Volkswagen Golf: Engine stop-start function

Regarding stop-start functions in cars. We have recently become the proud owners of a new VW Golf which has this function and I have to say that it is close to useless in Australia's tropical north. Even in the bustling metropolis of Darwin, traffic conditions rarely arise where one might be parked at idling for any period. More importantly, in this part of the world air conditioning is not an extra but a necessity. So if the engine stops at a traffic light, the vehicle occupants usually break into a sweat long before the green light appears.