The raindrops congeal on the windshield in gel-like veins, oozing slowly over to the side and out of view. The 100 KM/H wind seems to have little effect on them. When the weather is like this everything slows down. It is just above freezing, but feels about fifty below zero. It’s the middle of December during one of the worst winter storms in recent years in Germany. We have just left Wolfsburg after spending a day and half touring The Volkswagen Autostadt, VW’s base of operations and spiritual home. The experience was amazing and makes me appreciate the Golf VI we are in, just that much more.
Even without the rich heritage I would still be extremely impressed with Volkswagen’s latest offering of the legendary Golf. Which was first known as the Rabbit over here, then the Golf with the MKII, then back to Rabbit with the MKV and apparently now back again to Golf, confusing I know. Golf platform vehicles have been VW’s bread and butter since the demise of air-cooled engines. The newest offering is not an entirely new vehicle, but rather a significant improvement on the already brilliant GolfV.
The car VW has provided is a fully loaded four door Golf 1.4TSI, DSG. Don’t stop reading, yes it’s only a 1400cc engine, but it’s an amazing forced induction unit with 7 forward gears to choose from. While most Americans will scoff at the diminutive displacement, those that have driven them would ditch the North American 5-banger in a heartbeat if they could get one of these. The twin-charged engine cranks out a healthy 177lb-ft of torque from 1500-4500RPM. The power is smooth and linear, the acceleration is faster than the 158HP would suggest. The little Golf is quick, not fast, but definitely quicker than anyone should complain about for a daily driver. The real story is the 47mpg achieved while providing this performance.
To be honest, we didn’t see anywhere near those kinds of numbers in our testing. It was either pouring down rain, or completely clear. Pouring down rain meant traffic problems and when it was clear we averaged over 100mph on beautiful open sections of Autobahn.
Our drive took us due east from Wolfsburg to historic Berlin. After a couple days in Berlin we headed south to Dresden, then on to Ingolstadt. The trip went quick once the rain stopped and we could see the lush German landscape, green even in middle of winter. The first thing most Americans will notice, besides a lack of speed limits and the amazingly astute drivers, is the number of giant windmills looming above. We talk about being green in the US. We talk about being technologically advanced; we aren’t. Germans take all the things we talk about and actually make it happen. Same theory applies to cars, we all talk about wanting efficient, sporty, fun to drive cars then buy big SUVs. Germany is abuzz with small displacement, big inside, small on the outside hatchbacks. SUVs are refreshingly rare; there is a plus to small streets and high gas prices.
It didn’t take long to get out of the somewhat congested Wolfsburg and out on the open road. It became immediately obvious just how much quieter and more solid the new Golf is. Even at triple digit speeds it was eerily still inside, it would have been perfect if we could have found something other than techno-pop or David Hasselhoff rock-blocks on the radio. There is almost no wind noise, even around the mirrors and A-pillars. There was a slight hum from the tires and the engine makes just enough noise so you know when it’s trying. The two-hour drive, even the parts in bad weather, were perfectly relaxing.
Our Golf came equipped with VW’s new touch screen NAV system, which is one the best on the market. I usually have a real problem with NAV systems. Clunky interfaces, lack of crucial information, slow updating usually add up to more frustration than navigation. This system is very intuitive and easy to use. It displays graphical representations of intersections and actually gives you plenty of notice about when and where to turn. I think it actually took more time for me to figure out how to switch it from German to English than it did to program in all of our destinations.
The next set of buttons that warranted a barrage of pushing and prodding were for the adjustable suspension or DCC in VW speak. In the past, I have been less than impressed with adjustable ride systems. I have found they only transmit more high-speed vibrations into the cabin without noticeably improving handling. Volkswagen has gotten it right with their new system. Big differences between sport and comfort become immediately apparent and actually make a difference. Potholes, heaves and even cobblestones were nonissues in comfort mode, while on some of the more twisty sections the sport mode limited body roll and kept movement to a minimum. The sport mode seemed to be best for high-speed cruising as well. Stiffer damping rates and less steering assist results in the type of high-speed composure usually reserved for larger cars. The new Golf is amazingly solid at speed. We got the car up to 130mph at times, and it felt no more harrowing than doing the national speed limit back in the states.
When we do get the Golf VI on this side of the Atlantic it will still represent the best possible value in the entry-level car market. It is tough to call a car that is this well built with such high quality materials simply ”entry-level”. VW has said that the price difference between the current generation of Rabbit and the next Golf will be negligible; the upgrades however are not. I am just hoping that we will see some smaller more efficient engine options than the current 2.5-liter. VW’s new Bluemotion Diesels are pretty amazing, but some Americans still have an oil burner aversion. Apparently the twin charged TSI engines are fairly expensive to build, but the performance and economy combination would definitely make them worth considering.
Volkswagen
www.vw.com or http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/#/new/golf-vi/
Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.