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 aint 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.
Volkswagen has updated the car with which its brand is now most synonymous — the Golf. The running changes come about four years into the seventh-generation model’s life cycle, prompting many to colloquially dub it the ‘Mk 7.5’.
However, while some of the upgrades are significant, in particular the cutting-edge cabin infotainment and the rollout of partial autonomous driving systems, the fundamentals are familiar. Those denoting it as half a generational change (not Volkswagen, we'd add) are ambitious.
On the flip side, if your product isn’t broken, there’s little to fix, and the Golf remains a top pick in the small car class. That fact doesn’t change, and what this upgrade brings to the table is a layer of ultra-modern polish to stave off aggressive contenders for its crown.
A synopsis of the changes goes like this: redesigned bumper, grille and headlights; more sophisticated in-car display screens added; extra semi-automated active safety tech; a more efficient new 1.5-litre petrol engine; and power bumps for the Golf GTI and Golf R.
The equivalent of a new coat of tasteful paint rather than a complete renovation.
Some Australian-market specifics. The 2017 Volkswagen Golf will arrive on July 3, starting with the hatch, wagon and Alltrack crossover, an iteration with on-demand all-wheel drive (AWD), soft-roading software and body cladding.
A few weeks later will come the rejigged Golf GTI and Golf R, both of which get small power increases — to 169kW and 213kW respectively — and will become more luxurious than ever before.
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.
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.
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.
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)
Beyond this, the dials are replaced by five capacitive buttons, though we still like the tactility of a proper volume knob. This was an aesthetic choice only, the company admits. The screen offers Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, WiFi, photorealistic sat-nav views (like Audi’s data SIM-powered unit) and even stores and displays high-res photos. It’s great.
The Active Info Display digitised instrument cluster has 1440x540 pixel resolution, can display 2D and 3D mapping, various dial sizes, trip data and more, with modes changed by buttons on the steering wheel. It’s tech that belongs on a $100,000 car, so it makes the Golf suddenly feel a bit Hollywood.
The downside is that, understandably, this tech will almost certainly be an optional extra on all bar the Volkswagen Golf R in Australia, bundled into a package for a few grand. At least all variants will now get a bigger 8.0-inch screen as standard-fit. That's a positive.
Elsewhere, the Golf’s cabin is more or less familiar, The switchgear is as before, as are the soft-touch and well-made plastic trims, though the seat cloth on entry grades appears to be different. Austere but well-made and comfortable.
Rear seat space remains moderate, though the big windows help visibility, while boot space is 380L/1270L. The wagon version takes this to 605L/1620L.
Australian specs aren’t out and about yet, though the new 110TSI base car will get 16-inch alloys, AEB and a touchscreen with App-Connect. The Comfortline will at least get bigger alloys, nicer seats and more tech, while the Highline will probably get new full-LED headlights among other niceties. All variants will also get the mid-tier 8.0-inch screen.
Pricing-wise, Volkswagen admits there’ll be increases of a few hundred dollars, mostly because the 110TSI engine is now the base unit.
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