VW Golf review: the hatchback is back to its best

To say the current generation of VW Golf is doing less well than that which preceded it is putting it mildly. Ten years ago VW was selling a million Golfs a year; last year that figure was 300,000. Sure, people now prefer crossover SUVs and the market was still recovering from Covid, but so too is it undeniable that the eighth-gen Golf simply wasn’t as good as the seventh. And that’s what this, the substantially revised version of that eighth-gen car, is here to fix.

Crucially its infotainment system no longer makes you want to drive the car off a cliff. It’s not slow, it doesn’t freeze and you can summon up the air conditioning menu at a single, albeit well-aimed, stab at the screen. It remains a far cry from the physical buttons that were abandoned in the interest of appearance and cost saving, but these have now at least reappeared on the steering wheel so you can adjust the radio’s volume while leaving your blood pressure unaffected.

And I’m happy to say the Golf is now good again. It doesn’t feel as over-engineered as its predecessor because it isn’t, but the fundamentals of this car – its mildly hybrid-assisted engine providing punchy mid-range power, the silken double-clutch transmission and excellent ride and handling balance are all very impressive. It’s taken a while, far longer than it should, but the Golf is now back somewhere near where it belongs. AF

Volkswagen Golf 1.5 eTSI Match

• Price £28,850
• Engine 1.5 litres, four cylinders, turbocharged, petrol, mild hybrid
• Power 148bhp at 5000rpm
• Torque 184lb ft at 1500rpm
• Weight 1376kg
• Transmission Seven-speed double clutch, front-wheel drive
• 0-60mph 8.4sec
• Top speed 139mph
• Economy 52.6mpg
• CO2 122g/km
• Verdict Improvement all round.