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Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan 2.0 TDI DSG (A) First Drive Review
23 Jun 2014|14,030 views
The compact MPV segment has slowly started fading as the onslaught of crossover vehicles has largely overtaken most of the market share.
But that does not mean that automakers have given up on the segment as shown by the introduction of the Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan.
The car represents a replacement for the old Volkswagen Golf Plus, a model designed primarily with the family driver in mind. It's sort of like a halfway house between a hatch and an MPV but it looks a lot better than the car it replaces, though we never really got to see it here in Singapore.
With the popularity of diesel cars rising, reviewing the TDI model of the Golf Sportsvan like the one you see here seemed rather appropriate.
Up close and Personal
The Golf Sportsvan is basically Volkswagen's excellent iconic hatch but slightly bigger in every direction.
Up front, the familiar angular lights of the Mk7 Golf are present and help to lend a tinge of sophistication while the 126mm higher roofline doesn't detract from its planted stance.
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And thanks to the fact that the Golf Sportsvan is just 83mm longer than the hatchback, the overall effect is of a compact, tidy design.
The interior is peerless in its class in terms of build quality as well as fit and finish, which are combined with Volkswagen's familiar design and some additional practical features.
Key among these are the sliding rear seats that allow you to balance cargo space against legroom which, in the first place, doesn't even have to be struggled for.
The dash in the Golf Sportsvan is slightly taller and more upright than the standard Golf's and this makes it easier to reach. It's just as easy to use too and features clearly labelled switches that feel good to touch.
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The Drive
The Golf Sportsvan is a very easy machine to cope with during daily driving, even around some narrow French mountain roads.
With us here is the 2.0-litre TDI variant of the Golf Sportsvan. Given that torque is a key characteristic of diesel engines, the oil burning powerplant offers strong pull from low revs - perfect for hauling families and their luggage.
With a wide bandwidth of torque offered even at higher speeds on the motorway, you will find a good dose of twisting force, making overtaking manoeuvres easy.
Refinement is every bit as good as the equivalent petrol variant, while the extra muscle in the form of 340Nm of torque makes for a more relaxing driving experience, something the silky smooth six-speed DSG transmission will only enhance.
Despite the extra height, width and wheelbase length over the hatchback on which it's based, the Golf Sportsvan handles surprisingly car-like.
In short, it is basically almost the same as its hatchback brethren, except that everything happens just a fraction slower with a slightly softer response.
Conclusion
The assumption here then seems to be that you are looking for a car that provides more room, but not as much as a Golf Estate will yield. You also fancy a little more MPV action - with the proud seating position and the adaptable space - although not to the point where you are ready to step into the showroom to buy a Touran.
With a perfect match between humble styling, practicality and a decent drive, the Golf Sportsvan should very well be on your list.
The car will arrive sometime in the first half of 2015.
The compact MPV segment has slowly started fading as the onslaught of crossover vehicles has largely overtaken most of the market share.
But that does not mean that automakers have given up on the segment as shown by the introduction of the Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan.
The car represents a replacement for the old Volkswagen Golf Plus, a model designed primarily with the family driver in mind. It's sort of like a halfway house between a hatch and an MPV but it looks a lot better than the car it replaces, though we never really got to see it here in Singapore.
With the popularity of diesel cars rising, reviewing the TDI model of the Golf Sportsvan like the one you see here seemed rather appropriate.
Up close and Personal
The Golf Sportsvan is basically Volkswagen's excellent iconic hatch but slightly bigger in every direction.
Up front, the familiar angular lights of the Mk7 Golf are present and help to lend a tinge of sophistication while the 126mm higher roofline doesn't detract from its planted stance.
And thanks to the fact that the Golf Sportsvan is just 83mm longer than the hatchback, the overall effect is of a compact, tidy design.
The interior is peerless in its class in terms of build quality as well as fit and finish, which are combined with Volkswagen's familiar design and some additional practical features.
Key among these are the sliding rear seats that allow you to balance cargo space against legroom which, in the first place, doesn't even have to be struggled for.
The dash in the Golf Sportsvan is slightly taller and more upright than the standard Golf's and this makes it easier to reach. It's just as easy to use too and features clearly labelled switches that feel good to touch.
The Drive
The Golf Sportsvan is a very easy machine to cope with during daily driving, even around some narrow French mountain roads.
With us here is the 2.0-litre TDI variant of the Golf Sportsvan. Given that torque is a key characteristic of diesel engines, the oil burning powerplant offers strong pull from low revs - perfect for hauling families and their luggage.
With a wide bandwidth of torque offered even at higher speeds on the motorway, you will find a good dose of twisting force, making overtaking manoeuvres easy.
Refinement is every bit as good as the equivalent petrol variant, while the extra muscle in the form of 340Nm of torque makes for a more relaxing driving experience, something the silky smooth six-speed DSG transmission will only enhance.
The Golf Sportsvan is a very easy machine to cope with during daily driving, even around some narrow French mountain roads.
With us here is the 2.0-litre TDI variant of the Golf Sportsvan. Given that torque is a key characteristic of diesel engines, the oil burning powerplant offers strong pull from low revs - perfect for hauling families and their luggage.
With a wide bandwidth of torque offered even at higher speeds on the motorway, you will find a good dose of twisting force, making overtaking manoeuvres easy.
Refinement is every bit as good as the equivalent petrol variant, while the extra muscle in the form of 340Nm of torque makes for a more relaxing driving experience, something the silky smooth six-speed DSG transmission will only enhance.
Despite the extra height, width and wheelbase length over the hatchback on which it's based, the Golf Sportsvan handles surprisingly car-like.
In short, it is basically almost the same as its hatchback brethren, except that everything happens just a fraction slower with a slightly softer response.
Conclusion
The assumption here then seems to be that you are looking for a car that provides more room, but not as much as a Golf Estate will yield. You also fancy a little more MPV action - with the proud seating position and the adaptable space - although not to the point where you are ready to step into the showroom to buy a Touran.
With a perfect match between humble styling, practicality and a decent drive, the Golf Sportsvan should very well be on your list.
The car will arrive sometime in the first half of 2015.
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