Looking not very different from the model it replaces, the new Golf reiterates its stance with impressive refinement and slick controls
Nitish Ramanujam

Since its debut in 1974, the Golf has been Volkswagen’s most important model and a benchmark of sorts in the premium hatchback category. Five generations on, the car has grown in size and weight, culminating in the Mk5 version that was much criticized for its bulbous design and average interior quality – a prime concern that the Wolfsburg car maker has addressed with the new sixth generation Golf.

Stylistically, you would be hard pressed to notice the difference between the two generations, but park them side by side and you will immediately see what has been changed. Much like what BMW has done with the previous and current X5, precisely defined lines and edges complement finely proportioned surfaces to make the new Golf visually a lot leaner than its predecessor while not straying far from the original looks.

Interestingly, all the body parts are new, save the roof, which now sits on a nicely contoured shoulder section. It is quite obvious that designer Walter de Silva hasn’t attempted for any stylistic breakthroughs here, keeping things simple and elegant. The design draws inspiration from the memorable Mk1 model’s front end as well as the distinctive C-pillar that was perfected in the Mk4. The car also looks lower and wider - which it isn’t - thanks in no small part to the Touareg-esque taillights.

Styling taken care of, the designers turned their attention to the snug cabin, which feels significantly better than the one in the Mk5. Well-engineered and solidly built, the five-seater interior is quite plain to look at, in typical Volkswagen fashion, but the textures are nice and the materials good to the touch. Refinement also gets a boost, thanks to special sound-damping film in the windshield that reduces driving noises, along with a newly developed seal design on the doors and side window guides. Significantly less wind noise is generated by the outside mirrors due to their new shape. Furthermore, special modifications were made to better isolate the engine and passenger compartments from one another acoustically. Quiet rolling tires and new engine bearings also put in their bit in making the new VW quieter than the one it replaces. Brushed chrome accents, round instruments and steering wheel are derived directly from the Passat CC; simply add the optional leather trim, and you could be forgiven for thinking you’re in a car that is way more expensive.

The Golf is available with a variety of engines, including the super sweet 1.4-litre four-pot featured in our Amaryllis Red Metallic tester. In case you think I’m bonkers for going ga-ga over a small capacity motor, look at the discreet TSI badge on the boot lid – which means that this direct-injection 1390cc engine gets both turbo and supercharging! The supercharger, mechanically driven by a belt, increases the torque at low engine speeds while, at higher engine speeds, the exhaust gas-driven turbocharger (with wastegate control) kicks in. Then the supercharger and turbocharger work in series. The supercharger is actuated by a solenoid clutch that is integrated in a module within the water pump. A control gate ensures that the flow of fresh air required for the operating point reaches the turbo or supercharger. In pure turbocharger mode, the control gate is open. Then the air takes the familiar path of conventional turbocharged engines via the front intercooler and throttle valve and into the induction pipe. Starting at an engine speed of 3500rpm, the supercharger turns all of the work over to the turbo.

With a healthy 160hp and 240Nm of torque, it is more powerful than the 1.6-litre, and very fuel efficient to boot. Our car came equipped with the techy 7-speed DSG, which saw mileage improve even further to a scant 6.0 litres per 100km. Although maximum torque is available from as low as 1500rpm, our seat-of-the-pants experience left us wanting for a bit more. The performance figures are quite impressive for such a fun and frugal engine – it takes just 8.0 seconds to dash to 100kph, going on all the way to 220kph.

It handles the way its forerunner did, quite nicely, thanks to MacPhersons up front with helical springs and telescoping dampers, and a multi-link rear suspension. The transfer of high-tech to high-volume production is evident in the large number of driver assistance systems now available in this class. Volkswagen offers the new Golf, for the first time, with “DCC Adaptive Chassis Control”, “ACC Automatic Distance Control”, “Park Assist” and a nifty rearview camera hidden behind the VW logo. Also new aboard the Golf is a generation of ESP that has finer response, counter-steering boost and trailer stabilization.

DCC lets you choose between sport and comfort modes while ACC brakes and accelerates the car automatically to maintain not only the preset speed but also the preset distance to traffic in front of the vehicle. But the trump card here goes to “Park Assist”, a clever system that reverses the car into parallel parking slots all by itself, with you simply having to modulate brake and throttle inputs. A boon for people who see parallel parking as akin to learning nuclear physics in a day!

Joerg Andrischock, Acting Managing Director of Volkswagen Middle East says, the sixth generation has redefined the quality and comfort level of its class over broad categories. We second that - the new Golf offers impressive refinement, a very well made cabin and good driving characteristics, but we can’t seem to shake off the feeling that it is quite pricey too, for a hatchback.