Volkswagens have become rather sophisticated and are impressively safe and easy to live with for families. We pick five of our family-friendly favourites from this German superbrand, priced from least to most expensive.
Volkswagen Polo Sedan
The Polo sedan is not based on the outgoing Polo hatch, but rather on the Polo Vivo hatch. If you need a spacious and reliable family car, the Polo sedan is an excellent choice. Just bear in mind that the entry-level models are not equipped with traction control but all models have four airbags. (The Polo Vivo hatch gets a 3-star safety rating.) The Polo Sedan 1.4 Trendline (with 63kW and 132Nm) is the entry-level model and is priced at R262 700.
What about the new Volkswagen Polo?
The Polo is stylish, spacious, and safe, and has become a rather premium offering, so if you’re keen on a well-sized family hatch rather than an SUV, the Polo range starts at R311 800.
Volkswagen T-Cross
The T-Cross is a sophisticated compact hatch with six airbags and an adjustable second row if you need a bit more space in the boot. The entry-level model, with a manual transmission, is relatively affordable too, at R365 100. Read my review on the T-Cross 1.0TSI 70kW Comfortline model here.
The T-Cross gets a five-star safety rating. The new Volkswagen Taigo, another compact SUV (built on the same platform as the Polo and T-Cross), is set to arrive in SA shortly.
Also consider: The slightly larger, Golf-based Volkswagen T-Roc crossover. Read our latest T-Roc reviews here.
Volkswagen Tiguan & Tiguan Allspace
The facelifted Tiguan (from R541 800 for the 1.4TSI 110kW model) has been available for some time now while the 7-seater Allspace variant (from 572 800 for the 1.4 TSI Trendline) has yet to be refreshed. The Tiguan fits in-between the T-Roc and Touareg. Read our latest reviews on the Tiguan here. The Tiguan gets five stars from EuroNCAP.
Volkswagen Transporter Kombi
Need space for carpooling, as well as for Ouma and Oupa and aunts and uncles? The Transporter Kombi (from R771 100) is the one, but if your pockets aren't as deep, you can always opt for the Volkswagen Transporter 2.0TDI 81kW crew bus LWB at R661 400.
Read our review on this industry stalwart here: VW Kombi (2021) Roadtrip Review: Just like the good old days, only better.
Volkswagen Touareg
The Touareg is ideal for families who like to embark on serious off-road adventures. In this price range, five-star safety features are at the order of the day.
The all-wheel-drive Touareg V6 TDI Luxury kicks off the range at a rather steep R1 279 700, but is chock-full of features. The 3.0-litre V6 offers you 190kW and 600Nm while sipping only 7.1 litres per 100 km (VW's figures). It has eight airbags as well as adaptive cruise control.
Read all our latest VW Touareg reviews here.
Search for used VW Touareg models on AutoTrader, here.
Verdict
As a whole, Volkswagen is very good for families. If you can’t afford any of the cars on the list, we can also recommend the now-discontinued Volkswagen Up! as well as the Polo Vivo hatchback. The Vivo gets a 3-star safety rating for adults as well as child occupants, while the Up! is fitted with traction control and 2-4 airbags as standard.
