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 reasonable, and the car felt safe and stable on twisty roads. The test vehicle’s five speed gearbox was slick and positive in action.

Importantly for many owners these days, the CO2 emissions figure comes in at below the 100g/km level, meaning that the car qualifies for zero rate road tax in the UK. In addition, fuel consumption promises to be good. While, during my hour-long run in the car, my fellow motoring writer colleague and I were unable to approach anything like the ‘official’ Combined consumption figure of 74.3 mpg, in ‘mixed’ town and country driving we registered a still respectable 60.1 mpg on the car’s on-board computer.

Minus points? At low engine speeds the power unit felt and sounded a little more ‘rumbly’ than expected, but this is not a major criticism. At higher speeds the motor was smooth and quiet-running, and throughout the rev range was a willing enough performer.