The Volkswagen Golf 7 has certainly cemented its place as a ‘must-drive’ for those in the market for a small car . However, for those on the hunt for something to cart the family around in, the Golf may not make the shortlist – until now. Enter the Golf Wagon. Even at entry level, the styling, comfort and quality of this roomy estate is apparent, and it certainly hasn’t been compromised for the sake of practicality. Priced from $25,540 (plus on-road costs) the Golf wagon may just give the trusted family SUV a real run for its money.
Having driven several Golf 7 variants over the past few months, I was curious to see if the newly-released Wagon would bolster my positive impressions of the range.
From the outside, you’ll essentially not notice too much of a difference in comparison to the hatch variant apart from a slightly longer body and roof rails. Volkswagen has done a great job of modifying the styling without messing with the overall look and feel of the Golf, and for style-conscious me, that’s a real plus.
This slightly larger rear-end means that the Golf Wagon boasts up to 605 litres of storage space in the back – with the seats in place! When put to the test I was able to transport a large Esky, a mid-size suitcase with room left over for several bags of shopping.
For added security, the cargo space includes a sleek cover which retracts easily to allow for taller items to be stored if necessary.
In comparison to the hatch, the wagon’s modified rear design makes carrying around all the family essentials much easier, without the need to play a game of Tetris in the shopping centre carpark.
Along with ensuring that the overall appearance remains true to the Golf range, Volkswagen has opted to include 15-inch alloy wheels (and not steel wheels with tacky plastic covers) as standard on the entry-level Wagon.
Moving inside, I found the wagon variant to be visually identical to the hatch in terms of styling, and location of instruments.
The Golf boasts a sleek, flowing dash and centre console, and despite the wagon coming in at well under $30k, I immediately noticed the heavy European influence that features throughout the interior of the Golf Wagon – that is to say good quality throughout.
I found all the finishes to be of an excellent quality, without any nasty hard plastics or cheap-looking edges to be found. Brushed metal complemented the dark grey and black hues perfectly, this styling giving the Golf’s interior a slight lift, without being over the top.
The 5.8-inch colour centre display incorporates touchscreen technology, alongside a user-friendly interface that had my smartphone’s Bluetooth function connected in no time.
The proximity sensors on the touchscreen made it even easier to navigate between menus; which include a nifty application that clearly displays your fuel consumption in both real time, and over the life of the car.
The steering wheel design is as ergonomic as it is practical. I found all essential functionalities, such as the cruise and audio controls, to be right at my finger tips and very simple to use.
Driver and passenger comfort is second to none in the Golf with me and my passenger travelling almost two hours to emerge from the car without sore backs or bottoms – no mean feat for a small car under $30k.
On the road, the Golf Wagon continues to impress. The 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine was smooth, and provided plenty of punch once you got past the initial bit of turbo and dual-clutch transmission lag.
I found the ride to be comfortable, with the driving position being high enough to allow for fairly good visibility, although in comparison to the hatch, it was slightly more restrictive in the back corners.
I loved that despite being a little larger, the Golf Wagon handled just as well as the slightly smaller hatch. Around corners the Golf hugged the road tightly and I experienced very little body roll.
Suspension was responsive quelling lumps and bumps quickly, yet was soft enough so as not to upset the cabin’s comfortable environment.
The electronically-assisted steering made for easy manoeuvring in tight spaces, particularly at very low speeds, and though not everyone is a fan of electric systems, I found it to be an honest system with appropriate weighting and feedback for the car’s application.
The idle stop-start feature was responsive, too, and took no time at all to get used to. It certainly kept the fuel economy down with my week’s average coming in at an impressive 5.5L/100km.
Couple this to a three-year / unlimited kilometre warranty, capped-price servicing, roadside assistance for the duration of the warranty period and a five-star ANCAP safety rating and there’s not much to dislike – especially when you factor in the build quality, spaciousness and practicality on offer for under $30k.
What we liked: | Not so much: |
>> Quality of ride and handling | >> Rearward visbility |
>> Excellent fuel economy | >> Slight step-off lag |
>> Plentiful cargo and cabin space | >> Space-saver spare wheel |