Volkswagen Golf SV review

Опубликовано 29 мая 2014, 14:02

The Volkswagen Golf is VW's most popular model in Britain. In fact, it's one of the most popular cars on sale today.

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Last year alone, VW sold over 59,000 of them in Britain and that's credit to its performance, economy and practicality. But for those buyers who want a little bit more, VW now offers this - the Golf SV.

It's a replacement for the old Golf Plus, which in fairness, never really hit it off with UK buyers. But this new model is bigger, more stylish and more practical than before, so it's got everything it needs to be a hit the second time around.

Given the name, you'll be unsurprised to hear that beneath the surface the SV is based on the standard Golf hatchback. It uses the same modular MQB architecture as the hatch, but it measures in at 83 millimetres longer, 18mm wider and 126mm taller.

VW has also stretched the wheelbase by 48mm and although these numbers may not seem huge, it does mean there's a whole lot more space inside for passengers and all of their luggage.

It's fair to say an MPV like the Golf SV is never going to be winning any beauty contests. But, its sharp edges and sculpted panels do help disguise its bigger proportions and its for those bigger proportions that people will be buying this car.

The boot for example is now 500-litres big - that's over 70-litres larger than the old Golf Plus and over 100-litres bigger than the standard Golf on which it's based. But if you need more boot space, the rear seats slide forward, freeing up 585-litres of boot space and the front passenger seat also folds completely flat.

Elsewhere inside, it's pretty much business as usual from VW. You've got the familiar dashboard and centre console which are familiar features on Volkswagens these days and there's also the touch screen infotainment system. But as the Golf SV is a more family focused car, there's some bigger storage bins and bigger storage compartments for all your loose odds and ends.

We already know that the Golf SV shares the same platform as the hatchback. What that also means, is that the engine range is also carried over. There'll be four turbocharged petrol engines available from launch, and also three diesel engines.

If you like to keep an eye on running costs, the one to go for will be the 1.6-litre Bluemotion model, which VW claims will returns over 76 miles per gallon, with emissions of just 95g/km. But the engine we have here is the 140bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine. Now, you have you to sacrifice a little bit in terms of economy, but around 59mpg is still pretty good going. But the extra performance - especially when you're carrying four other passengers and their luggage - is very handy.

Now, an area which usually falls victim of the bigger and more practical body in cars like this is how fun they are to drive and how well they handle. But because this car shares so much standard DNA with the hatchback, there is very little to choose between the two when it comes to driving dynamics.

Now, the only real noticeable difference is more body roll in the corners, but turn-in is equally as sharp and it holds the road surprisingly well for a car this size. If you go for the GT trim, which is the car we have here, VW also throws in some firmer sports suspension.

It rides just as well as the other models, but what that also does is counter that excess body roll you'll also experience.

We spent the entire day with the new Golf SV and overall, it's a really impressive bit of kit. Now, there are some rivals out there that can carry a bit more and may look a little more stylish, but when it comes to the Golf SV, there's very little in terms of compromise.

Now, nobody buys an MPV because they want one - they buy one simply because they need one. But this new Golf SV goes somewhere between narrowing that gap.