Volkswagen Golf 2009 Review

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In 2009, the latest generation of small Volkswagen, making history, is the Golf 6 -- a car which addresses some of the minor shortcomings of the Golf 5, but does so by offering an arguably less engaging package.

Volkswagen has dispensed with the wedgie styling of the superseded car and the tail lights too, are subjectively homogenous in style. Both changes are offset by more prominent sculpture lines, but is that enough? The problem with being a trendsetter is that once the followers catch up, you have to move faster to stay ahead.

But that's styling. How does the Golf compare with other small cars? Very well, as it happens. Very few cars for the money can offer the Volkswagen's combination of packaging and refinement.

For the Australian market, Volkswagen has structured the Golf range in two levels (Trendline and Comfortline). Pricing for the basic Golf -- the 90TSI Trendline manual -- starts from $25,990. Specify the seven-speed DSG transmission for an extra $2500 and the price rises to $28,490.

Pick the higher-performance petrol-engined Golf 118TSI Comfortline and you'll part with $30,490 for the six-speed manual variant or $32,990 for the seven-speed DSG transmission.

For those who prefer their Golf without sparkplugs, pricing for the diesel Golf 103TDI Comfortline is set at $33,190 with the manual transmission or $35,690 with the six-speed DSG.

As the entry-level variant in the range, the Golf Trendline is nonetheless equipped as standard with: 15-inch steel wheels, 195/65 R15 tyres, chilled glovebox, trip computer, eight-speaker MP3-compatible CD audio system, electric windows/mirrors (heated mirrors), rake-and-reach adjustment for the steering column, remote central locking, semi-automatic climate control.

Providing buyers with a little extra spice without the full cost of the Comfortline grade, the Golf Trendline can be optioned with a 'Comfort' pack comprising some of the features from the higher-grade models. Adding $2200 to the price of the Trendline models, the pack consists of: 15-inch alloy wheels, multi-function leather-bound steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, auto-on/off headlights with follow-me-home function, electro-chromatic mirror, cruise control and premium infotainment interface.

Comfortline models are equipped as per the Trendline variants with the Comfort pack option, other than the Golf Comfortline additionally packing 16-inch alloy wheels and 205/55 R16 tyres.

Buyers of the Golf in Comfortline trim can order the car with a Comfortline Sport package costing $2000. This pack features: 17-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension, low pressure indicator for tyres and sports cloth seats.

Stand-alone optional features such as leather upholstery, Adaptive Chassis Control, satellite navigation, rear-view camera, premium audio system, an electric glass sunroof and Park Assist with front and rear parking sensors are also available at extra cost. 

The Golf Trendline is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-litre engine and is classed as the 90TSI variant -- 90 indicating the engine's power output in kilowatts and the TSI referring to the engine's turbocharged and direct-injected fuel delivery system. Buyers can choose between the standard six-speed manual or optional seven-speed DSG transmission in this level of trim.

As well as developing a healthy power output from its small capacity, the 90TSI engine musters 200Nm between 1500 and 4000rpm. Driving through the six-speed manual transmission, it uses just 6.4L/100km of fuel in combined-cycle fuel consumption testing. With the new seven-speed DSG transmission option, the Golf 90TSI uses even less fuel -- 6.2L/100km.

Also displacing 1.4 litres, the 118TSI engine is basically the same powerplant found in the Type 5 generation Golf GT. It employs both supercharger and turbocharger to develop 118kW of power and 240Nm of torque, between the engine speeds of 1750 and 4500rpm for the latter. Fuel consumption, based on combined-cycle testing is 6.2L/100km for the manual variant or 6.5L/100km with the DSG box. This engine seamlessly switches from supercharged induction at low revs to turbocharged induction at higher revs, to ensure a good mix of driveability and fuel efficiency.

Boasting 2.0-litre capacity and common-rail induction, the 103TDI turbodiesel produces 103kW of power and 320Nm of torque between 1750 and 2500rpm. Fuel consumption is 5.3L/100km for the manual variant or 5.6L/100km with the six-speed DSG.

