Golf still a hot choice

While the Beetle is undoubtedly Volkswagen’s most widely recognised and sold vehicle in the company’s rich 81-year history, the Golf comes a close second.

Introduced to the SA market in 1978, it has become something of a rite-of-passage for many families.

The reasons are fairly simple: a styling that has never strayed too far from its roots; a reputation for reliability; and a price (when you look at the entry-level 1.0-litre TSI Trendline starting at R320,800) that dare I say, is affordable-ish.

The Golf range of today is not extensive — but it is inclusive. From the aforementioned 999cc Trendline through to the iconic GTI and enviable R. Sandwiched somewhere inbetween is our long-term test unit, the 1.4litre TSI Comfortline.

Now into its second month with the Sowetan Motoring team, it was my turn recently to acquaint myself with the vehicle.

First up, the car looks pretty darn hot and this is largely down to the optional R-Line package it is equipped with.

Personally the R-Line is a non-negotiable. It’s like the difference between the bride rocking up at the church in a stock-standard white dress or making a grand entrance in a designer outfit.

For a reasonable outlay of R20,650 one gets features such as 17-inch alloys, a stylish body kit and rear spoiler.

The attractiveness of the exterior spills over into the cabin where “quality” is a trademark of the Golf. From the silver inlays, softtouch fabrics to the logical layout of the instrument panels.

The 1.4-litre turbocharged engine produces

92kW and 200Nm and while the sprint to 100km/h is a fairly sharp 9.1 seconds, the top-end is an impressive 204km/h.

With peak traffic in Johannesburg becoming a living nightmare, the thought of driving a manual makes little sense and the DSGtransmission is a peach.

Yes, you can get a bit interactive and play with the paddle shifts but often that simply felt like too much hard work.

If I could level one criticism at the Golf, it is that I battled to get anywhere near the claimed fuel consumption figure of 5.2l/100km (combined). Admittedly most of my driving has been in the urban environment but the actual return was in the high sixes.

Let’s see how it goes when we have a few more kilometres on the clock (we are sitting on 5,066km) and the engine is a bit “looser” and we tackle some serious trips.

But it’s not just me who finds the Golf an extremely attractive proposition, as the vehicle accounts for a whopping 35% share of sales in its particular segment.

In fact Sowetan Motoring Editor Brenwin Naidu let slip the other day that the Golf is a car he would seriously consider buying.

And for someone who can be highly critical of even the best cars, that’s praise indeed.