When I was told I would be testing the Volkswagen
Golf SV, I imagined it was the standard hatchback model. That is not the case
though. The SV is a larger than life hatchback, more like the C-Max is to the
Ford Focus. It’s larger and higher up in all the right places although it does
look a little more van-like than its smaller hatchback relative. Outside
it is actually named Sportsvan and is in fact the direct replacement for the
Golf Plus. VW sold over 900,000 of these and in Germany the Plus accounted for 20
per cent of all Golf registrations.
To start, it has to contend with all the usual Saunders
paraphernalia that includes everything except the kitchen sink. If we did not
have a need for a pushchair probably all of the luggage would fit in the large
boot. I am always impressed with the high quality of finish on every VW I have
driven and this model is no different. The seats are comfortable and
supportive, finished in a hardwearing fabric. I like the fact that the rear
seats can be pulled forward by 180mm giving a larger boot space if required as
you can see in the video at travelwriter.biz. That extends the load area from
500 litres to a 590 litres while folding the 40/20/40 split rear bench
increases space to 1,520 litres allowing me to transport a washing machine to
the tip and collect a load of logs.
At times the SV does feel a little too large for comfort
when driving, notably when trying to reverse park. Arguably it would benefit
from parking sensors and a video camera. I try to parallel park on the
outskirts of Faversham and my attempt would be a fail on a driving test and the
parked driver behind me leaves in disgust. It would also be advantageous if
this model was fitted with satellite navigation.
Overall the driving experience though is good, it travels
at speed on the motorway with ease although there is a little noise but then
there are high winds. The 1.6 turbo diesel unit prefers not to travel at slower
speeds especially in second or third gear. It really does need a boot to
deliver good performance. In common with most diesels it does need a bit of
welly to get going but this is all part of the diesel experience and the frugal
amongst us will not mind when we see that despite travelling at 70mph it still
returns over 50mpg. In these days of six and seven speed manual gearboxes some
might expect something a bit grander than the five speed unit but it is typical
Being higher up than a standard hatchback provides the
driver with a better view of the road ahead and allows me to overtake a slow
moving vehicle where I would otherwise be unable to in a lower car.
taller and more spacious than the hatchback it’s based on, the new Volkswagen
Golf SV is the perfect antidote for growing families no longer able to squeeze
into the firm’s regular hatchback,” writes Parkers, the car experts. “The
boot’s almost as big as the Estate model and there’s extra passenger room all
round thanks to a wheelbase 48mm longer than the hatch it’s based on. It may
not have proved quite so popular here, but plenty were still captivated by the
extra space and flexibility offered, and it only gets more practical in the
Overall, while there is a feeling of quality and
robustness about the vehicle one cannot help feeling that it is lacking some
useful features that would be really appreciated.
Watch the video at www.testdrives.biz