SEVEN GENERATIONS OF GOLF MAKE THIS THE BEST EVER
The Volkswagen Golf is one of the bread and butter models for the VW Group. It sold 990,000 of the vehicles worldwide last year, making it one of the top global best selling cars.
The current iteration, the Golf MK7, is now five years old, a bit long in the tooth, and underwent a facelift in November last year.
Based on VW’s MQB platform, three variants of the Golf are sold in Malaysia, namely the 1.4TSi as tested, the Golf GTi and the manic Golf R.
The TSi is the Golf for the masses. Available in Comfort line and Highline variants, the TSi is powered by a four pot with a displacement of 1,400cc. Peak power is 148hp, made available at 5,000 to 6,000rpm, while peak torque is 250Nm, which shows up rather early in between 1,500rpm and 3,500rpm.
Power is channelled to the wheels via the familiar VW 7-speed dry clutch DSG gearbox.
Following last year’s refresh, the Golf now only has xenon lights on the Highline model, while the Comfortline gets halogen ones.
The Highline now has LED tail lights reminiscence of the Golf R. Other changes to exterior include the rims, which are now 17 inch Madrid on the Highline, while the Comfortline retains the 16 inchers.
The Golf is a balanced hatchback that astounds you from the moment you get in the driver’s seat. Its sharp and precise handling, combined with a punchy powerplant and predictable steering makes each drive a thrilling outing. Yes, it may sound like a sales brochure, but VW has honed the Golf to a fine art over seven generations.
It is easy to live with in town, as it has a refined engine and drivetrain that is smooth. Out on the open road though, the Golf tends to turn you into a bit of a speedster. The engine revels in bursts of acceleration, while the razor sharp steering begs for corners to carve. The brakes are exceptionally good too. Perhaps because it was born in the land of the Autobahn, the Golf is exceptionally composed at high speed.
While the driver revels in the brilliant driving dynamics, the passengers are not badly taken care of with the rather understated, but well designed interior.
The Golf’s seats are firm but comfortable, with adequate head and leg room at the rear for a person of average Malaysian build. The boot has 380 litres of space, adequate room for a small family and their luggage for the weekend.
While it is a pricey, the Golf 1.4TSi is an astounding hatchback, the benchmark in its class. Refined, with more than adequate power and the driving dynamics to match, it is one of our favourite hatchbacks to date.
A GOLF WITH A TRUNK - THE JETTA
The Volkswagen Jetta shares the same MQB platform as the Golf, but has a trunk that happens to be one of the biggest ones in its class.
The Jetta is available in three variants, namely the Trendline, Comfortline and Highline.
Also powered by the same 1.4 TSI direct-injection four-cylinder engine, the Jetta shares a similar interior, but it has more rear leg room than the Golf, although headroom for rear passengers is less.
The Jetta drives almost as well as the Golf, but is less responsive through corners. On the highway, it is stable and predictable, but in town, the sedan profile means parking it is just not as easy as the Golf.
Its styling is also more conservative. While the Golf is young and trendy, the Jetta seems to be styled for a more mature demographic.
With the bigger trunk, the Jetta makes perfect sense for those with a bigger family but still want a responsive sedan that is fun to drive.
It is a global best seller. In fact, last year, about 940,000 Jettas were sold worldwide, almost as many as the Golf.