Ken Gratton•20 Apr 2013

REVIEW

Volkswagen Golf 2013 Review

Name: Volkswagen Golf 2013 Review
Brand: Volkswagen

Pivotal new VW model set to throw a scare into all but the cheapest small-car brands

Volkswagen Golf 7 90TSI, 103TSI & 110TDI

Local Launch

Yarra Valley, Victoria

What we liked:

>> Terrific refinement in even the base model

>> 103TSI very enjoyable to drive

>> Quality and kit for the money

Not so much:

>> Visually close to Polo?

>> Diesel lacks petrol models' agility

>> Average legroom in the rear

OVERVIEW

>> Reaping the benefits of Eurozone finances

This year marks a major milestone for Volkswagen and its iconic Golf hatchback. Over 30 million units of the original 'anti-Beetle' have been built since its introduction in 1974. That's over a million a year, with no sign of demand for the car slowing in the wake of the latest model to reach global markets – the seventh generation since the car was introduced as the true successor to the air-cooled, rear-engined Beetle.

And coinciding with the local launch of 'Golf 7', Volkswagen's product range here is more competitive than ever, as the gulf widens between the Australian dollar and the Euro. That has never been more apparent than in the case of the latest Golf.

Packed with more equipment – certainly enough to at least level the playing field with rivals from Japan, South Korea and other parts of Europe – the new Golf also kicks off in Australia with a 90kW turbo four-cylinder that displaces 1.4 litres, versus the 1.2-litre engine of the previous generation base-grade Golf. It's larger, lighter (in the body at least) and offers more refinement too.

Yet the new Golf starts at a price of $21,490, which is $500 less than the Golf 77TSI from the Golf 6 range.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

>> Australia remains the place for Golf

The local market is one of the least expensive places anywhere in the world to buy a new Golf, and that's not about to change with the introduction of the new model. As mentioned above, the pricing for the new model begins $500 lower than before. DSG, as an option, adds $2500 to the purchase price. All Golf models are petrol variants, other than the diesel flagship, which is priced at $34,490.

The new range comprises three levels of trim: base, mid-range Comfortline and top-spec Highline. In other markets the base grade is labelled 'Trendline', but that name won't be used in Australia, for the simple reason that the entry-level Golf here is specified differently and doesn't precisely fit the Trendline specification.

Six variants make up the Golf 7 range in Australia. The Golf 90TSI is the lower-powered petrol model trimmed to base-grade level and available in two variants – six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG. Prices are $21,490 and $23,990 respectively. Riding on 16-inch steel wheels with 195/65 tyres, the base Golf offers good value, with seven airbags (among those a knee bag for the driver), air conditioning, trip computer, cruise control, speed-limiter, electric windows/mirrors, remote control audio switchgear on the steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming and an MP3/WMA-compatible eight-speaker CD audio with USB socket. The Golf 90TSI is not only cheaper than the Golf 77TSI from the previous range, it's also better equipped.

At $24,990 for the manual model and $27,490 for the DSG, the Golf 90TSI Comfortline moves up to 16-inch alloy wheels with 205/55 tyres, dual-zone climate-control, 'Comfort' seats, follow-me-home lighting, auto-on/off headlights, rain-sensing wipers, 12-volt power socket, electrochromatic mirror, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, Optical Parking System and automatic kerb function (which tilts the passenger-side exterior mirror when reversing). And you get a couple of cupholders in the rear-seat centre armrest...

Unlike the lower-grade variants, the Golf Highline is sold exclusively with a DSG box (seven-speed for the 103TSI petrol engine or six-speed for the 110TDI diesel). Prices at this level are $31,990 for the 103TSI or $34,490 for the diesel, placing the premium for the diesel at $2500, just like the DSG option.

The extra charge over the Comfortline grade pays for the Golf Highline's 17-inch alloy wheels, 225/45 tyres, sports front seats in cloth/alcantara upholstery combination, incorrect fuel filling prevention system (diesel), front fog lights, darkened tail light clusters, satellite navigation with voice control, two SD card slots for audio system, piano black decorative trim with chrome accents and LED ambient lighting in front footwells.

Volkswagen offers a number of options for the new Golf, not least of which is the Driver Assistance Package, priced at $1300 and available for Comfortline and Highline models. This pack features Adaptive Cruise Control, Front Assist with City Emergency Brake (City EB) function, driving profile selection, Park Assist 2 (parking bay and parallel parking assistance) and proactive occupant protection system.

Metallic paint is a $500 option, across the range, the Discover Media satnav system for Golf Comfortline (standard for Highline) is priced at $950, and both Comfortline and Highline grades can be ordered with an alarm for $600. Golf Highline variants can be specified with a host of other options, including: Panoramic glass sunroof ($1850), bi-xenon headlights with LED DRLs ($2150), Vienna leather ($2950)

MECHANICAL

>> Fuel-efficient, but no loss of amenity

Volkswagen claims that the new engines powering the Golf 7 have reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by as much as 16 per cent. The three engines in the local Golf range are entirely new, with two of them petrol EA211 series 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinders built around an aluminium block.

