Volkswagen

by

Should you pay £40,000 for a Volkswagen Passat estate? Our top spec test car has plenty going for it

nnnn

Whether or not you’re prepared to for out almost £40,000 for our top spec VW test car is really a no brainer. The sweet spot of the range is much further down the Passat line-up.

However, all Passat models share one common theme – a slick and stylish design that puts the estate up there with premium brand German rivals.

It’s not that long ago that the Passat was regarded as worthy but dull load-lugger that spent most of its life screaming up and down the M1. Not any more – this eighth generation model hasn’t been designed by robots.

My only reservation would be in the cabin. The interior still lacks BMW coolness, Audi chic. I love the ribbed seats and straightforward approach to the lay out of the controls but surely there’s room for a little style too?

 

by

Has the new Bi-TDI estate finally shone the light of coolness onto the VW Passat?

xccc

After eight generations of trying and almost 20 million cars sold, has the new Bi-TDI estate finally shone the light of coolness onto the VW Passat?

Just like the record-selling Golf and Beetle, this stodgy family-mover has grafted its way into our hearts over the years as a solid and practical buy.

I’ve always enjoy driving Passats but there’s never been one that sets the pulses racing – until now.

Yes, the new GT isn’t just refined, efficient and accomplished – it might even be called exciting when compared to its drab predecessor.

It’s been a long time coming but congratulations Volkswagen. You’ve finally given birth to a pretty estate car!

by

VW Golf GTI Performance Pack – Why LSD Can Be Good For Your Driving Skills!

gti7

If you want one very good reason to opt for the Performance Pack it should be the one that is the least obvious – the limited slip differential, which is a first for the GTI.

Now, most LSDs are mechanical devices, designed to stop the driven wheels scrabbling for grip when you start to lose it on a corner.

However, the VW system is a much cleverer affair that is electronically controlled. All you need to know is that it works exceptionally well and saves embarrassing tyre squeal at junctions too!

All GTIs have incredible traction anyway but the Performance Pack takes raises the bar, especially if you like to drive your Golf hard and enjoy the occasional track day…

 

 

by

VW Golf GTI Performance Pack – Loves Bends, Hates Traffic

gti6

There are certain stretches of road that seem to have been left untouched by the ravages of traffic. We all know one – today I drove via Tewkesbury to Eastnor Castle for the unveiling of the Range Rover Holland & Holland special edition. Yours for £180,000…

The GTI wasn’t the most eye-catching vehicle in the car-park but I can tell you that road from Tewkesbury towards Ledbury just makes you want to buy a set of string-backed leather driving gloves.

It just proved to me what I already knew – that the latest GTI is simply the best handling hot hatch out there. I’m not sure the extra 10bhp on offer from the Performance Pack made that much difference because the Golf just sits beautifully on the tarmac through a sweeping bend.

Until the Focus and Astra, the VW has sporting DNA that just comes with the course of time. The Ford and Vauxhall may be quicker but neither take a bend like a Golf GTI…

 

by

VW Golf GTI Performance Pack – Less Can Be More In Car Design

gti5

After yesterday’s minor whinge about the seat cloth in the GTI you might expect a rant about the rest of the interior. Not a bit of it – the Golf is a benchmark.

I’m sat in the driver’s seat right now. There is something oddly retro about the dashboard design and layout but quite simply, it works. You will find other hot hatchbacks with more buttons and dials but sometimes in car design, less is more.

Top feature is the large screen infotainment unit that dominates the centre console. It’s so simple to use you are unlikely to read a handbook again. As your finger moves towards the screen, a sensor detects the motion and brightens the target area. Brilliant.

Best of all is the driving position. Sit in the Golf driver’s seat and you feel instantly at home. All you need is a TV remote control and your favourite tipple…

by

VW Golf Performance Pack – Power Isn’t Always Everything (and it’s better than a Vauxhall Astra VXR)

gti3

Women don’t bother – so why do blokes always check the 0-60mph time before they rate a car? The GTI is a modest 6.4 seconds in Performance Pack guise but it’s way slower than the competition.

