer in length this improves the already substantial sized luggage space.

/ INTERIOR:The new MK7 features a much improved interior cabin with all models now sporting touchscreen multimedia units and Bluetooth phone connectivity as standard.

KEY DETAILS

Price Range : £16,285 - £24,880

MPG Range: 53 - 74 Combined

Safety Rating (NCAP):

Date Released: 2013

Model History: This is the 7th

generation of the golf, the first came out

back in 1974!

Engines to go for: 1.4TSI and 2.0TDI

Options to go for: 5 door is more

practical than the 3 door and only costs a

few hundred pounds more.

Options to avoid: The DSG, unless you

really want or have to have an automatic,

be prepared to pay £1,415 more than

the manual.

are generous, with gadgets such as stop/start, Bluetooth and an interactive touchscreen display being fitted to every model in the range and, being a Golf it’ll most likely hold its value well when it comes to resale time.

> INTERIORThis is a Volkswagen Golf after all, so it’s not too surprising to hear that the interior is about the best you’re going to find this side of an Audi A3. There are plenty of soft touch materials and, if you opt for the top-spec GT trim, swathes of glossy black plastic across the dash. However, whilst it’s a cut above most other cars in this class, a handful of critics reckon the levels of perceived quality haven’t moved on much from the MK6.

The improvements in space though are welcomed. There’s plenty of space up front, a decent array of storage places around the cabin and despite the lower roofline even six-footers should be comfortable in the back.The boot’s pretty commodious as well. You’ve

got 380 litres to play with which makes it one of the largest in its class, and (as is becoming the norm nowadays) the seats lie completely flat should you need to carry larger items.

> CONCLUSIONLong story short, the Volkswagen Golf is an incredibly impressive overall piece of kit. Few cars in this class even come close to matching the competency of the VW’s all-round package, with some critics going as far to say some cars from the class above are shamed by just how good the Golf is.

It’s by no means the cheapest family hatchback you’ll ever come across, nor will the ‘evolutionary rather than revolutionary’ approach be everyone’s cup of tea, but there’s no denying that if these inaugural reports are anything to go by, the new Volkswagen Golf has all the hallmarks of being a car that we can thoroughly recommend.