The all-new VW Golf: Looks, sounds and drives just like a Golf

The new 7th generation Golf isn't drastically different from the old model, but having said that, you don't win the title 'Car of the Year' for nothing.

The Volkswagen Golf is one of the world’s best selling cars of all time, and there’s a darn good reason for that. It’s reliable, fun and very practical. Solid German engineering ensures you won’t break down as you drive off the forecourt, and the large spacious interior means it’s great for families and young singletons alike. I managed to get my hands on the brand new 7th generation Golf for a week and I have to say it was an absolute pleasure to drive.

First and foremost the all-new Golf looks stunning. The entry-level model, which comes in at a reasonable €19,995, looks good, but the higher spec Golf with the added sports pack looks drop dead gorgeous. The car I was given to drive the life out of was the 1.4 ACT TSI Highline which costs €26,745 as standard or €33,081 with all the bells and whistles attached. If you have some extra cash to spare and you’re buying a car for the long run, then I’d definitely advise you to get the optional extras.

As standard the 1.4 ACT TSI Highline comes with a 5.8" media display, Bluetooth, air conditioning, electric windows, electronic parking-brake with auto-hold function, cruise control, sport seats with lumbar support, front fog lamps Inc. static cornering lamp, fatigue detection, ESP (electronic stability programme) Inc. multiple impact braking and a 3 spoke leather multi-function steering wheel.

The Extras

However, if you’ve got €6,336 for the extras, you’ll get the super sexy 17" 'Madrid' alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, discover pro' navigation system, park assist (this parks the car for you and it actually works a treat) inc. park distance sensors, premium multi-function display, adaptive cruise control w/ front assist, lane assist inc. dynamic light assist, xenon headlamps w/ led daytime running lights and an iPod/iPhone media adapter cable.

In terms of the boring (but important) stuff, the new Golf spits out 112g/km, which puts it in Tax Band A4. That means you’ll only have to shell out an extra €200 in annual road tax, which isn’t that bad for a large car like the Golf.

As for the drive, the 1.4 TSI 140hp engine is surprisingly powerful and is incredibly responsive, especially off the line. The car is easy to handle around tight corners and it doesn’t feel like it might roll if you decide to throw it into one, however, the seriously memorable parts of the car have to be the extras.

Sleek, stylish interior

If you stick on the adaptive cruise control along with the lane assist, the new Golf practically drives itself. When I first got the Golf I stuck on the lane assist to see what all the fuss was about, expecting the car to start blaring warning signals at me like we were headed for an iceberg. But instead of several different warning sirens going off in your ear, the steering wheel simply stiffens up and gently guides you back into your lane. It was amazing.

Having said that, it knows when you start acting the maggot – not that I did... ahem. If you take your hands off the wheel for too long and let the car do the hard work, the warning sirens kick in and make you take control of the wheel. So at least VW thought ahead on that one, otherwise it would have probably been a recipe for disaster. The new Golf was a serious pleasure to drive. The only disappointing part of the whole week was having to give it back.

The interior of the 1.4 TSI is also very easy on the eyes. Everything is smooth and rounded and the centre console screen is angled slightly towards the driver, which is one thing a lot of new cars fail to do. It makes it much easier to see what you're doing on the screen and it also helps to reduce any annoying glare.

All in all, there’s nothing that different about the drive and ride comfort of the new Golf (in fairness, the old Golf was top notch) and apart from a few new straight lines and slightly different dimensions, the new Golf doesn’t look that different to the old one. But having said all that, you don’t try to fix what’s not broken.