The Focus ST is 0.2 seconds quicker, while the Astra VXR a full half second – but I think what really matters is the manner in which you get there. The Golf’s sublime DSG six-speed gearbox is so slick, delivering the power in a smooth curve.

Neither of the two rivals mentioned here come anywhere near and, although they cost less to buy, the Ford and Vauxhall depreciate a lot faster too. I might be a badge snob but I also know which car I feel better driving.

If you like shine shoes and personalised number plates, please advance to the nearest Ford and Vauxhall dealerships. The VW is a much classier package all round.

 

by

Golf GTI Performance Pack – Has The Best Just Got Better?

gti 2

The Volkswagen Golf GTI – a car so good, I drove the delivery driver all the way to his next job. OK, it was only 20 minutes up the road but on a wet Thursday, it would have been much cosier to stay in by the fire.

Instead, me and Mr Delivery Man cooed about the GTI from the moment he slipped the key into my hand. We may be on Mark VI and I can still remember Mark I but this latest version is the best I’ve ever driven.

Within a couple of miles I was in lust with the Golf. It has this uncanny ability to make the driver feel like he has owned the car for years. Everything is exactly where it should be, the handling is terrific and there’s enough performance to make it exciting. Every day.

And so we come to the Performance Pack fitted on this car. Is it worth the £995 extra for 10bhp more under your right foot. £30k for a Golf GTI? Yes, I get the feeling it might be worth every penny…

by

VW Scirocco GTS – Fat Bottom, Small Wonder

 

cropped-xxx.jpg

In an age when we have come to accept the ‘fuller’ figure as a matter of course, the VW Scirocco fits in perfectly with the human demographic. Yes, it seems the svelte 1980s Scirocco has been replaced by a car with a large behind.

Nothing wrong with that, of course. The current version is still a very pretty car, it just appears to have eaten far too many buns when you view it from the rear. Quite why that is, who knows. Maybe to distinguish it even more from the Golf GTI?

We think the GTS is especially pretty, with a sublime interior too. It’s just a shame the GTS has to come with those two, wide stripes plastered over the bonnet and roof. If it was my car, I’d be out there with a hairdryer right now trying to remove the decals.

If you want to stand out from the rest of the Scirocco crowd, the GTS is a great way to do it. It’s just a shame that it costs so much and therefore competes head-on with  the latest GTI itself. A car built on a better platform, that goes even faster and offers more practicality.

by

VW Scirocco – The Naughty Button

cropped-vvvvv.jpg

I love ‘Sport’ mode on automatic gearboxes. It’s like pressing the naughty button. Let’s face it, we don’t want to be penny-pinching economy misers all the time, do we?

I’ve driven the Scirocco GTS in sensible ‘normal’ mode for 90 per cent of the week, so today I gave the VW what it had been waiting for. The chance to open up on a winding Cotswold road and blow the cobwebs out of those twin exhaust pipes.

The result? A totally different car. The Porsche 911 and Aston Martin Volante both have similar buttons but I didn’t realise how much a performance tweak the Sport button on the Scirocco accounted for. It was quite a different car.

The gearbox sounded very sweet, holding on to the revs much higher up the range and, when changing down, it sounded amazing too. Now, I don’t expect them to start fitting a naughty button to a Polo or Up! but let me tell you, it’s the most fun you can have in a Volkswagen these days…

by

VW Scirocco – Inside Out

scirocco_gts_3_2.jpg

If the paintwork on our GTS leaves you cold then the interior is pure, refined and functional. Classic Volkswagen, in fact.

Just look at the picture above – this could be any top spec car from the VW range. Every button, dial and switch is at your fingertip. Jump in for the first time and it feels like you are have been driving the Scirocco for years.

Even the sat nav is simple to use and connecting a phone via Bluetooth is also straightforward. It’s even possible to get the perfect driving position with the help of electric seat adjustment and adjustable steering column.

Faults? Rear visibility is poor through the tiny rear screen and our GTS has a panoramic sunroof, which opens about an inch and seems rather pointless. We put a couple of adults in the back over the weekend and they were comfortable enough, but anybody over 6ft might be struggling.