Safety and reliability: Volkswagen

By Martin Pretorius 

It's been decades since the Beetle first trundled down a test strip to smash into a concrete block, meeting a horrifying end of crumpled metal and shattered glass, and probably reducing the primitive crash test dummy behind the wheel to a mangled mess. Ah well, at least they were reliable...

In the years since then, Volkswagen has worked hard to ensure a good level of safety for their occupants, but how do their products stack up in a modern world where just about every manufacturer makes very crash-worthy cars? And, just as importantly, does the Beetle's hard-earned reputation for reliability still apply to their modern offerings?

Safety

Many onlookers criticized the CitiGolf for a lack of safety features as its very long production run progressed. And yes, by the standards of 2009's cars, the old Citi was woefully outdated – but when it was launched, it actually led its class on the safety front. It had crumple zones, a collapsible steering column, dual-circuit brakes and negative-offset front suspension geometry, all cutting-edge features back in the 1970s.

These attempts to build a safer small car continued as the Golf grew up, leading to things such as the “mash seam” welding introduced on the Golf 3, and post-collision braking, which had its debut in the current-generation Golf. And, being Volkswagen, they distributed their new developments across their model range, leading to even the previous-generation Polo (and current Vivo) scoring 5 stars in the Euro-NCAP test program. And the one before that (our first Vivo)? That one got 4 stars – back in 2002 already! Even the tiny Up! managed to get a top (5-star) score in 2011, and the current-generation cars perform better yet.

Just as important as crash safety is the passive safety systems – the ones which may prevent an accident from taking place at all. In that regard, Volkswagen also scores well, with Automatic Emergency Braking, Speed Assist Systems and Lane Support making their way across the range as the newer models roll out. Add to that generally generous airbag applications and solidly-made bodyshells, and it's clear that Volkswagen makes some of the most crash-worthy cars on the market at the moment – a trend that seems set to continue into the future. 

Reliability

A large part of Volkswagen's reputation for reliability was built by the Beetle, with the Golf continuing the trend and the smaller Polos seemingly being designed expressly to rack up intergalactic mileages. But there was a dip in this regard which lasted from the late-1990s into the mid-2000s, when it seemed like Volkswagen was determined to roll out new technology without making sure that it would last as long as their older efforts did. Turbo failures and electronic gremlins beset many of that era's Volkswagens, actually leaving people stranded next to the road or with marginally operational cars if they were lucky.

Fortunately, those days are over, and while owners of Mark 4 Golfs and Jettas (and T4/early T5 Transporters) might rue the day they bought their cars, the modern crop has showed a return to form for the German company.

This perception is borne out by the IPSOS research results, which sent 6 Gold Awards Volkswagen's way in the latest (2017) survey. The Polo scored particularly well, but the One Ton Double Cab and Volume Passenger Car Brand awards prove that the reliability is spread across the model range. Apparently, Volkswagen's reputation isn't just a result of past glories and clever marketing, and it's encouraging to see them do so well even with some rather cutting-edge technology hiding under the skin.

With good quality rankings, a well-earned reputation for reliability, and top-class safety credentials, it's no wonder that so many South Africans put their wallets where their ambitions lead them.