By DaniEL WOng
W hen you think about it,
winning the European Car of the Year( ECOTY) title is quite a feat.
Convincing 58 automotive journalists from 22 countries in Europe, each of whom will add to the diverse set of ideas of what an ideal car should be and filled with nationalistic pride for their home grown brands, has to be more labourous than choosing a new Pope.
And rarely in the award’ s 49-year history has lightning ever struck twice – only once has a model line won the award twice.
Last week, the Volkswagen Golf Mk7 became the second model name to receive a second ECOTY award( the Mk3 Golf was awarded the ECOTY in 1992), when it clinched the 2013 title.
The new Golf is so good that it convinced a group of people from several different nations that it is the best car this year. And this is a group of nations that normally can’ t agree on national matters.
But what works in Europe doesn’ t necessarily work here, several thousand kilometres away on the other side of the world.
Maintaining its price tag of RM157,888, the Mk7 Golf is, on paper, largely the same car that came before, it even looks the same if you aren’ t concentrating hard enough to spot its sharper lights, creases and leaner looking body.
Unfortunately, to keep the new Golf’ s price within its predecessor’ s range, the new model doesn’ t come with any new fangled safety features such as adaptive cruise control, automated braking, automated parking or blind spot assistance.
Volkswagen Group Malaysia is studying the possibility of introducing them on a higher-spec model in the near future, but that is for another day.
Don’ t mistake its evolutionary looks as simply a facelifted model, the Golf Mk7 is the first model in Volkswagen’ s model line-up to use its all new MQB platform. With the new platform comes a new 1.4-litre engine, and even though it has the same displacement as its twincharged predecessor, it doesn’ t have the complicated supercharger and turbocharger mechanicals, relying instead
SpECifiCaTiOnS Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI
Engine 1,395cc 4-cylinder direct-injection turbocharged
Max power 138hp @ 4,500 – 6,000rpm
Max Torque 250nm @ 1,500 – 3,500rpm
Transmission seven-speed dualclutch, front-wheel drive
Acceleration( 0-100km / h) 8.4 seconds
Top speed 212km / h
Fuel consumption( combined) 5L / 100km
CO2 emissions 116g / km
Safety features seven airbags, electronic stabilisation programme( esp) with aBs, extended electronic differential lock( Xds), multicollision brake, Led daytime running lights
Price rm157,888 nett
on a lone turbocharger to boost engine outputs.
No surprises then that the power output of the new Golf has dropped by 20hp, though it delivers an extra serving of 10Nm of torque to increase its total torque output to 250Nm.
Before critics start wailing about the lack of horses, we never really did miss the missing stallions once on our highspeed interstate jaunt between Kuala Lumpur to Penang and back.
In fact, we found the horsepower levels to be sufficient for a long distance cruiser, yet the extra 10Nm of muscle it gained made the new Golf feel more effortless in picking up the pace.
Mind you, the missing supercharger does make the turbocharger lag more apparent, but it is something that owners will get used to over time.
Thankfully, the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission has been refined in its engagement in stop-go traffic, with little juddering off the line and a smooth take-up in power.
Not only is the newer, less complicated engine more useable than its predecessor, it is a good 40kg lighter, and the addition of start-stop and brake energy regeneration helps to trim its fuel consumption figures by 1L / 100km to 5L / 100km.
Its improved fuel efficiency is also thanks to improved aerodynamics; the underside of the engine is covered by a plastic cover and the Golf now sits lower to the ground, along with a total weight loss of 80kg from its Malaysian-spec predecessor.
There is another advantage to shaving weight, particularly on the engine, and that is to be found when you stretch its legs and take it for a drive.
Shuffle the steering and the Golf darts from corner to corner with ease, the lack of weight from the new chassis does show with the Golf’ s immediate compliance in changing direction.
Complementing its new found vivacity, its new electric power steering system too manages to be sharp and quick in its response, without being too overly assisted.
But the best bit of the Golf’ s ride and handling is the resulting ride quality.
The suspension set-up comes with that rare quality of being absorbent, yet delivers a firm and secure road-holding even as we sail across the hideously poor roads of Bukit Beruntung.
The conditions we experienced would have easily shaken and spat out cars with stiff suspension set-ups, or throw and churn the stomachs of passengers of softly-sprung cars, yet the Golf Mk7 takes it all in its stride without losing its firm hold on the road or flustering its occupants.
The resulting ride is one that allows the car to breathE with the ebb and flow of the road surface, allowing the ride to maintain a comfortable environment without upsetting the car’ s composure.
Of course the Golf isn’ t complete without giving it a try at“ unrestricted autobahn” speeds and we were duly impressed by its refinement and stability with only a moderate amount of wind noise seeping into the cabin, almost matching that of bigger premium brands we dare say.
That said, the bit that surprised us about the Golf isn’ t the ride or the handling, but its attention to detail, subtle engineering improvements that we didn’ t think anybody would ask in the first place.
For instance, the new and improved 5.8-inch multimedia head unit not only comes with beautiful and well-thought out graphics, the front panel comes with a proximity sensor which expands the screen’ s icon descriptions if your hand hovers near it.
And then there are its doors, which no longer have mechanical preset positions to hold it open, instead the door can be held open at whichever angle you want it to.
If we are honest, the new Golf doesn’ t bring much headline making power with its figures and price tag.
Yet it has everything you need of a car of its class, with qualities that are not easily quantifiable, qualities that are not just evergreen but highly desirable even if you are on the other side of the globe.
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