When you say VW Golf, almost everybody thinks GTI. But in our case, VW Golf means 1.4 TSI. And you would think that this is not enough to make this Golf a great car. But the new VW Golf 8.5 in 1.4 TSI guise is a brilliant car. So good in fact, we just might never return it.
Long story short. The Citizen Motoring‘s Golf was due to return. But fate and my daughter had other plans. Her car was misbehaving and required a visit to the workshop, and this left her without any transport. Having never really paid any attention to our VW Golf, mostly because it wasn’t the flashy R Line decked out derivative, she was now about to have it bail her out.
What was meant to be a one- or two-day loan, turned into a kidnapping. As a recently graduated varsity kid in her first real job that is still using her old student car from years ago, the upgrade to this VW Golf 8.5 1.4 TSI Life Plus proved too much.
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Sharper styling
Not that she would know, but what you get over the Mk 8 is next-generation infotainment, a more intuitive operating concept and sharper front and rear end design. The Golf 8.5 can easily be recognised by its new front end. Visually defining features include the Volkswagen logo, which is illuminated for the first time on the Golf, and the newly-designed LED headlights.
What she did get to experience were features like Driver Profile Selection, rear-view camera, 30-colour ambient lighting and Art-Velours sports comfort seats. There is also Wireless App Connect to go with a 10.3-inch infotainment system, six-speaker audio system, 10-colour Ambient Lighting Dashboard, and a 10-inch Integrated Digital Cockpit. All somewhat more advanced than what you get inside her old analogue car.
What is also streets ahead of her car is the 1.4 TSI engine that runs down to an easy shifting eight-speed Tiptronic transmission. Her comments were all about how smooth and easy this VW Golf is to drive. Comments that every person who has driven this car has made. To understand how good this car is, you must drive it.
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Plenty of power
Talking of which, the 1.4 TSI engine produces 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque that is available all the way from 1 500rpm to 4 000rpm. Not exactly a traffic light racer, but still more than good enough for everyday use. For what it is worth, the claimed performance numbers come in at a tested 0 to 100km/h time of 9.22 seconds and a top of more than 220km/h.
I am grateful for two things. One, that her daily run to work and back is traffic laden and offers no chance to test any of this. And two, it would seem that she has matured somewhat and no longer offers terror trips to anybody who happens to get trapped in her car. There is hope for this next generation of humans.
Of more importance though was fuel consumption. As she now pays for her own fuel and no longer relies on the Bank of Dad, this number was monitored closely. The overall, real world, average is sitting at 7.5 litres per 100km. A more than acceptable number considering this included the freeway traffic grind and all the slow stuff through the suburbs. Hit the open road and this figure goes down into the low sixes.
Golf 8.5 hits the spot
To wrap up, our time with this VW Golf 8.5 1.4 TSI Life Plus has been nothing but a pleasure. And a reminder of what solid German engineering is all about in a world overwhelmed by ever improving Chinese cars. Full disclosure. At the time of writing, the Golf had not made its way back to me so I can return it.
The VV Golf 8.5 1.4 TSI, Life Plus retails for R604 500. It includes a three-year/120 000km warranty and five-year/90 000km service plan.
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