The eighth generation Volkswagen Golf has been usefully improved. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Golf, Volkswagen has significantly updated this eighth generation design, most significantly inside. As one former Volkswagen Group Chairman once pointed out, 'the biggest mistake any Volkswagen Golf can make is to stop being a Golf'. That's not happened here and loyal Golf owners will find lots to like.

Background

Previous versions of this model have been marked by gradual evolution and that's happened once again here. You won't notice many differences from the outside because most of the significant changes lie within. The previously awkward infotainment system's been vastly improved and the cabin's now considerably more user-friendly. Plus there's a second generation PHEV powertrain for those wanting to plug in. So most of the awkward edges of this previously quite controversial MK8 design have been ironed away. And pricing now undercuts a number of rival Stellantis Group models. All of which means you might want to take a fresh look at this Golf's family hatch segment proposition. If you always wanted one, then you'll like what Wolfsburg has done here.

Driving Experience

In the family hatchback segment, there's nothing quite like the solid, reassuring feel of a Golf - though of course its drivetrain engineering is almost identical to what you'd find in the three other VW Group products in this segment, the SEAT Leon, the Skoda Octavia and the Audi A3 Sportback. Not much of that has changed with this update, particularly at the affordable end of the range, which ditches the old 1.0-litre three cylinder unit and is now based around 1.5-litre four cylinder petrol power. Though Volkswagen doggedly continues to offer 115PS manual and 150PS auto versions of its 2.0-litre TDI diesel for those unconvinced by the idea of the pricey PHEV powertrain we'll get to in a moment. The base 1.5-litre petrol unit also comes in 115PS and 150PS forms, though only with 6-speed manual transmission. The 7-speed DSG auto's reserved for the eTSI mild hybrid 48V 150PS model we're trying here. You might not want to stretch to it because neither performance (62mph takes 9.9s) or economy are vastly very different from what you get with the conventional TSI model. To really get frugality, you'll need to pay a lot more for the PHEV drivetrain we referenced earlier, which has been massively improved as part of this update. This powerplant (offered as before with the eHybrid and GTE models) now gets a larger 1.5-litre engine (up from 1.4) and a much bigger 19.7kWh battery (up from 13.0kWh before), which means a much longer EV driving range of up to 89 miles. The eHybrid still puts out 204PS, but the GTE offers 272PS. The sportier 2.0-litre TSI petrol turbo Golf hot hatch variants aren't our focus here, but we'll briefly reference the fact that they've also been improved. The GTI model's output is now 265PS (20PS more than before), which moves it closer to the more focused 300PS GTI Clubsport variant. And an even faster 333PS version of the top AWD Golf R super hatch slots in above. Otherwise, things are much as before. Which means that unless you stretch to a Golf with at least 150PS, it'll come without the multi-link rear suspension set-up that a family hatchback of this class and price really ought to have. If you're bothered by the slightly brittle ride this will create with lower-order Golfs over poorer surfaces, we'd suggest that an alternative to getting the more highly-tuned engine might be to option in the extra-cost 'DCC' 'Dynamic Chassis Control' adaptive damping system, which works with a 'Driver Profile' driving modes system offering 'Eco', 'Comfort', 'Sport' and 'Individual' settings. As usual with a Golf, there's crisp, accurate steering with excellent refinement.

Design and Build

There aren't too many visual differences with this 'MK8.5'-era Golf. There are fresh illuminating signatures in the new-look angular LED headlamps and revised bumpers front and rear, plus an illuminated VW badge on the nose, new sills beneath the doors and smarter LED tail lamps. Plusher variants can now have a contrasting black roof too. As before, there's a choice of hatch and estate body styles. The main mid-life changes to this eighth generation model though, lie inside. The original design's widely-criticised infotainment system has been thoroughly updated to what VW calls' MIB4' status, which means it gets quicker processing times, smarter menus and slicker graphics. The centre screen's updated too, now 12.9-inches in size as standard. Talking of screens, there are a few minor updates to the 10.2-inch 'Digital Cockpit Pro' instrument display, which can be customised to model via different layouts. And there's a better head-up display available. The steering wheel's different too, now restored with proper buttons, instead of the pre-facelift model's fiddly touch-sensitive ones. The awful touch slider below the infotainment screen has been retained, but it's now more responsive and (at last) is back-lit for easier night use. The voice control set-up's better too, thanks to ChatGPT tech, which can be used to control navigation, 'phone and climate functions. The advantage here is that if Volkswagen's own voice activation set-up doesn't know the answer to a question you might be asking the car, it'll be relayed to the ChatGPT AI system - though the same VW voice will still give you the answer. Otherwise, things are the same as before. So a couple of adults will fit reasonably well on the back seat. And the conventionally-engined models offer a 380-litre boot (considerably improved to 611-litres with the estate version).

