Russell Hayes Price: £40 288 pages Behemoth Publishing, www.behemothpublishing.co.uk ISBN: 978-0-9928769-0-6 Russell Hayes’s encyclopedic yet extraordinarily entertaining History of the Cortina appeared in 2012 on the 50th anniversary of Ford’s famous saloon. Now Hayes has done it again, this time with the VW Golf, arguably a much more significant car. He shows how the Golf grew out of … [Read more...]
Latest Volkswagens Sampled
Kim Henson drives two of the latest VW Polos plus the new Golf SV and the rapid Golf R... As model names, Polo and Golf have in each case been with us for around four decades, but of course these justifiably popular Volkswagen models have evolved as the years have passed, and – as has always been the case – the latest versions represent current ‘state of the art’ design and … [Read more...]
VW Golf S 1.6 TDI 105 PS
My first test drive of a new Golf model was in the five door S 1.6 litre TDI (105 PS) version. The car felt well-made and was comfortable, with a supple ride quality and plenty of room in the passenger compartment (in both the front and rear). Boot space was impressive too. It also felt safe and stable on twisty roads. While this variant is not intended to be a roadburner, performance is … [Read more...]
VW Golf SE 1.4 TSI 122 PS
My next outing was in a higher-specification SE variant, in this case powered by VW’s 1.4 litre turbocharged TSI engine, producing 122 PS and driving through a six speed gearbox. The engine is especially smooth-running and quiet, helping to give the car a very refined feel. It also pulls very strongly and without fuss from low engine speeds; indeed the torque available from the 1.4 litre … [Read more...]