Long-term review of the Volkswagen Golf 2021 Car News

Indeed, the Golf Mk8 looks a lot like a Golf. Which is not a bad thing. You’ll have your own take on the design changes to this latest release (the somewhat extended and “sagging” forehead divided opinions), but it remains instantly recognizable and reassuring. Inside, things have changed a lot. It doesn’t take long to understand why: As is the trend, most buttons and switches are gone, with controls moved to the touchscreen, a handful of haptic panels, and even sliders. Even the Golf can’t quite hold up in the face of the revolution, it seems.

We opted for the 1.5-liter, 148bhp eTSI turbocharged gasoline engine, which features a generally stable approach to electrification: a 48V mild hybrid belt-starter generator system. It’s classic golf. : a long-standing technological refinement, with a little nod to the future – and the promise of 50.6 mpg. With the mild hybrid engine, the only gearbox is a seven-speed automatic DSG.

To taste pure Golf, we opted for the basic Life finish. It comes with most of the kit you really need, including LED headlights, a range of security systems, 16 inch wheels, air conditioning, a 10 inch infotainment touchscreen, and internal ambient lighting. .

We checked a few options boxes, however, in part to see how VW tried to change the Golf for the digital age. Therefore, among the extras is the £ 1,600 Discover Navigation Pro infotainment setup, which offers features like voice and gesture control, although I am still reluctant to speak or wave at my car. We also couldn’t resist the dynamic chassis control system at £ 950: we may not taste the Golf GTI or the Golf R, but we still want to experience the most handling. dynamic possible.

An additional £ 625 was spent on the distinctive metallic paint Lime Yellow – or Luminous Bogey, as my nephew called it. You can decide if it’s money well spent, although it certainly makes the Golf easier to spot in a dark parking lot.

First impressions are good. As our tests and road tests of the Golf 8 have shown, it remains a refined all-rounder, extremely competent and comfortable. You might not feel like you are living the future of the automobile when you drive it, but it certainly looks like an ideal family car for the present.