All Golf variants are more economical than the respective counterparts in the superseded Golf 5 range. According to Volkswagen, the petrol engines have gained the most, with the turbo 1.4 in the Golf Trendline reducing fuel consumption by 15 per cent for the manual (and 25 per cent for the DSG) compared with the naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre models in the Type 5 range.

Volkswagen compared the 118TSI variants in the new range with the naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre models powering some Golf 5 variants and, based on this comparison, came up with fuel efficiency gains of 23 per cent for the manual and 24 per cent for the DSG.

Whether coupled to either of the two petrol engines or the diesel, the DSG is fundamentally more fuel-efficient than the epicyclic automatic transmissions in the Type 5 models.

There is, however, a fly in the ointment where fuel type is concerned; the petrol variants run on a diet of 98 RON PULP, so it's perhaps just as well that they're economical.

Suspension for the Golf 6 is independent all-around, with MacPherson struts at the front and a four-link system behind. With its electrically-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system, the Golf 6 will pull a turn within a 10.9m diameter. Brakes are ventilated discs at the front and solid discs at the rear.

For more on the mechanical story and the evolution from Golf 5 to 6 see our international launch coverage here.

Accommodation in the front is generally good, but the driving position wasn't entirely ideal. Legibility of the instruments was very good, but compromised for this reviewer by the steering wheel adjustment. The range of adjustment didn't match the location and height of the instruments relative to the driver's position.

Both the reviewer and the co-driver for the drive program felt it was difficult to find a position that provided the proper balance of comfort and command.

There's no tilt adjustment in the driver's seat and the squab sits up high at the front. That gives the driver plenty of support under the thighs, but it just might be too extreme for some, particularly those with shorter legs.

There's a mass of contouring in the bolsters and the seats are typical of European design, providing firm cushioning. It may be that some will find this sort of seating to be too aggressive. The backrest is shaped in a way that forms more of a 'V' with the squab. As a consequence, and combined with the high angle of tilt on the squab, you feel a little like you're sitting in a semi-collapsed deck chair.

That's all on first impressions, and longer spent in the driving seat reveals that the seating IS comfortable and accommodating. For some, the seating in the 90TSI will be more to their liking, being a little softer in the cushioning, although there's still plenty of support.

Even with the driver's seat as far back as it will go, there remains enough kneeroom for average-sized adults in the rear. When the front seats are occupied by average-sized adults, there's still plenty of legroom in the rear.

The luggage capacity is not huge at 350 litres. By way of comparison, this figure matches that of the Holden Astra AH model, which has been available locally for five years.

From an aesthetic standpoint, the interior styling of the new Golf is attractive and the layout of instruments and switchgear is sensible and easy to use.

Interior quality was a major focus of the changeover from Golf 5 to 6.  Based on the reviewer's rather dim recollections of a Golf 5 GT driven briefly about 18 months ago, the new Golf certainly moves ahead in leaps and bounds as far as interior presentation is concerned. The improved ambience in the new car is a consequence of more sophisticated design, but also it's a question of using premium materials such as chrome decorative trim and softer plastics. Even the relatively prestigious seat fabric in the base-grade 90TSI Trendline -- still durable and in a repeat to stymie dirt and stains -- seemed like a major step in the right direction. All in all, the new Golf is finished to a standard commensurate with other (more expensive) VW models.

To avoid collisions in the first place the new Golf is also fitted as standard with ABS/EBD, Brake Assist, traction control, an electronic differential lock and stability control. 

Features fitted to Comfortline variants that boost the Golf's safety standard include rain-sensing wipers, auto-on/off headlights and electro-chromatic mirrors. The exterior mirrors are heated for all variants.

Buyers can also order the Golf with other useful additions such as a reversing camera and ACC (Adaptive Chassis Control).

The upmarket Golf Comfortline with the Comfort Sport option pack -- effectively replacing the Golf Highline grade not sold here -- comes with on-the-move tyre-pressure monitoring.

All in all though, the Volkswagen will typically target competitors in the higher tier of the VFACTS segment for small cars under $40,000.

That would theoretically include Citroen C4, Fiat Ritmo, Peugeot 308 and Renault Megane. At a pinch, VW buyers may also be tempted by European imports sold by local manufacturers (Ford Focus and Holden Astra), or high-spec Japanese cars like the Honda Civic, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, Subaru Impreza, Suzuki SX4 and Toyota Corolla.

