Spanning some 36 years of pedigree the VW Golf is now in its 6th generation. This latest Golf Mk6 carries the all-new signature nose that we were first introduced to us at the test drive launch of the Sirocco sports coupe in Lisbon.Climb inside the Mk6 Golf and you will not feel like a stranger inside this car if you come from owning a Passat, Touareg or even a Phaeton as it carries many high end VW luxury signature features. Quality is higher with better materials and also fit and finish. Seats are firm and torso hugging and allows for even a large adult to get extremely comfortable.
Buyers of this Mk6 get plenty of features like a CD changer; cruise control; driver-seat height adjustment; premium cloth seat trim; a rear-seat center armrest; rear door pockets; power door locks, windows and mirrors; an overhead sunglasses holder and a map lamp.
There is also dual zone climate control, a tilt steering column, variable intermittent wipers and 60/40-folding rear seatbacks to the list. This is a very generous list of equipment and this leaves us wondering where the VW product managers made their budget requirements without cutting deep into their production budgets with a product that seems several levels higher in quality and fitment over the outgoing version.
The answer is simple, they did not! They just went into the parts bin of the Touareg and Passat for this car.
With its slightly lower roof over the Mk5 Golf, headroom isn’t an issue except for promising basket ball champions, and the combined front and rear legroom lets 6-foot-plus passengers sit comfortably at all four positions. This then allows for even a fifth adult to get into the rear center seat without much cramming.
Luggage capacity is also good with the seats up and with the seats folded this Golf’s capacity stretches out. Front passengers get height adjustable seats with the levers allowing for the driver to easily lower or raise the front passenger’s seats without stretching. Front seats are also surprisingly wide and comfortable rivaling even the seats in the executive sized VW Passat.
Fire up the combined turbo and supercharged induction fed engine and little is heard as the cabin insulation is superb as there is no engine noise heard at idle. Prod the accelerator pedal and only then does the engine inform you that it is ready to tear up the tarmac with a mild muted rumble. I say tear up for the simple reason that this Golf surprised us with its tenacious grip around corners and its ability to swallow up kilometers of paved roads in Klang Valley with ease.
Acceleration is not neck snapping but impressive enough to surprise any driver looking for some tarmac excitement. Our test car came with a 7-speed DSG gearbox allowing us to waste no time in getting as much power as we needed on our fast and exciting drive. Snick the gearbox in ‘S’, sport mode and the torque delivered is even more inspiring. Chasing around corners with a purpose to slide this Golf Mk6 took for coaxing as the wide Bridgestone Turanza rubbers worked hard with suspension to keep us on our intended track. What was even more surprising was the available torque that allowed us to keep the engine on boil as we overtook slower vehicles with ease. The 240Nm of torque is easily accessible and allows the driver to pull this Mk6 Golf TSi up to its engine limit with a clean sweep. The dials never rested as we took in more miles at greater speed.
As a commuter car, you couldn’t find a nicer cabin for you and your passengers in this segment or even in a segment higher.
For its price, the list of equipment is hard to beat, and it is put together with higher-quality materials than recent segment competitors who have started lagging behind. It is well built, a nice drive and should hit the spot with existing continental car owners looking for that long missing replacement to get their hands on at a price that should be hard to ignore.
VW Golf Mk6 TSI
Engine: 4-cylinder DOHC Twincharger
Displacement: 1390cc
Max power: 160bhp @ 5800rpm
Max torque: 240Nm @ 1500-4500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed DSG
Top speed: 220km/h
0-100km/h: 8.0seconds
Selling Price: RM155,888.00
