FOR a small car, the Volkswagen Golf bears a big weight on its haunches.

Still one of the world’s top-selling nameplates, the Golf is the staple model of its German maker both here in Australia, and abroad.

Externally, the company looks to have played it safe with this new seventh-generation model, showing all the familiar Golf design hallmarks – although, in person, the progression is more marked.

But it’s under the skin where things get really interesting, with a brand new lightweight platform, new engines and claimed improvements in fuel consumption, safety and dynamics.

The benchmark was high – the Golf VII was at the pointy end of the class even at the end of its life cycle – but the new model moves that bar forward to such an extent that many rivals feel underdone by comparison.

Click the Our Opinion Button to read the full review...