Story: DAVID WILKINS
THE VOLKSWAGEN orders book for the new seventh-generation Golf – and there’s a bonus for hard-pressed company car buyers. Despite a host of improvements, prices start at just £16,285 – that’s cheaper than the old model – and there are plenty of business-friendly engine options, too.
The starting line-up takes in three familiar trim levels – S, SE and GT – and there will be a choice of three or five doors. The sporty GTI and economy-orientated BlueMotion models will be introduced next year.
Equipment levels are high, which will please business drivers – all Golfs get seven airbags, ABS with ESP, a 5.8-inch colour touchscreen, a DAB radio with CD player, an iPod/MP3 player connection, Bluetooth, and ‘Climatic’ semi-automatic air conditioning.
The SE adds city emergency braking, a “driver alert” system that warns against drowsiness, rain-sensitive wipers, an automatically dimming rear-view mirror and automatic driving lights.
The Golf GT has larger 17-inch alloys, front fogs, fancier tinted glass, electrically foldable door mirrors, and parking sensors. Inside, there are sports seats trimmed with cloth and Alcantara, and the Volkswagen’s Discover sat-nav/media set-up.
Company car drivers can choose from four petrol engines and two diesel engines: the petrol engined Golfs include 85 and 105 PS 1.2-litre TSIs, and 122 and 140 PS TSIs. The 140 PS engine gets Volkswagen’s Active Cylinder Technology (ACT) which deactivates two cylinders under light loads and achieves 60.1 mpg and a company car tax-friendly 110 g/km when paired with a DSG auto gearbox.
The Golf diesels engines are 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre TDIs delivering 105 and 150 PS. All Golfs get a fuel-saving stop/start system as standard. An entry-level 1.6 TDI (99g/km, 74.3 mpg) with S trim costing £18,910 will give basic-rate taxpayers a company car tax bill of just £40.83 per month in 2012/13.
The first UK Golf deliveries will take place from 7 January.