Market and Model

As we compiled this review in early Autumn 2024, prices for this updated 'MK8.5' Golf were starting from just over £27,000 for the hatch model or from just under £28,500 for the alternative estate. It's much more likely though, that you'll be paying closer to the £35,000 mark for your chosen engine and spec. The core trim levels are 'Life', 'Match', 'Style', 'R-Line' and 'Black Edition'. Plus of course there are the usual many flavours of rather differently-engined Golfs, most of them sporting - the eHybrid and GTE PHEVs, the GTI and GTI Clubsport 2.0 TSI turbo hot hatches and the AWD Golf R super hatch, now with 333PS. But our focus here is on the mainstream Golf variants, primarily based around the 1.5-litre four cylinder petrol engine we tried - or a 2.0-litre TDI diesel, though to be able to choose anything but the feeblest petrol unit, you'll need to avoid base 'Life' trim. We'd suggest you start your search from 'Match' level upwards, which gives you the main engine choices and costs hardly any more than a 'Life' model. The base un-electrified 1.5 TSI petrol unit comes only in manual transmission in either 115PS or 150PS forms (there's a £1,140 premium to trade up from one to the other). If you want an auto (Volkswagen's usual 7-speed DSG transmission), you'll need the mild hybrid eTSI model, which at the time of this review was priced from just over £30,000 in its most affordable form. If you don't care about the current enviro-zeitegeist and still want a diesel, then Volkswagen offers its trusty 2.0 TDI in base 115PS form with value 'Match'-spec (from under £30,000) or with top 'R-Line' trim in 150PS form. Which you might think still looks decent value given that Volkswagen's PHEV drivetrain alternative to diesel power, offered by the Golf eHybrid Plug-in Hybrid, costs well over £37,000 in its cheapest form. Even 'Life' spec offers LED headlights, navigation, Adaptive Cruise Control, all-round parking sensors and 16-inch wheels, plus a 'Digital Cockpit Pro' instrument screen and a 12.9-inch infotainment system. 'Match'-spec adds 17-inch wheels, a rear view camera, High Beam Assist and rear privacy glass. And with the 'Style' versions, you get body-coloured bumpers, 'intelligent' 'LED Plus' headlamps, exterior ambient lighting, 'sports comfort' front seats, 'ArtVelours' microfleece upholstery and multi-colour cabin lighting. 'R-Line'-spec has a sportier look, 17-inch 'Coventry' alloy wheels and the option of a contrast-coloured roof. Manoeuvring can be simplified by the latest assist systems including the enhanced 'Park Assist Plus' and 'Park Assist Pro' systems, which are available for the first time for the Golf and enable you to stand outside the car and part it with your smartphone. The 360-degree Area View is another new and useful feature. Five fresh alloy wheel designs and four new metallic paint finishes have also been added to this updated range. And as before, there's quite a portfolio of optional semi-autonomous driving tech, including a 'Travel Assist' feature that allows the car to accelerate, steer and brake on motorways at speeds of up to 130mph.

Cost of Ownership

Let's get to the WLTP-rated efficiency stats - and start with the manual petrol models. The base 1.5 TSI 115PS petrol unit manages up to 52.3mpg on the combined cycle and up to 123g/km of CO2 - or 51.0mpg and 126g/km for the 150PS version. What about the autos? Well the eTSI 150PS model's mild hybrid 48-volt electrical system boosts the returns only very slightly - to 53.1mpg and 121g/km. If you want to be more economic than that, you'll need either a diesel or a Plug-in Hybrid. The 2.0 TDI manual diesel manages 63.5mpg and 117g/km in 115PS manual form; or 60.5mpg and 122g/km in 150PS auto guise. In theory, you'll do far better of course, with the petrol Plug-in Hybrids. As we told you in our 'Driving' section, the larger 19.7kWh battery used with these variants can now take the eHybrid and GTE models up to 62 miles on EV power, contributing to a total range of around 620 miles. So you really could now use a PHEV Golf much like an EV for short commuting duties. The official figures are scarcely believable - and need to be taken with a very large pinch of salt - up to 993.3mpg and 6g/km for the eHybrid; and 796.3mpg and 8g/km for the GTE.

Summary

We like the improvements made to this eighth generation Golf. So much that we think you might even now feel that this Volkswagen is a better home for your money than a pricier premium-branded model of this sort - the Audi A3 that shares nearly all of this car's engineering for instance. Now that the annoying infotainment glitches of the original version of this MK8 design have been dealt with, there's lots to like here from a car that feels engineered to a depth that most rivals can't match. Certainly, the safety kit, media features and autonomous driving tech are all cutting-edge. All of which means that this is still, as a Golf always should be, a benchmark in its segment; a car that must feature highly on any family hatch buyer's shopping list. In short, this is still a Golf - with all the model line heritage, depth of engineering and inherent quality that this badge has come to represent.