New Volkswagen Golf Estate: loads better, not loads more cash

The new Golf Estate opens for ordering tomorrow (2 July), with prices starting at just £17,915 on the road – only £765 more than the equivalent Golf hatchback.  Like the multi-award-winning Golf hatchback, the Golf Estate is available in S, SE and GT trim levels, with the same high levels of equipment, refinement and safety.
 
At the business end, the Golf Estate’s loadspace volume has been expanded from the 505 litres of its predecessor to 605 litres (loaded up to the back seat backrest), versus the 380 litre of the Golf hatchback.  Loaded up to the front seat backrests and under the roof, the new Golf Estate offers an impressive cargo volume of no less than 1,620 litres (versus the 1,495 litres of the Golf Estate Mk VI).  The rear-seat backrests can be folded remotely via a release in the boot.
 
With a payload capacity of 600-611 kg (depending on engine), and a loadspace that is up to 1,831 mm long and a minimum of 1,003 mm wide, the new Golf Estate is exceptionally versatile.  Making the most of the loadspace is a standard multi-level cargo floor, which ensures a flat load area, and offers somewhere to store items out of sight, while a roller-blind loadspace cover with net partition keeps items secure, and can also be stored under the boot floor when not needed.
 
If the cargo area isn’t big enough, standard equipment on all Golf Estates includes roof rails (black on S and SE, anodised silver on GT), while the towing capacity is up to 1,600 kg (for a braked trailer, up to 12 per cent incline).
 
Four petrol engines are available: a 1.2-litre TSI 85 PS with five-speed manual gearbox, plus a 1.2-litre TSI 105 PS, a 1.4-litre TSI 122 PS and a 1.4-litre TSI ACT 140 PS with cylinder deactivation, all with either six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG gearboxes.
 
The three diesel engines are a 1.6-litre TDI 90 PS with five-speed manual gearbox, a 1.6-litre TDI 105 PS with five-speed manual or seven-speed DSG gearbox and a 2.0-litre TDI 150 PS with either six-speed manual or six-speed DSG gearbox.
 
All Golf Mk VII models feature BlueMotion Technology – a Stop/Start system and battery regeneration – and for the first time the Golf Estate will also be available as a ‘full’ BlueMotion model (with other modifications including revised aerodynamics).  This model uses a 1.6-litre diesel engine producing 110 PS, has a six-speed manual gearbox, and is expected to achieve a combined fuel consumption of just 85.6 mpg (equivalent to 87 g/km of CO2).  It will go on sale before the end of the year.
 
All models include Bluetooth, DAB digital radio with 5.8-inch colour touchscreen, iPod connector, seven airbags, XDS electronic differential and an automatic post-collision braking system.  SE models gain ADC automatic distance control with Front Assist and City Emergency Braking, 16-inch alloy wheels, rear map-reading lights, automatic lights and wipers, a Driver Alert System, driver profile selection, and the Pre-Crash preventive occupant protection system.  GT adds 17-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension, 65 per cent tinted rear windows, Discover navigation system, electrically folding door mirrors and parking sensors, among other items.  All UK Golf Estates (except BlueMotion) will come with a standard space-saver spare tyre.
 
Like the Golf hatchback, the new Golf Estate is based on the MQB platform (both have the same wheelbase).  This innovative platform uses new production techniques which help make the new model up to 105 kg lighter than its predecessor, and also allows greater access to new technologies (for safety, comfort and convenience).