Two states of tune exist for the petrol engines: 90kW/200Nm for lower-priced models and 103kW/250Nm for the Golf Highline. Fuel consumption for the 90kW engine is 5.7L/100km with the manual box, or 5.4 with the seven-speed DSG. The higher performance 103kW engine is only available with a DSG box as standard, and returns a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 5.2L/100km, based on using the recommended 95 RON ULP, as is the case for the 90kW engine.

In a break with recent convention, the new petrol engines embrace water-to-air intercooling, an exhaust manifold integrated with the cylinder head, and a timing belt in lieu of the timing chain Golf engines featured previously. According to Volkswagen the timing belt has a service life of 105,000km or seven years.

The third engine in the range is a 2.0-litre diesel, which Volkswagen says is an EA288 series powerplant, producing 110km/320Nm. Fuel use is officially rated at 4.9L/100km and the only transmission offered for this drivetrain is the six-speed DSG box. The diesel has its own balance shafts to iron out vibration and, like the petrol engines, has its exhaust manifold on the firewall side of the engine bay. A shorter intake path and variable turbine geometry reduces turbo lag, and the diesel comes with an Incorrect Fuel Filling Prevention System. Locking lugs in the filler flap will only unlatch a flap in the filler neck if the pump nozzle is the correct diameter for diesel fuel.

Drive is fed to the front wheels, which are suspended by MacPherson struts. A multi-link independent system resides at the rear and steering is handled by a revised version of the electro-mechanical rack-and-pinion setup developed for Golf 6.

All the underpinnings are fixed to Volkswagen's MQB platform, which has been developed for the Golf 7, Audi A3, Skoda Octavia and Seat Leon. It's architecture specifically developed for transverse engine applications and can be scaled down (to Polo size) or up, for larger SUVs. The platform comprises seven modules and allows variable dimensions ahead of the front axle and behind the A pillars to suit different models, as well as varying track in the lateral aspect.

Given the modular nature of the platform, Volkswagen could build models other than the Golf on the Golf production line to keep plant capacity at an ideal number somewhere between 100 and 120 per cent, according to Volkswagen board member, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, in Australia for the launch of Golf 7. This would ease the strain for other plants producing MQB models (A3, Octavia or Leon) in the event that demand for the Golf declined. Similarly, Golf can be produced at Audi, Seat or Skoda factories building MQB models.

PACKAGING

>> Keeping the lid on bloating

The new Golf has grown in size, but you would have to see the previous model alongside to pick it. In length Golf 7 measures 4349mm – an increase of 150mm over the Golf 6. This includes a wheelbase stretch of 46mm to 2620mm. Placing the exhaust manifold on the other side of the petrol engines' cylinder head means the front axle has been pushed forward 43mm, for better secondary safety properties. Canting the engine backwards 12 degrees, like the diesel, means weight distribution is improved and all the driveline components are standardised across the range. Despite being 14mm wider (now 1799mm), the Golf's frontal area has been reduced by 0.03m² – nearly 10 per cent -- for improved aerodynamics and consequently lower fuel consumption.

Weight reduction has been a major focus of the Golf 7 design team, with engineers finding 23.5kg of weight-saving in the body-in-white, another 16 from the alloy block of the petrol engines, and more again from turbocharger assembly, pistons, connecting rods, crankshaft and other engine components.

Volkswagen also claims that the move to a synchronous electric motor for the steering assistance has shaved 2.5kg off the total weight of the car, and a further 3.6kg was spared during the development of the IRS system and a further 1.6 from the front struts. 2.5kg more was pared from the electrically-assisted steering, and engineers lightened the car by 2.7kg from the air conditioning, 0.4kg from the dash and 1.4 from the module cross member.

SAFETY

>> Hot-stamping technology to further crash protection

Hot-forming the stamped members of the body has not only saved weight (using thinner gauge steel), it has left the tensile strength of the car unimpaired – one contributing factor to the new Golf's five-star Euro NCAP score.

In addition to the usual raft of safety measures on-board, the new Golf also comes equipped with a driver's knee bag complementing the other six airbags, flashing brake lights for emergency situations, driver fatigue detection, Brake Assist, an electric parking brake with Auto-Hold function and Multi-Collision Brake, which is a new safety feature in this market segment.

COMPETITORS

>> Collision of brands in small-car segment

The Japanese government is devaluing the Yen, Kim Jong-Un's activities are pushing down the Won, and the on-going Eurozone crisis is 'hurting' European exports to Australia – including the new Golf.

