Volkswagen Golf test drive: make sure to check these features out
Interested in a Volkswagen Golf? Well, if you’re about to go test drive one of them, you should make sure to check these features out while you’re behind the wheel. Some of them are standard fitment, while others have to be picked from the option list – but they are the options you’d want in your Golf anyway, so make sure that you buy one with these nice things on board.
Available with a mix of (petrol-only) engines and drivetrains, and with power outputs ranging from 81 kW to 221kW, there’s a Golf to suit most needs. Very few buyers specify their Volkswagen Golfs in its most basic “Trendline” trim, though. At the very least, they’ll add some options, or, better still, opt for one of the higher-level derivatives. Even if their budget doesn’t stretch to include a GTI or a Golf R, they can still get some cool toys in a non-sporting Golf.
So, when you head out on your test drive, be sure to check out these cool features:
1. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert (R 3 800)
This is a bundled package, and optional across the range. Once a very expensive and exclusive feature, reserved for luxury cars and big off-roaders, the combination of blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert is now a pretty affordable option. Included in the deal are heated and electrically-folding rear-view mirrors, so this seems like a worthwhile and well-priced option.
Related: What is the number 1 safety feature on the Volkswagen Golf?
2. Digital dashboard (R 9 000)
More-correctly called the Multi-colour Active Info Display, the pretty digital dash is optional on all Golfs except the Trendline, and comes as standard on the R. It includes driver customisation, with different info profiles selectable at the press of a button. At R 9 000, it’s not cheap, but it is very nice to behold.
Related: We have all the latest info about the upcoming Volkswagen Golf 8.
3. Adaptive LED headlamps (R 14 000)
These excellent (and very pretty) lights are standard on the GTI and R, and an option on the Comfortline, included in a bundle with cool LED tail lights. It’s worth the asking price just for their safety advantage, but added decoration makes the extra money out of pocket a little easier to stomach as well.
Related: 8 Extras you should fit to a new Volkswagen Golf.
4. Colour touchscreen infotainment (standard on all variants)
Even the lowliest Golf Trendline has a colour touchscreen infotainment system, which can be upgraded to a larger screen on all models. The Comfortline, GTI and Golf R feature a nicer infotainment system as standard, called “Composition Media”, which can be upgraded to the “Discover Pro” system with a 9.2-inch high-resolution display, navigation, 8 speakers, and voice- and gesture control. The latter is a very pricey option, though, bumping the price to R 16 500.
Related: See how the Volkswagen Golf measures up against the Opel Astra.
5. Electronic differential lock (standard on all variants)
This one is likely to appeal most to the keen drivers amongst us, but it benefits all Golf drivers nonetheless. All front-wheel drive Volkswagen Golfs employ a clever piece of software called XDS, which distributes the engine’s torque between the front wheels according to the prevailing driving conditions.
Its action is subtle enough to pass by unnoticed most of the time, but XDS nonetheless endows the Golf with improved dynamic poise and higher safety margins. Keen drivers will notice the difference when pouring on the power after a negotiating a bend in the road, but everyone will feel safe in the hands of the Golf’s electronic nannies.
Related: We compare the Volkswagen Golf's running costs with those of two alternative hatchbacks.
* All prices were current at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice.