Volkswagen's iconic hatchback has matured and moved upmarket over the years; the fifth-generation Golf is no longer a cheap ride.
Back in the early 1980s it was the vehicle of choice among the younger set but that has changed, with the smaller Polo arguably taking its place in this market segment.
At R209 000, our test car - the 2,0 FSI Sportline - has moved into serious price territory; however it provides build and ride quality, and levels of sophistication undreamt of 20 years ago.
Our test car came with several optional extras such as leather seats (R8 000), 17" Estoril alloy wheels (R4 000), Front fog lights (R1 200), and a six-disc CD changer (R3-300). For a further R19 500 we could have added a satellite navigation system while an electric sunroof costs R4 000.
Its rivals such as the Renault Megane 2.0 Dynamique hatch (R196 000), BMW 120i (R215 000), Audi A3 2.0 FSI Attraction (R202 000), Opel Astra 1.8i Sport (R193 720), and Ford Focus STi 170 hatch (R211 330) find themselves in similar price territory.
A notable exception is the Volvo S40 2.4i which at R227 000 is well-specced, larger and extremely well-priced.
A trip from Jo'burg to the Cape gave us the opportunity to load the Golf with luggage and people, and it passed with flying colours. Boot capacity at 350 litres doesn't match that of a sedan but it's big by hatch standards; with careful packing we were able to stow two week's worth of holiday luggage.
This was however, with the skinny "space saver" spare wheel. A full size alloy spare wheel is available at an extra R750 but it means losing some cargo room.
The 60/40 rear-seat split adds further space and the seats can be lowered quickly.
Interior space is particularly good with ample head- and leg-room both in front and in the rear. The cabin finish is perhaps a bit subdued for some, particularly as our test car came in black, with black leather seats and fascia - although the somber tone fascia and doors is broken by classy-looking titanium inserts.
The overall impression is slightly conservative, with good build quality and attention to detail - the sort of interior that won't look dated 10 years down the road.
The ergonomics are particularly good and we were able to drive for hours on end without stress. The front seats are adjustable for height and lumbar support while the steering wheel can be set for both height and reach.
The three-spoke steering wheel is leather-covered, as are the gear lever and handbrake.
The easy-to read dials are illuminated in blue with red needles at night in the current VW idiom.
The cup holders between the front seats were removed to make place for the optional CD-changer (in addition to the standard console-mounted front-loader) - so we used the cup holders in the door pockets, which were slightly too big for a standard 340ml can.
The nifty rear cup holders pop out of the centre console.
Testing the air-con
Cruising through the Karoo in 34ºC heat was a good test of the air-conditioning system, which did its job quietly and efficiently with the passengers enjoying the draft of cold air from the vent in the rear console.
We had problems operating the two-speed/intermittent wipers with rain sensor and often had to use the wipers on continuous mode during very light rain.
The lockable and cooled glove compartment is quite cool - just a pity we only realised it could be cooled after we had passed through the Karoo. Reading the manual would have helped!
Fuel economy is quite remarkable for a two-litre, averaging about six litres/100km for the Jo'burg-Cape Town trip while staying within the speed limit. Mixed town and freeway driving delivered slightly heavier figures of between seven and eight litres/100km.
The Golf's frugal fuel habit is largely due to its FSI (Fuel Stratified Injection) technology. Simply put, the fuel/air mixture is directly injected into the combustion chambers instead of going through an intake manifold first, enabling a fine balance between emissions, performance and economy.
Satisfying performance
Performance is satisfying although not in the super hatch league. The Golf uses its 110kW to reach 100km/h in 10.4 seconds, eventually running out of breath at 195km/h.
That puts it a full second behind its 2.0 TDi sibling on the sprint, although it narrows the gap to half a second by the 400m mark.
While these figures don't sound scintillating the ride experience is smooth with almost linear acceleration all the way to the red line. It also has reasonable levels of torque for overtaking from as low as 1 500rpm for overtaking and lopes along effortlessly on the open road.
The FSI displayed exemplary cornering with its ASR (anti-slip regulator) switched on - although it doesn't have the razor sharp handling of a BMW 120i and the car's mass smothers some of the power when exiting bends.
Ride quality is good, stiff enough for improved roadholding but soaking up inequalities and transmitting little roughness into the cabin. There is some bodyroll on tight bends but the FSI is at home on fast sweeps.
The servotronic steering loads up at higher speeds providing a meatier feel to aid straight-line stability but with the ASR is switched off the car loses traction on the front wheels when thrown into tight corners, displaying an unseemly amount of understeer.
The ride height is a bit low, as we discovered in a multi-level parking garage where the car tended to scrape its belly.
Summary
It's evolutionary rather than revolutionary but the Golf V with its good build-quality and impeccable road manners has joined the ranks of vehicles with high ratings on the desirability meter. - Star Motoring