First drive: Golf sticks to winning formula

IT’S the car that defined the hatchback category. Volkswagen’s Golf may have been preceded by Alfa Romeo’s Alfasud, but it was the German vehicle that captured the imagination of buyers around the world.

Imitators have sprouted like mushrooms but the Golf has maintained its stranglehold on segment leadership since the first generation was launched in 1974.

The original Golf only had to fend off the challenges of 10 other direct competitors, but Volkswagen says there are now about 130 rivals spread across eight sub-segments of the class.

Despite this, the fourth generation Golf has still topped its segment with a share of between 20 and 22 per cent worldwide. The popularity of the nameplate can be gauged from the fact that, on average, about 2100 customers worldwide have bought a new Golf every day for the past 29 years.

Something else unique to the Golf is that each iteration is clearly identifiable as exactly that – a Golf. Every model revision has been evolutionary rather than revolutionary – Volkswagen choosing to carry over the DNA that made its predecessors a success.

It’s no different with the fifth generation model, launched last week to the international media in Wolfsburg. While its arch-rivals – such as Renault’s Megane II and GM’s new Astra – have gone down radical design paths, the Golf Mark 5 carries over the proportions and many of the design cues of its forebear.

It is all-new - and looks it - but is still clearly a Golf.

However, in the face of red-hot competition, Volkswagen has left no stone unturned in upgrading the car’s dynamics and packaging. It is claimed to be more spacious, more powerful, safer and with better handling.

Dimensions have increased in all directions. Measuring 1759mm wide (+24mm), 1485mm high (+41mm) and 4204mm long (+55mm), the newcomer offers greater levels of interior space. Rear seat legroom is up 52mm, while rear headroom is up 24mm. Front seat occupants also gain 8mm more headroom.

Luggage space has grown from 330 litres to 350 litres.

Static rigidity has increased 80 per cent and Volkswagen claims the Golf is now the stiffest car in its category. The benefits come in the form of good NVH levels and improved crashworthiness.

Renault’s Megane II recently earned the distinction of being the first small car to register a five-star rating in NCAP testing and Volkswagen engineers say they are confident their car will match this performance. They say it is very important for it to do so.

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Only one body style will be offered in Australia initially – a five-door hatch – but there will be other variants further down the track

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Part of the car’s improved rigidity stems from 70m worth of laser-welded seams, compared with 5m in its predecessor.

The engine room has come in for much attention and European-spec cars are offered with a host of new powerplants – all of which comply with EU 4 emission laws. Australian buyers will have a choice of three engines when the car is launched Down Under in September/October 2004.

The entry level engine is a 1.6-litre unit with 75kW at 5600rpm and 148Nm at 3800rpm. This powerplant is essentially unchanged from the unit used in the current Golf. However, further up the scale are a new 1.9-litre TDI (turbo-diesel) and a 2.0-litre FSI petrol engine.

The 1.9-litre TDI cranks out 77kW at 4000rpm and a fat 250Nm at just 1900rpm, while the 2.0-litre FSI pumps out 110kW at 6000rpm and 200Nm at 3500rpm – these figures are well up on the current 2.0-litre engine’s outputs.

The 1.6-litre petrol and 1.9-litre TDI engines come as standard with a five-speed manual gearbox, but the latter will be available with an optional six-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG), which is claimed to offer the ease of operation of an automatic along with the economy and agility of a manual.

The 2.0-litre FSI engine is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox – a rarity in this class – and a definite first for this category is the optional availability of a six-speed automatic.

Only one body style will be offered in Australia initially – a five-door hatch – but there will be other variants further down the track, including a hard-topped convertible and possibly a station wagon. But we won’t be getting the Touran mini-MPV, which is also built on the same underpinnings.

No Golf line-up is complete without a GTi variant, and word has it the latest version will be truly deserving of the badge, unlike its recent predecessors. Packing a 150kW 2.0-litre turbo engine, the new age GTi will be offered in three and five-door guises, according to Volkswagen Group Australia managing director Peter Nochar. Expect it to arrive in Australia around mid-2005.

