As a product range, Volkswagen’s Golf 7 is arguably the best hatchback on the market. I know Audi fans will say their brand’s Sportback models, based on the same platform, are a notch up in the elegance stakes, but it really is too close to call.
The problem is that, as motoring journalists, we normally get to drive the top models in any given range, hence we love the Golf GTi and its all-wheel-drive sibling, the Golf R.
We seldom get to experience models lower down the range – that’s not a VW idiosyncrasy as most carmakers provide only the most glamorous vehicle for tests, which can deliver a somewhat lopsided verdict on an entire range.
However, driving the performance versions of the Golf, as I have done over the past few years, has prevented me from discovering just how brilliant the car is in its more mundane versions.
I had the chance at the end of last year to spend some time with a Golf 7 TSi Comfortline. And it was a revelation.
Because the acceleration was so impressive, I thought it was one of the more powerful (103kW petrol turbo) versions, whereas the car had a relatively modest output of 90kW from its turbo 1.4 litre engine. It felt sprightly both in acceleration from rest and in the all-important overtaking area.
When I looked at the engine specs I realised why: the car produces 200Nm of torque at low revs (between 1 500 and 3 500rpm).
That readily accessible torque means the car doesn’t have to be thrashed to give of its best and I am now not surprised that the Golf TSI has beaten supposedly more powerful competitors in the acceleration stakes. At the same time, the fuel consumption was so good I was concerned the instruments were faulty.
I got just over seven litres per 100km in the city and about 5.5l/100km on the highway. My 25-year-old Jetta, even at its best, returned figures of 9.5 and 7.5 respectively in the same conditions.
That shows how far engine technology has come. It also shows that a good petrol engine today is not far off the efficiency of a turbodiesel and both are, in turn, not much thirstier than the save-the-planet hybrids. As you’d expect from a Golf, handling is pin-sharp. Even on fairly high-profile tyres, the Golf was a silky smooth ride – and even better than some in the “executive” class.
What remains long after the car went back is the quality of it. It feels way more expensive, sitting behind the wheel – R306 000 is a lot to pay for a hatchback but that is more the fault of the rand than VW.
If you are looking for the best, there are few other options than a Golf.