Road Test: Volkswagen Golf 1.6

By Peter Maniatis - 9/12/04 

The prestige small car market has been filling up with a number of new models in recent times, as the big names in luxury motoring try to net a younger demographic of increasingly savvy buyers with things like low prices and plenty of badge cachet.

The aim is to keep these 'newbies' to the luxury car world on side as potentially valuable repeat customers, and cars like the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 are two apt examples, designed to tempt both the young and young-at-heart with their stylish good looks and cutting edge automotive technology.

Volkswagen's Golf also wants a piece of this lucrative market, and though some would say it is punching above its weight, we can't help but be impressed by its levels of refinement and comfort. In its fifth generation, the German hatch is definitely moving upmarket.

Dating back much longer than any of the other German hatchback newcomers, the Golf - evolving from humble beginnings in 1974 - is today an exceedingly fetching vehicle, with a grounded but very modern look and feel, not to mention the marque's European badge value.

With a range of petrol and diesel engines and high degree of safety, Volkswagen's up-and-coming Golf shouldn't be ignored when it comes to prestige small cars, or as Europeans call them, cars from the 'A-class'.

The new Golf is a fine looking motor vehicle, and the light coloured interior trim isn't too bad either

German quality is the first impression you get inside the Golf. The tactility of the cabin materials just exudes quality and is matched by styling and design.

I'm not sure if it is just me, but having driven my fair share of new cars, there is certainly an aspect of touch and feel "not in the emotional context" in relation to the materials used inside a car that gives you that sense of cheapness and tackiness, or quality and prestige.

The Golf certainly has the latter.

Inside, the feel is complemented by comfortable and ergonomic surrounds, with good seating, well positioned dials, intuitive switchgear and a well-oiled gear shifter. The whole package just feels right.

To boot, it actually feels roomier than what you would expect from a small car. The overall positioning of major interior components certainly provides the impression, if not the reality, of a roomier and more spacious car.

I've commented previously that any car, good, bad or indifferent can get away with a lot if it has a sensational stereo and a good set of wheels.

The Golf has both - not that it needs them to get over the line, but the stereo is absolutely first class.

It's an absolute pleasure to crank up your favourite CD and feel that you are driving along in a concert hall. I can't express my thoughts more emphatically about a good stereo: the driver needs to be entertained and happy. Crisp, clear, exceptional sound is a must.

The smooth new Golf's handling and driveability is best described as purposeful and sturdy.

You can tell that the suspension has been tuned perfectly to give the driver the full sensory feel of the road and the direction the wheels are pointed, yet has managed to keep things cushy enough and not too firm that you end up bumping and bouncing across city traffic. Words like solid and comfortable spring to mind.

Newly installed independent rear suspension ensures the Golf tracks around corners smartly and the new electro-mechanical power steering helps as well. The brakes do a good job of slowing down the car, and it's nice to know that ABS, EBD, Brake Assist and Traction Control are now all standard features across the range.

The Golf is a very safe car by and large. All models equipped with no less than six airbags, and crash testing when it launched in the Northern hemisphere yielded startling results - the new Golf was one of the safest cars ever to be put through the EuroNCAP testing program.

The 1.6-litre petrol engine that is currently making up the bulk of new Golf sales in Australia may sound a little wimpy on paper, generating figures like 75kW of power and 148Nm of torque, but with only 1240kg to shift, it's not as slow as you'd think. Still, I wouldn't mind giving the turbocharged 2.0-litre FSI engine in the GTI model a good thrashing.

The 8-valve 1.6-litre engine is quiet and has enough get up and go to get you around town more than adequately and with low NVH levels of plenty of German refinement.

For my liking though, it struggled to deliver the appropriate torque in the first few gears gears below 2500 revs. Post 3000 to 3500rpm it was torquier and more progressive.

As for the gearbox? Well, what can I say apart from smooth, definitive and quiet. It feels great to use - zinging through the gear changes and driving this car is such a delight - full marks to Volkswagen, they just keep getting better.

The German car maker claims the 1.6-litre petrol powered Golf will accelerate to 100km/h from standstill in 11.4 seconds and will hit a top speed of 184km/h, showing that it can more than handle itself on highways. Though most astounding of all though is the 1.6-litre engine's fuel efficiency. On the open road it sips petrol like a miser, returning 7.5 litres/100km on the combined (City/Highway) cycle. The 6-speed auto costs an extra $2300 and returns 8.2 litres/100km in comparison.

The look of the new golf is softer and a bit less Germanic than past iterations - a good thing I believe. It's still fairly recognisable as a Golf - the overall shape is fairly distinct - yet the sleeker bonnet, new grille and dual lamp headlights help to usher the 30-year-old into the world of modern European car design.

The rear of the car is fairly simple and far from busy, and the new brake light clusters look quite good when in operation, particularly the indicators. Is it more feminine than before? Perhaps. This could be due to the removal of sculpture lines, giving the bodywork a very clean look, but with large-ish wheels and a ground-hugging profile, the new Golf is nevertheless visually entertaining.

Overall: 4/5

After selling more than 22 million Golf's worldwide, you'd expect Volkswagen would have a pretty good formula up its collective sleeves. And you'd be right.

Volkswagen continues to impress us at Wombat Motoring. Our first exposure with the yet to be released (in Australia) Turbo Diesel Passat certainly raised our image of VW and the quality of vehicle they are capable of producing. The new Golf is no exception and will prove to be a winner in the Australian small car prestige market.

For mine - for the price and quality in this Golf - it's a no brainer. I'm giving the 1.6-litre model four Wombats. I wanted to give it four-and-a-half but the low end torque leaves room for improvement. The 1.9 and 2.0-litre diesel models may remedy this, if you don't mind forgoing a bit of revability.

Volkswagen's Golf pushes its small 'A-class' car further into prestige territory with loads of standard features and a comprehensive safety package. Will it win over aspirational buyers, young and old? More than likely. There's some tough competition in the small car market these days, but the new Golf is one of the best, and is keenly priced for what you get. All told, it's a class act in the A-class.