Volkswagen Golf wagon 2014 review

There’s plenty of room for the brood in Volkswagen’s Golf wagon. The previous generation load-lugger made up about 10 per cent of the Golf’s sales and you’d expect the new-gen wagon to catch more eyes with increased cargo space and greater refinement in return for a slight price hike.

VALUE

The entry model wagon mirrors the hatch line-up but adds $1550 for the extra load space. There’s no manual drive line. All Golf Wagons are paired with a DSG auto - six ratios for the diesel and a seven for the petrol engines.

The entry 90TSI starts from $25,540 and standard fare includes a touchscreen infotainment controller, electronic park brake, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and phone controls, Bluetooth, daytime running lights and aircon with rear vents (unlike so many cars at this price).

For $29,290 the 90TSI Comfortline (which in hatchback form is the reigning Car of the Year) adds 16-inch alloys, dual-zone climate, “comfort” seats with lumbar support in the front, rear centre armrest and load-through hatch, chrome roof rails and storage drawers beneath the front seats. The top-spec Highline is $33,840 in petrol form ($36,340 diesel).

Among the upgrades are alcantara/cloth trim, 17‒inch alloys, satnav, ambient lighting, LED reading lights, 17-inch alloys and front cornering and fog lights. The options list includes a panoramic electric glass sunroof as an $1850 option for Highline buyers, the $950 satnav system is an option on the Comfortline, bi‒xenon headlights with LED daytime driving lights ($2150). Vienna leather trim ($2950) is also optional on Highline and metallic or pearl paint adds $500.

ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS / TEHCNOLOGY

The first Golf wagon to be built on the acclaimed MQB platform, it’s up to 165kg lighter than the previous model and retains some of its drive trains to dramatically improved effect. The wagon range is equipped with the fuel-saving stop-start system and has the battery-charging brake energy regeneration system.

The petrol side of the ledger is tunes - the base model gets 90kW/200Nm, the up‒spec model 103kW/250Nm. Both run the seven-speed DSG for 5.3L and 5.2L/100km respectively. There’s but one turbo diesel. The 2.0 TDI has 110kW/320Nm for 4.7L/100km.

DESIGN / STYLING

It’s sharp and clean and makes for an attractive (not so) little workhorse. Indeed, it encroaches on the generally much bigger Passat wagon. Boot space has grown by 100L to 605L (the claim for the Passat wagon is 603L and a Honda CR-V boasts 556L), rising to a maximum of 1620L.

SAFETY

The safety features list includes seven airbags, stability control, tyre pressure warning, hill start and brake assist and brake force distribution, as well as the clever electronic front “diff lock” that was once only on offer in the GTI.

Also standard is the fatigue detection system that monitors driver input to detect any fatigue-related driver behaviour - and the multi‒collision braking system to avoid secondary collisions after an initial impact.

Optional on all models bar the entry-level 90TSI is the driver assistance package - which adds adaptive cruise control, auto braking (including the sub-30km/h City Emergency Brake), the proactive occupant protection system (that preps seatbelts and safety systems for an impact) and the automatic parking assist as part of a pack for $1300.

Standard fare across the range also includes rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights and an auto-dimming centre rear-vision mirror, while Comfortline buyers get a reversing camera and parking sensors at both ends.

DRIVING

The pedigree of the new Golf is proven by the swag of awards on the Wolfsburg mantelpiece. The wagon adds lustre. First impressions of the 90TSI wagon were as expected - through the suburban sprawl in traffic it was quiet, refined and easily kept up in traffic without apparent effort.

As the road rose into the hills the little turbo four continued to impress, with enough outputs to keep it humming along without intrusive noise. Spearing off to back roads, the ride quality maintained the positive first impression and the good road manners also included reasonable body control. Naturally enough the nose could be pushed wide under duress but even brisk driving failed to deter the wagon from its chosen path.

Power steering assistance isn’t overdone and the driver can get to grips with the wagon easily, egged on by the enthusiasm of the powerplant, which didn’t binge drink on the back‒road blast, keeping average fuel use in the single digits. Ride quality doesn’t suffer for the change in profile across the range, as the Highline demonstrated.

While the diesel is not cheap, it too is impressive for its refinement and has the sort of shove you’d want on the open road, as well as slightly better fuel economy than the impressive petrol engine line‒up. The DSG is slick on the change but can still be caught napping off a quick start.

VERDICT

The king-size take on the Car of the Year proves you don’t “need” an SUV. It’s not often I head for the version with the lowest outputs, but the 90TSI is a charmer.

Explore the 2014 Volkswagen Golf range

• Volkswagen Golf wagon 103 TSI Highline 2014 review
• Volkswagen Golf GTI DSG 2014 review
• Volkswagen Golf wagon 2014 review
• Volkswagen Golf Comfortline wagon 2014 review
• Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance 2014 review
• Volkswagen Golf GTI 2014 review
• Volkswagen Golf R 2014 review: road test
• Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance 2014 review: road test
• Volkswagen Golf 2014 review
• Volkswagen Golf R 2014 review