For a long time, a new Golf was the most important newcomer within the Volkswagen Group. However, with the arrival of the important ID.3 and ID.4, the Golf VIII has never been in the spotlight as it otherwise would have been. Now another Variant has appeared and such a station wagon is a nice alternative for all high cars.
There was a time when the Netherlands was known as a country that loves station wagons. We still prefer a fifth door to a trunk, but the station wagon is being supplanted by the SUV and crossover, which many people instinctively offer just as much usability as such an extended hatchback. With the bonus of a (usually) lower sill threshold and the much sought-after higher entry. Meanwhile, those old familiar station wagons are still nice cars with a much lower center of gravity. And very spacious! Aren’t they pushed aside too soon?
With the brand new Volkswagen Golf Variant, this segment has yet another new candidate. Remarkably, this shape was not important in the Golf family for a long time and was much less popular as a family car than the competition from Opel, Ford and Peugeot. The role as a company car was actually more important. For the rest, you may also have been referred to Skoda, which always had a good product on offer with its immense Octavia. For example, the Golf VI Variant was more similar to the Golf V than the hatchback, which was newer under the skin. Since the Golf VII, Volkswagen seems to really go full for the family car. That trend is now being continued with the Golf VIII, which is just a hefty car. For those who think that the model looks something different: compliments, well seen! The brand has increased the wheelbase of the station wagon to create extra space in the rear seat. A smart move, but not self-evident. The new Golf features a 1.5 eTSI with mild hybrid technology. It delivers 130 hp in our test car, but it is also available with 150 hp.
Sporty version
Our test car was delivered in a sporty version, namely the R-line Business. This can be seen from the many R logos on the car, which, together with the (fake) exhausts at the rear, ensure that more than one passer-by thought it was a real Golf R. Unfortunately, no. The chassis is slightly lowered for a slightly tighter handling. That is something that can really be felt; it makes the Golf a little tighter on the road, but also ensures that it offers a little less comfort. The dynamic dampers offer a solution here. Even so, the current Golf is better as a comfortable car; you can tell it’s meant that way. It also makes a difference that the 130 hp version has a torsion axle behind; with the multi-link suspension in the stronger versions, the lower chassis feels better in our opinion. The steering feel is reasonable and the car drives as average as you can expect from a Golf. It is not soft and not plank hard, but it is quiet and it lies well on the road.
The TSI engine revs eagerly and is much more economical than we expected. The dual-clutch automatic transmission works smoothly without murmuring. The DSG that Volkswagen links to larger engines is definitely more pleasant than the cheapest version in the Polo.
Multimedia system
The Golf has a clean interior, where there is little to criticize. That does not apply to the multimedia system. An attempt has been made to incorporate as much as possible into this, with only a few shortcuts to help you on your way. That can be a solution, but then it has to work well. And it doesn’t. As in other models with the same system, it reacts way too slowly, leaving you annoyed to death at best and distracted from the road for much longer than necessary at worst. It feels like the trick for the trick and the execution sucks. Especially in a model that has managed to gain points with its ergonomics over the years, this is simply a blunder, especially because it does not stop at the screen. The cluster of the light controls is unnecessarily complicated and the buttons on the steering wheel are often unintentionally operated.
The Golf Variant offers sufficient headroom in the back seat, but also plenty of legroom. The extended wheelbase clearly pays off here. If we look at the trunk, there is little to complain about there either. You can store no less than 611 liters of luggage in it and with the rear seats flat, that rises to an impressive 1,642 liters.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl