The 2021 Volkswagen Golf range has landed in Australia. This is the long
awaited introduction of the Golf Mk8, and it brings with it, fresh styling,
new technology and safety, but familiar Golf dynamics. Let's take a closer look.
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The Golf 8 arrives in Australia sporting an evolutionary design
update, a high tech interior, plus more advanced safety and equipment than before.
Prices are up across the board, including a $3560 increase on the manual equipped Golf entry model.
Volkswagen has opted for a simplified, three-model, garden variety Golf line-up,
that it says is no longer fixated on a lower entry price point. The Golf GTI has likewise
been refreshed for 2021, and in time, the Mk8 Golf R will also grace showrooms.
Volkswagen's new up-market strategy is most evident inside the cabin. Inside the new mid-range
Golf life-bearing that we're driving, you're now presented with a new 10.25 inch digital instrument
cluster and a new 10 inch center display. The cabin trades a lot of the predecessors hard-wired
switch gear for new touch slider buttons and more emphasis on controls being inside the touch screen
itself. Initially, it can feel a little bit clunky and foreign, but it's great that you can customise
the layout of the screen to make basic commands an easy process rather than two or three-step
processes. I like the layout of the cabin. This new fly-by-wire gear selector does free up space
and every Golf model now gets three zone climate control and four USB C-points across the cabin.
My only real criticism of the Golf 8 cabin is probably that the new infotainment system
is a little bit slow to fire up and isn't as quick as it could be between basic commands.
The Golf's interior proportions are unchanged from the Mk 7.5,
which means a rear seat suitable for two adults, or little ones,
access via rear air vents, plus a handy 374 litre boot that is under slung by a space
saver spare tire. All variance of the 2021 Golf are able to accelerate, break, steer,
and park automatically with standard fitment across the range of adaptive cruise control,
lane-keep assist, and an automated parking system, which form part of VW 's expanded IQ-drive suit.
Even with all that new technology and safety, the good news is that the Golf Mk8 still feels like a
Golf, and it gets all the basics right as well. Great in-car storage for a small passenger car,
and plenty of vision front and rear, and equally, it's the same story with
the Golf's dynamics. It's still a really polished, really competent, all- rounder.
One thing that hasn't changed is the Golf's base engine. A 1.4 litre turbo petrol four cylinder
that makes identical 110 kilowatt and 215 Newton meter outputs, together with a claim
fuel consumption writing of 5.8 litres per 100 Ks, which we had no trouble matching
on test. Whereas other countries are now offered a new 1.5 litre turbo petrol,
that engine uses a particulate filter that isn't compatible with Australia's sulfer-rich fuels.
The upshot is that the 1.4 litre turbo petrol engine is still as
relevant as ever. It's really efficient in real-world conditions, it's usable,
it's accessible, and it's also quite punchy and enjoyable when you need it to be as well.
Importantly for 2021, the 1.4 litre swaps out the predecessor seven-speed dual clutch automatic
for a new eight-speed torque converter. It helps remove the Golf's long-held tendency
to bind and hesitate at low speed, and in the Golf life doesn't really detract from
performance either. In all conditions the Golf's familiar McPherson strut front and
multi-link rear suspension lend it a clear upper hand on the competition.
To my mind, the Golf is still the pinnacle of this segment in terms of dynamics. It's
got a really great level of poise and control on the road, it's comfortable, it shakes off
mid-corner bumps, and even though there is a sporting premise to the controls in terms of
a more meaningful way to the steering and break pedal and body and everything else,
it's still a really nice all rounder and a really refined car to be in as well.
The Golf's appeal is reaffirmed for 2021 with a five-year, unlimited kilometer factory warranty
and the option of care plan servicing packages that cost $1100 for three years
or $1900 for five years, based on 12 month or 15000 kilometer intervals. Although
evolutionary in nature, changes to the Golf for 2021 are welcome,
allowing Volkswagen venerable hatch to extend its legacy at the pointy end of the small car pack.