Family-size Golf has Family-size Features

Golf SV 1.4 TSI Comfortline

Dad wants the sex appeal of the Golf. Mom wants the practicality of the Touran. Can’t decide? Volkswagen has given us the best of both worlds with its new Golf SV, an acronym for Sports Van. So what is the difference between the SV and the Touran, I hear you ask? The Touran is bigger than the Golf SV and you can opt for seven seats, whereas the SV only has five. But if you rarely have that many passengers in the car, and you’d like a bit of extra room for the yearly exodus to the coast, the Golf SV is a suitable candidate. Here’s why.

I had the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer (from R 378 000) the week before, so it was interesting to see how the Golf measures up to one of its MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) rivals. And let me tell you, the Golf SV has got its game-face on. The Golf SV is built on the same MQB platform as the Golf, but to make space for families and all their stuff, the wheelbase is a tad longer, the roof is higher, and the body is wider. The rear seats can slide forwards and backwards by up to 18cm, for increased leg or luggage room. And speaking of luggage, the boot is a massive 500 litres, with the seats upright and in their normal position. Fold them flat completely, and you have a whopping1520 litres to fill with whatever sports paraphernalia you need. The cargo floor itself can even be removed.

But it’s the quality finishes and the all-round feeling of serenity in the clean, uncluttered cabin that really made me fall for the charms of the Golf SV. The brushed aluminium on the dashboard and elegant, assymetrical air-vents remind you why Volkswagens are such volume sellers. In the centre of the newly designed dashboard, is the sound system’s 5 inch colour touch screen, which is very user-friendly indeed. This also displays the crisp image of what the optional reverse camera sees. In BMW’s 2 Series Active Tourer, you have to use the controller because the screen isn’t touch enabled.

So, the Golf SV is an inflated, family-sized Golf. So how does it fare, compared to BMW’s Active Tourer? You can read our review here. According to my kids, the absence of aeroplane trays attached to the backs of the front seats, makes the Active Tourer lose some brownie points. Our test model, the Golf SV 1.4 TSI Comfortline, was very well equipped with standard comfort and convenience features, and abovementioned trays (standard in Comfortline derivatives).

But even the less expensive Trendline variants have been extensively filled with most of these little luxuries, including the 5 inch touch screen and an electronic parking brake, with auto hold function. This means you never have to spare another thought on the use of the handbrake. It is activated and deactivated automatically – a real bonus when pulling away at an incline.  All variants also have identical safety features, such as ABS with brake assist, stability control, electronic differential lock, traction control, fatigue detection, rear fog lamps, seven airbags, and VW’s Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which can reduce the severity of a second impact after an initial crash.

The 92 kW 1.4 litre TSI drivetrain is not to be sneezed at. Because it is turbocharged, it has just as much oomph as a bigger, naturally aspirated engine, but uses considerably less fuel. It had more than enough spirit for the city and the open road, and we attained a figure of about 6.6 litres per 100 km combined. However, we never drove with a fully loaded boot and grown-up bums on all five seats. If you’re going to load that boot heavily on a regular basis, it might make more sense to go for the SV with the more powerful 2.0 litre turbodiesel engine: The manual is priced at R343 700 and the auto (with 7-speed DSG Gearbox) costs R 359 200.

Handling is almost as good as the singles-sized Golf. The extra height, width and length does make the SV lean into corners a little more, but that is to be expected. Steering is precise without feeling too firm, and the suspension is comfortable.

If you want to please everyone, including yourself, the Golf SV may just be your new best friend.

Facts & Figures

Price	:  R 325 200
Engine	: four-cylinder, 1.4 litre turbo petrol
Power	: 92 kW from 6000 rpm
Torque	: 200 Nm from 5000 rpm
Top speed	: 200 km/h
0 to 100 km/h	: 9.9 sec.
Fuel tank	:  50 litres
Realistic fuel consumption	: About 6 - 8 litres per 100 km’s (combined)
Boot size	: 500 - 1520 litres
Ground clearance	: 144 mm
Warranty	: 3 year / 120 000 km’s, 12 year anti-corrosion. 5 year / 90 000 km Service Plan. Service Intervals every 15 000 km.
Also consider	: Mercedes-Benz B-Class, BMW 2 Series Active Tourer