If you think 150kW isn’t enough, you can always hold out for the 3.2-litre V6-powered R32, which will follow further down the track.

Complementing the Golf’s new engine line-up is heavily revised suspension, with the trusty torsion bar rear end making way for a state-of-the-art multi-link setup.

The man in charge of the Golf’s suspension, Maurice van de Weerd, says the new multi-link rear end delivers more agile and fun-to-drive handling characteristics and greater levels of refinement. It is able to achieve this by being better at soaking up longitudinal forces – in other words, bumps and road surface irregularities – while offering more resistance to lateral forces, which come into play under hard cornering.

Also new is an electro-mechanical steering system (EPS) that is lighter and more fuel efficient, as well as not requiring hydraulic fluid. Volkswagen engineers say particular emphasis was placed on ensuring the steering provides ample feedback to the driver.

The braking system has been upgraded and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) has gained a host of new acronyms that are claimed to add up to greater levels of active safety.

Volkswagen has adhered to the evolutionary approach in styling the interior, which does not differ dramatically from the current model’s cabin. The driver is faced with a chunky three-spoke steering wheel, behind which lie two large dials – housing the speedometer and tacho – and between these are nestled a digital info panel and fuel and temperature gauges.

The overall layout is neat and well finished, and the materials used are above average for the small car category.

Local trim levels are yet to be announced but expect all models to come with dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, keyless entry, power windows and mirrors, CD stereo, anti-lock brakes and Electronic Stability Program.

Pricing has been held firm in European markets but it is not yet clear whether this will be the case in Australia.

DRIVE IMPRESSIONS:

IT has been said that the Golf – once the benchmark in terms of driving dynamics – has been surpassed in recent times by the likes of the Ford Focus, GM Astra and Peugeot 307.

Consequently, Volkswagen has had its work cut out ensuring the fifth generation Golf offers dynamics that are class-leading, or at least close to it – hence the all-new multi-link rear suspension and revamped drivetrains.

The drive program in Germany that formed part of the vehicle’s international launch consisted mainly of autobahn cruising, so it is hard to say whether VW has come up with a winner, but early impressions are positive.

There are certainly no qualms in the engine department. GoAuto sampled the 1.9-litre TDI and 2.0-litre FSI variants – both equipped with manual transmissions.

The former offers lots of grunt down low, yet is equally capable of cruising at 140km/h without feeling strained. Wind and engine noise are well suppressed with the result that it is a deceptive performer – you find yourself traveling at a greater rate of knots than anticipated.

The 2.0-litre FSI engine has an altogether different character. It is the sort of zingy, free-revving engine you would expect to find under the bonnet of a hot hatch. Maximum power of 110kW occurs at 6000rpm and the engine delivers its best in the upper half of the rev range. Fortunately, the slick six-speed gearbox makes it easy to keep it on the boil.

As mentioned earlier, the drive route consisted almost exclusively of autobahn cruising so we can’t comment on the Golf’s outright handling capabilities, but it does feel well planted and stable, even at 170km/h. The electro-mechanical steering is beyond reproach – it feels well weighted and provides reasonable levels of feedback.

Looks are always a subjective area, but few people are likely to be offended by the Golf’s styling. Like its immediate predecessor, it has a chunky, wide-shouldered posture, even though the nose and tail have been tapered and rounded. The tail-lights bear a strong family resemblance to those of the Touareg off-roader.

A fat C-pillar has been a Golf trademark and the latest version extends this tradition.

The cabin is an agreeable place to be – the seats are comfortable and supportive and all switchgear is within easy reach. But one annoying gripe is that the centre console lid obstructs your elbow when changing gears. And it wasn’t just me - a fellow journalist I was sharing the car with had the same problem.

Rear seat room is undoubtedly better than before and all but the tallest of occupants should find leg and headroom to their liking.

Overall, the new Golf represents a convincing revamp of the world’s top-selling hatchback.

Is it good enough to eclipse the opposition? Too early to say, but weighing in its favour is the momentum generated by 29 years of segment leadership.