New VW Golf hits SA

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Golf VI comes with the idea that if you were to sit in the car with your eyes closed, you would instantly ascertain that it's a Golf from the feel and from the way it's developed from the previous generation ? in fact all the way from the MKI. The positioning of dials and switches as part of the typical layout doesn't make it very difficult to determine it's anything other than VW.

The newcomer comes loaded with all new gadgetry to this segment, and this is where VW wants to make the Golf the class leader again. Some nifty gimmicks are the ESP (electronic stability programme), ASR (anti spin regulation) and the EBD (electronic brake-force distribution) systems that aided the new Golf in achieving the highest recorded score in the new Euro NCAP safety test, 36 out of 37 points.

The new park assist steers you into any parking automatically, while the rear-facing camera and parking sensors are a luxury most commonly found in cars of a much more expensive segment.

Onto the models. The two 1.4TSI motors, that put out 90kW and 118kW, are tremendous and in terms of performance could easily be mistaken for much larger capacity engines. The ease with which they accelerate and overtake is mind boggling when considering their size.

The supercharger, combined with the turbocharger technology of the 118kW model, is brilliant for low speed driving and gives the driver power right the way through the rev range. And somehow it has an almost identical fuel consumption figure to the 90kW model, which claims 6.2l/100km to the 118kW version's 6.3l/100km.

The diesel in the range (the 2.0TDI) is carried over from the Golf V.

What we did note while driving these three versions was that each one carries its own specific gearbox characteristics, the 118kW being the smoothest while the others seem to be a little less so but hardly inconvenient.

As is to be expected, the chassis feel of the new Golf is similar to the Scirocco we tested earlier in the month, the only major difference being the Golf feels a little softer due to its more market-friendly image.

The only real negative here is that Golf VI lacks a bit of exterior style. Nothing really makes it stand out visually and not many road users even noticed that it was the new incarnation, which it seem a bit insignificant.

Somehow I don't think that's going to stop the popularity of the VI though, especially since the best news to come out of the launch was that the GTI is to find itself available in South Africa from as soon as July this year, with the possible addition of an "R" model after that.