Volkswagen Golf: carsales Car of the Year 2021 finalist

The whole history of the Volkswagen Golf has been one of ‘business as usual’, despite Volkswagen’s small car remaining right at the forefront of powertrain engineering, dynamics and packaging.

The latest-generation Golf 8 is no different in that regard, although the 1.4-litre engine powering the mainstream variants – but not the sporty GTI – is carried over from Golf 7.5 and Golf 7 before that.

What this tells you is that this engine was ahead of the game from years back – the Golf 7 was introduced to Australia in 2013 – and competitors are still struggling to match it for efficiency and refinement.

The Golf retains market appeal and buyer loyalty, underpinned in the new generation by advanced technology, especially in the realm of infotainment, with the Golf featuring a new interface that approaches prestige brands for sophistication.

But the question remaining is this: Can it win the carsales Car of the Year for 2021, proudly presented by Bingle?

It has long been asserted by the manufacturer that the Volkswagen Golf cuts across social divides.

Like the original BMC Mini, everyone from uni students to bank managers will feel equally at home in Volkswagen’s small car.

But judged on the strengths of its latest iteration – the eighth since the original model from the 1970s – the Golf will find buyers among young families and singles who are technophiles.

Buyers will opt for the Volkswagen because it is a known quantity as a brand, the product is generally reliable, it’s also cost-effective to own, and it’s comfortable, safe and dynamic to drive.

For cost of ownership, RedBook rates the Golf highly among the Car of the Year finalists in 2021.

And the Golf has long held the mantle of being the dynamic benchmark in the small-car segment in Australia.

Add these factors together with functionality and a maximum five-star ANCAP crash safety rating (based on 2019 testing protocols), and the Golf covers a lot of bases for Aussie buyers.

The Volkswagen Golf 8 has moved upmarket, and VW is no longer offering an entry-level variant that competes on price with some of the other small cars in the segment – although they too are moving away from the $20,000 base that has been the traditional launch pad for the Golf and its rivals.

Pricing starts from $29,350 plus on-road costs for the basic Volkswagen Golf – the only variant in the range available with a manual transmission.

Opting for an automatic raises the price by $2600 (to $31,950 plus ORCs) and the mid-spec Golf Life, which is expected to be the volume-selling model in the range, is $2300 higher still, at $34,250 plus ORCs. Topping the range is the Golf R-Line, at $37,450 plus ORCs.

Standard features for the entry-level Golf manual include 16-inch alloy wheels, Volkswagen’s driver assist safety suite (IQ.Drive), an 8.25-inch infotainment touch-screen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, six-speaker audio, three-zone climate control and a leather-bound steering wheel.

Additional features in the Golf Life taking part in Car of the Year testing include 17-inch alloys, voice control, satellite navigation and wireless phone charging.

The IQ.Drive bundle features autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with cyclist/pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert and driver fatigue monitoring.

A reversing camera, a tilt-down mirror on the left for reversing, traffic jam assist, tyre pressure monitoring and six airbags are also standard across the range, with the Golf Life also getting an exit warning system and emergency assist.

Volkswagen offers the Golf 8 with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and service intervals of 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

Between COVID-19 and all the associated supply problems and lockdowns, it’s taken the Volkswagen Golf 8 a little while to reach Australia.

It was first driven by carsales’ European correspondent Michael Taylor back in November 2019, and in that review the new Golf came out shining.

“It is clear, very quickly, that the 2020 Volkswagen Golf Mk8 is a huge step forward from the Mk7, and probably more of a step forward in the handling and ride than it has any objective right to be,” he said.

“The frightening part for other car-makers is that just as they felt they were closing in, the Golf has eased away from them all over again.

“It’s better – significantly better – in so many areas without compromising what its strengths have always been. It’s so new inside, yet it still feels familiar to anybody who sits in the driver’s seat.

“The new Volkswagen Golf has taken a huge leap forward in connectivity and digital tech, but it eases the unfamiliar into all of its systems with its intuitiveness.

“And, for the first time, it’s even fun to drive.”

More recently, Sam Charlwood drove the Golf 8 on home turf. He was not as effusive (two years between reviews can be a long time), but recognised that owners of past Golfs will feel right at home in the new car.

“Despite this being a new generation, the 2021 Volkswagen Golf really only feels like a small, incremental step forward,” he said. “But that doesn’t necessarily count against it.

“Overall, the new Golf retains the core character of the vehicle before it, making for a nice constant in a world that is forever changing.”

It’s still to be determined whether that will be enough to win carsales Car of the Year for 2021, proudly presented by Bingle. But it’s well and truly in the running…

Volkswagen Golf 110TSI Life at a glance:
Price: From $34,250
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 110kW/250Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 5.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 132g/km (ADR Combined)