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Ken Gratton15 Feb 2017
REVIEW

Volkswagen Golf 2017 Review

Fresh style and new driver-assist technology move the game on for VW's iconic small-car range
Review Type
International Launch
Review Location
Mallorca, Spain

Keeping interest alive in Volkswagen's timeless Golf model has been made easy by slightly sharper looks and a revised specification for cars sold in Australia. Volkswagen won't be bringing the fuel efficient new 1.5-litre engines here for the 'Golf 7.5', but the existing 1.4-litre 110TSI engine remains a frugal powerplant that's still competitive in the market. Unspecified price increases are offset by new features and the replacement of the entry-level 92TSI variant with the 110TSI.

A brief international drive program was long enough to convince that Volkswagen has been quite careful in the way it has upgraded the Golf 7 for its mid-life cycle revival (the so-called Golf 7.5, which is not official VW nomenclature).

Very little has been done in the way of fixing what ain't broke, but the changes made – some cosmetic, most comprising new comfort, convenience and safety features – are intended to hone in on a new generation of younger buyers.

The first car sampled was the Golf GTI, which is now more powerful, having migrated to the previous Performance Pack level of engine output – up from 162 to 169kW. Fitted with the six-speed DSG (dual-clutch) transmission, the GTI provided satisfying power delivery and coped with Spain's fairly undemanding roads with complete aplomb, although the tyres were noisy on some surfaces.

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Generally very quiet as a tourer, the GTI would sit on 100km/h with the engine ticking over at just 1800rpm. The hot hatch was free from labouring at engine speeds down to 1500rpm but sounded like a barking beast when opened up. There was negligible turbo lag and no apparent torque steer, which is something we also found to be the case with the GTI 40 Years model we compared against the Peugeot 308 GTI 270 last year. Fuel consumption over the course of the short drive route was 11.9L/100km.

The DSG was lightning quick shifting in sport mode but did so without the passengers winding up concussed.

Ride and handling made for a good balance, with suspension that was firm enough for proper driving dynamics and body control, but also compliant enough not to knock your fillings loose. Front-end grip was up to scratch and the car's handling was stable at all times, with quick steering response to match. The steering was moderately weighted however, even in sport mode.

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Being based on the Golf 7, the upgraded model offers 'steady-as-she-goes' packaging, with plenty of rear-seat room, and easy access (in this three-door GTI we drove), thanks to a one-step slide function and seat return memory. In front, the seat shape was ideal for comfort and support, with a great driving position delivering more than enough adjustment to suit drivers of all sorts of stature.

It's the new interior fittings and sophisticated infotainment technology that are the big news for the GTI and other Golf variants. Everything facing the driver in the high-end models looked pretty flash, although the GTI driven used a key to start, which seemed out of place.

The 9.2" screen displayed in fabulous resolution and the active info display (basically Audi's Virtual Cockpit for Volkswagens) was comprehensive, informative and easy to use. In the case of the former, the entire width of the screen could display a satellite navigation route in photo-realist Google Maps 3D format. It's quite something to see, you might say.

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In addition, we sampled Gesture Control, which is a first in the small-car class, Volkswagen claims. It's not as sophisticated (or ultimately as complex) as BMW's 7 Series gesture control. All it offers really is a left or right swipe for changing stations/tracks or, other functions, even toggling between lap timer and performance display, as in the case of the GTI. It's fairly straightforward to use once you've tried it a few times.

Mainstream model gets a run too
During the media program, we also tried the Golf with the 2.0-litre 110TDI engine. For the '7.5' upgrade, the DSG transmission is a seven-speed unit. This vehicle was trimmed to Highline level and came with some features we may not see in Australia, unless as options. Among those options fitted to the test vehicle were the 'Discover Pro' 9.2-inch infotainment screen satellite navigation and Active Info Display instrumentation.

Over the course of the route, the diesel Golf returned a figure of 5.8L/100km. The engine was almost unnaturally subdued for such an engine in a small car. Power delivery was peppy by diesel standards; it felt more like a petrol engine running in 'Eco mode' than a diesel, until prodded into action. At which time the Golf would gather itself and punch out some ballsy performance. That was actually how the diesel engine betrayed its compression-ignition character – by the way it produced its power and torque, rather than how noisy it was, which is to say not very noisy at all.

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Brake pedal feel was a little more progressive than the GTI's. The diesel Golf felt slightly more responsive to the tiller and a little lighter in the front end than I recall of the Golf 7 110TDI driven at that car's local launch back in 2013.

The seats in the five-door diesel were every bit as shapely as those in the GTI, but a little less firm in the cushion for daily-driving comfort, as opposed to the track warrior-style support of the GTI's buckets. As with the GTI, it too was trimmed to full-spec level, and once again we may not see all those features in locally-delivered cars.

What about the almost-ran?
Even though we won't see the 1.5-litre 110TSI models in Australia, I did drive a vehicle made available to the press, just for interest's sake. One of the major virtues of this car is its fuel efficiency, which is potentially a big selling point in Europe. With word that this engine would add about $1500 to the retail price of the Golf in Australia, the importer has chosen to stick with the existing 1.4-litre engine instead.

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Over the drive route the 1.5-litre Golf returned a figure of 7.1L/100km – which is the same sort of figure we were seeing in our long-term Golf 7 110TSI with DSG a few years back. Admittedly the driving conditions cannot be compared, and the 1.5-litre variant came with a manual transmission, but it does suggest VW Australia may have made the right choice leaving the 1.5-litre engine on the shelf.

Unfortunately there was no way to carry out a back-to-back comparison of the new engine against the 1.4-litre powerplant that has been familiar to Golf 7 owners and will continue in Australian-spec cars for the 7.5 generation. Volkswagen supplied no test vehicles with the old engines.

But this much is true of the 1.5-litre engine, it's refined and boasts a fairly flat torque curve from around 2000rpm through to redline. My impression of the engine, which was coupled to a six-speed manual transmission, is that mid-range torque doesn't feel as abundant or quite as easily exploited as in the 1.4-litre Golfs we've been reviewing in the past.

I just don't see how the new engine would add much to the already accomplished Golf for Australian consumers... and especially when target buyers will be hooked by the new model's sophisticated new on-board technology.

2017 Volkswagen Golf GTI pricing and specifications:
Price: TBA
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 169kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 148g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

2017 Volkswagen Golf 110TDI Highline pricing and specifications:
Price: TBA
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 110kW/340Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 6.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 152g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP)

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Written byKen Gratton
See all articles
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
80/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
17/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
16/20
Safety & Technology
18/20
Behind The Wheel
15/20
X-Factor
14/20
Pros
  • Quiet, composed touring
  • Sensible packaging
  • Advanced tech in mainstream small car
Cons
  • Not a lot of new engineering
  • Bit of tyre noise
  • Little else
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