All of the European cars (including Ford and Holden) offer diesel drivetrains and the two 'local' Europeans undercut the diesel Golf Comfortline on price, but not necessarily refinement. In fact, it's fair to say that the Golf 103TDI has immediately dated the Focus TDCi and the Astra CDTi for NVH.

The Golf enjoys a major advantage over all these prospective competitors in offering the DSG option. All the competitors field automatic boxes, but few combine a self-shifting option with a diesel engine.

If you want a diesel small car with an automatic from a company other than Volkswagen, you'd best look at Hyundai and its i30.

The turbodiesel powerplant was coupled to a DSG box and maintained boost -- and acceleration -- through the gears. This box was the six-speed unit, but we also sampled the seven-speed DSG matched to the 118TSI higher-performance petrol engine.

With so many ratios to make the best of the 118TSI engine's linear torque, the seven-speed unit allowed the driver to shift sequentially for brisk acceleration without ever really needing to use more than half throttle. Should you use all the throttle available and let the 118TSI engine rev out, you'll learn that it exudes turbine-like smoothness and a deep, sporting note.

On average, the 118TSI engine returned a fuel consumption figure of 8.5L/100km over the course of the drive program. For the 90TSI manual, we saw a figure of 9.0L/100km, but that may not be particularly representative, since the car had been left idling for some undetermined time with the air conditioning running before it was driven anywhere. We would expect that most owners should get better results than this, since the average was still dropping when we handed it back to VW.

Unfortunately, we didn't get a figure for the 103kW TDI model, but would expect it to better the results for both the petrol variants.

The manual (six-speed) transmission matched to the 90TSI engine was light, precise and easy to use. Clutch take-up was up to par; not too sudden or too high off the floor. With its smaller turbo, and the lack of the supercharger, the 90TSI offers good response from low revs -- probably comparable to that of the 118TSI engine -- but is not as willing to rev higher up.

Still, many will be perfectly content with the lower-powered variant. Curiously, and for reasons we can't explain, the 90TSI engine coped with revs around or below 1500rpm better than the 118TSI engine did. There was just a touch more labouring from the premium engine, either because it was still a bit tight from the factory or the DSG box isn't quite as fuss-free as the manual, when driven this way.

The 90TSI, which we only drove briefly, is equipped with 15-inch steel wheels and Hankook tyres, which were noisy.

They also were quantifiably less capable than the tyres fitted to the 16-inch alloys and optional 17-inch alloys on the diesel and 118TSI variants. The ride on the Hankooks was as good or better, compared with the other permutations of Golf 6, including the 118TSI with its optional Adaptive Chassis Control.

While the base Golf's grip and handling weren't seriously affected, turn-in was a bit slower and the car felt a little less consistent through the corners, which is not just a factor resulting from the tyres being cheapies, but also because of their higher profile. They're just not intended for a sporting drive.

During the international launch (see link above), the feedback from the Golf's steering was described as 'artificial'. Based on the drive program for the local launch, we would rate steering feel as way better than that of the Fiat Ritmo and probably on a par or even slightly better than the Peugeot 308's. And the Golf scores better still against the competitors from Japan.

The Focus, which persists with hydraulically-assisted steering is, if memory serves, still ahead of the Golf, with its electric assistance.

Across all variants, the Golf's ride is highly commendable. We could see imperfections in the road, but couldn't hear or feel them, usually. With the ACC, the 118TSI provided flatter and firmer cornering, but was inclined to follow undulations religiously; a syndrome manifested by a quaver in our co-driver's voice during a mobile phone conversation as we proceeded along a freeway in 'Sport' mode.

In normal and comfort settings, the ride at least has the measure of other small cars, and without denting the Golf's cornering ability to any large degree.

The upshot of all this is that Volkswagen's latest is impressive on so many fronts. It's well priced, comfortable, dynamic and practical. We can't think of a similar car that is such a capable all-rounder.

Key to pictures: Red car with black interior and manual transmission is Golf 90TSI (NXS 53S), silver car with beige interior and DSG is Golf 118TSI (NXS 57M), blue car with black interior and DSG is Golf 103TDI (NXS 57A).