But Volkswagen looks to be the big winner in the VFACTS small-car segment. Wolfsburg has been quick out of the blocks with pricing of the new Golf to undercut rivals like the Opel Astra – also from Germany – by over $2000. Some would reasonably ask why pay the extra for a Peugeot 308 or even the well-regarded Renault Megane?

And even those cars that are priced lower than the Golf at entry level – Ford Focus, Honda Civic hatch, Hyundai i30, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Pulsar and Toyota Corolla – have some shortcomings that are easily thrown into sharp relief by the specification and the dynamics of the Golf. The one car that matches the Golf 90TSI on price is the locally-built Holden Cruze CD. Much improved as it is, from its MY14 update, it's bound to struggle in the face of everything about the Golf, from ephemera like Volkswagen's brand cachet and resale value to the superior engine technology and overall refinement.

ON THE ROAD

>> Diesel a capable tourer, but petrol engines deliver the fun

A brief drive from our overnight stay in Melbourne to Victoria's Yarra Valley provided an opportunity for a cursory evaluation of the Golf 90TSI with the DSG box. Subsequently we sampled the 103TSI and 110TDI models on stretches of country road between Yarra Glen and Healesville.

First impressions of the base-grade car was that it had more than sufficient power and torque to break traction on the wet roads, and deliver respectable straight line performance. But extracting the best performance from the car always required a bit more effort. In contrast the diesel Golf (the 110TDI) was very much a comfy tourer for lazy people who don't want to shift gear for themselves and are happy for the car to out-accelerate big-six sedans without building a sweat. The Golf 103TSI fell somewhere between the two.

Away from the straight-ahead, the diesel Golf felt heavier in the nose than the two petrol variants. This translated to slower turn-in and more of a propensity to understeer. If you're travelling longer distances and need the diesel's added torque (and power) for overtaking, the 110kW engine is ideal.

Fuel consumption for the diesel was 6.4L/100km, read from the trip computer – and presumably after a good, hard flogging by other writers on the drive program. But if you spend more time on short trips around town, the 90TSI may be more to your liking. It's certainly cheaper, but then you miss out on some of the niceties of the flagship model.

Power delivery for the 90TSI was a little softer than either the higher performance petrol alternative or the diesel, but with its auto-stop system the lower output petrol engine was reasonably economical to offset that. The average fuel consumption during the launch was 6.2L/100km, according to the trip computer. That was based on open-road driving, for the most part, but it's indicative of what could be achievable by an owner – as opposed to profligate journalists.

But the driver's car among the bunch, in this writer's opinion, was the 103TSI. It carried less weight in the nose than the diesel, and simply had snappier power delivery than the 90TSI. With plenty of revability and close ratios available in the seven-speed DSG, it was simply more enjoyable to drive than the other two. Yet it never felt raw whipping the tacho needle up to the redline. Naturally it used more fuel in spirited driving and the consumption figure posted by the trip computer was 6.7L/100km, but if you could achieve that every day and still drive the pants off it, you'd be a happy little vegemite indeed.

Then again, buyers across the board will be pretty happy with the Golf whichever their choice of powerplant. All three of the cars driven came with DSG boxes, so we can't comment on the six-speed manual that's the lower-priced transmission for the base-grade 90TSI. What can be said is that the DSG appears to have benefited from VW's development work for the Golf 7, exhibiting smoother operation overall, but when the 103TSI model was being given some curry the dual-clutch transmission responded rapidly to driver input.

Braking was progressive through the pedal and could be finely modulated in the case of all three cars. The Golf would always pull to a halt with a soft but reassuring action. Ride comfort was slightly better in the case of the base 90TSI than the 103TSI, which was equipped to the Highline grade and rode on 17-inch alloys rather than the 16-inch wheels fitted to the other petrol model driven. Even in the Highline trim the Golf rode nicely and certainly wouldn't upset those of delicate sensibilities.

From the driving position the instruments and controls were sensibly laid out and easy to read/use. Seats were well shaped for comfort and support, albeit just a little flat in the cushion. Rear-seat accommodation was a slight squeeze for six-footers and taller, but what small car isn't? Knee room and head room both passed muster for adults of average height.

The noise, vibration and harshness levels within the cabin were low by anyone's standards. Tyres were a little noisy on the country roads around Healesville, but it needs to be stressed that this was an issue highlighted by the absence of noise from other sources in the Golf.

Both the petrol engines were highly refined, but the diesel was prone to rattle a bit at speeds above 4000rpm under full load. At idle and at partial load in higher gears, however, the 110TDI variant was free of all but the slightest vibration. It was highly commendable in this respect, even at its flagship price just under $35,000.

But for us, the slightly cheaper Golf 103TSI remains the one to get.

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Volkswagen Golf 2013 Review

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