Volkswagen Golf

The best word to describe the interior cabin of the Volkswagen Golf is ‘classy’ – while it looks very simple and less flashy than many other premium hatchbacks, the subtle updates and tough build quality and premium fit and finish definitely set it apart from others.

The all-black cabin with slight silver touches here and other makes the cabin looks sporty, and so is the driver’s cockpit in particular as well. The three-spoke flat-bottom multifunctional steering wheel with piano inserts and a 12.3-inch full TFT instrument console combine up for a great look. The centre console too looks simple yet futuristic with the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a panel for the dual-zone automatic climate control.

Wrapped in Vienna leather upholstery, the seats look sporty yet are comfortable, and while the space at the rear is good with ample knee room and legroom, the shoulder room is quite limited. The cabin gets few more amenities like rear AC vents, keyless entry with push-button start, tilt and telescopic adjustable steering wheel, and height adjustment for the driver’s seat.

This eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf has started from where the previous model left, by being a more taut and sharper looking version of the latter. It is quintessentially a Golf, but with all the modern changes included, it looks much posher than ever before. 

At the front, the Volkswagen Golf looks sleek with the familiar rectangular grille, which here features a thin chrome strip running across its width and the big round Volkswagen logo in the middle. The basic shape of the headlamps looks more or less the same as before, but now feature revised double L-shaped daytime running LEDs and full LED headlamps. The bumper inserts look more aggressive than ever before while featuring small LED fog lamps.

The side profile of the Volkswagen Golf sees limited changes over the previous model, save for new machined alloy wheels, and a noteworthy crease running across the doors. The angular window panels and the basic silhouette remains the same. At the back too, the Volkswagen Golf gets subtle updates over the previous model with new LED tail lamps and a crisp line flowing across the width of the boot lid, along with new dual exhaust ports in the slightly revised rear bumper.

The new Volkswagen Golf continues the tradition of all the previous iterations of the car with good driving dynamics. The perfectly weighted steering setup and slightly stiff setup for the suspension do make the Golf a desirable car to drive at the given budget. However, the ride quality is on a slightly stiffer side.

While the Volkswagen Golf is available with a versatile set of engines overseas, the Malaysian market only gets the 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which is being offered with a standard 7-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The engine produces healthy figures, with 150 PS of power and 250 Nm of torque.

The Volkswagen Golf packs in an excellent safety features list, which does include the likes of front, side, curtain and knee airbags, ABS with EBD and brake assist, automatic post-collision braking system, cruise control, driver alert system, electronic stability control, engine drag torque control, electronic differential lock, hill hold control, and tire pressure monitoring system.

The Volkswagen Golf, in its latest iteration, might not be a massive upgrade over the model it replaces. However, the subtle tweak and feature additions in and out are enough to make it feel all new. The ever-lovable performance from the turbocharged engine as well as great driving mannerisms does make it a favorite for people who love driving.