Goodwood Test: 2021 Volkswagen Golf Review

It somehow caught me by surprise that the Volkswagen Golf is now in its eighth generation. Sure, I know that it has been around since the 1970s but such is its omnipresence and the incremental nature of its improvements that the last couple of updates seem to have passed by rather quickly.

Volkswagen has managed to walk a fine line with the Golf for decades now, maintaining its positioning as both and everyday and an aspirational vehicle. Quite a remarkable feat considering how much the rest of the automotive sales landscape has changed in that time. The Golf has become, if not a benchmark, then at least a reference point for how everything else is being done.

Given the proliferation of SUVs, it’s probably no longer accurate to label the Golf a family car. So what is the Mk8 Golf exactly? Well it clearly represents a new generation of practical transport intended to have the same cross-generational appeal as those that have gone before it. It certainly exudes quality, solidity and certainty but does it plethora of electronic interventions and focus on smart screens give it appeal to smartphone fanatics or have everyone else feeling left behind?

Well, it is definitely a Golf. Based on the same MQB platform as the previous generation means the majority of the hard points remain unchanged so the design is evolutionary. The overall effect is of a Mk7 that has been polished and primped so creases are sharper, the daytime running lights now resemble hieroglyphs and a full width lower grille gives it somewhat of a grimace.

It’s just about different enough from its predecessor for an owner to notice but opinion was divided as to whether it was an improvement over the old car. The particular metallic yellow and chunky alloy wheels of our tester did not win many plaudits however.

Ours wasn’t the yet to be launched entry models with their 1.0-litre engines but what is the midpoint of the range and likely to be the biggest sellers. Its 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine is mated to a 48V mild hybrid system with the latter boosting torque from standstill. In total it produces 150PS (110kW) and 250Nm (184lb ft) while still returning nearly 50mpg combined.

The mild-hybrid cars are equipped as standard with the seven-speed DSG automatic but this and the engine did not always complement each other perfectly. The engine itself was unobtrusively smooth but exhibited what seemed like old school levels of turbo lag such is the difference between its off and on boost behaviour. When added to a gearbox that was often reluctant to relinquish higher gears when instructed the result was often an unexpected lurch towards the exit of a roundabout. The same habit of holding on to gears, presumably to aid economy, also led to lurches during gentle braking into junctions which was disconcerting.

Once above 2,500rpm and breathing freely the engine lets the Golf gather pace strongly and comfortably maintain high B-road speeds. Helping this, at least on the broken tarmac of West Sussex, is a remarkably good ride which absorbs everything up to potholes of axle-breaking dimensions. It really is very impressive with very little vibration or harshness reaching the cabin. The steering is nicely direct as well, allowing a series of corners to be strung together confidently, although the corollary of the pillowy ride is a certain amount of float during fast direction changes.

This is the most radical departure from the previous generation of Golf. All models across the range are fitted with the ‘Innovision’ cockpit and in the UK a complimentary central screen (both of 10-inch dimension) with a three-year subscription to We Connect Plus, essentially providing a host of online services to the driver.

The driver binnacle screen is able to toggle through a variety of display modes, although all seem to have been designed by someone with a love of 1980s computer graphics, at least for the backgrounds. The central screen is used for, well, just about everything else, meaning there are very few physical buttons left in the interior of the Golf. The overall effect is certainly clean but also somehow spartan, like the entry-level cars of old which would have switch blanks covering up the areas where higher spec features were missing.

As usual, far too many buttons have migrated to the steering wheel. Whereas once this was a sensible safety development because it meant less time looking away from the road ahead, now there are enough of them crammed into a small space that they divert attention instead. Still, the adjustability of both wheel and the seat mean a good driving position can be had, although the chair itself is a bit flat and featureless. Both the rear seat and bootspace are up to the job. If you really need an SUV for everyday life then you need to buy the Marie Kondo book. And then give it away afterwards obviously.

The empty quarter that is the Golf’s dashboard and centre console belie the fact that the car is harbouring a wealth of technology and particularly driver assistance systems that were only very recently the preserve of much higher echelon models. As well as the expected safety aids the Golf also comes with adaptive cruise control, full LED lighting and car-to-car wireless communication to warn of hazards. However, the car did warn us, on numerous occasions that various systems were temporarily unavailable and on one occasion asked us to return it to a service centre. Given its high-tech focus we applied the IT solution, turning it off and on again to clear the problem. Oddly keyless entry has been omitted, something we would have thought more useful on a day-to-day basis than radar-guided cruise control.

While welcome, the systems can be intrusive – the lane keep assist for instance is set to on by default and will fight the wheel on B-roads where it detects a white line on both the centre line and the kerbside. The law requires it, but to disarm it takes four button presses. The centre screen’s graphics certainly are beautiful to look at but too many functions have been relegated to a series of apps and, like many manufacturers, VW has not yet cracked in-car UX to the level where operating the screen seems natural, and more importantly, safe. What buttons there are on the centre console are touch sensitive and hit and miss. A row of them below the screen have been mounted horizontally, making their functions a mystery from the driver’s seat.

It’s a Golf. And we mean that in the best possible way. The build quality is apparent from the moment you open the door and it will serve as reliable, refined and reasonably rapid daily transport for a decade or more. But, we suspect that the interior may not meet with enough approval to stand the test of time. Too many functions have been relegated to the screen without a robust enough UX to make using it seamless. No doubt improvements will be forthcoming, perhaps even wirelessly, but we would prefer to get a few buttons back.