2014 Volkswagen Golf SV 2.0 TDI - Roomier Replacement For Golf Plus Aims For Larger Slice Of Compact MPV Class

2014 Volkswagen Golf SV 2.0 TDI

For $ 2,094.09 more than the five-door Golf hatch or $ 925.10 more than the  Golf estate, the SV’s 2,685mm wheelbase and 1,578mm height offer passenger-focused roominess above and beyond either of its siblings. Overall length is 4,338mm – some 224mm shorter than the estate and just 83mm longer than the hatch.

Volkswagen Golf SV 2.0 TDI Rear View

In the cabin, the driver’s position remains elevated, with good visibility, but there’s no unwelcome feeling that you’re perched atop an edition of Greater London’s Yellow Pages.

The neat switchgear, premium cabin materials and smartly functional dashboard are all familiar, but the bespoke layout is less driver-centric than in the other Golfs. Door bins, front and rear, are well sized rather than cavernous, but imaginative cabin storage is scarce. Drawers under the front seats (paired with seat-back picnic tables in SE trim and above) are too small and tricky to access to make a decent contribution.

By today’s standards, the rear seating solution also lacks spark. The three-seat bench splits, slides, folds and reclines either as a whole or in 60/40 sections and the middle seat remains quite skinny. A top-spec C-Max’s rear seats additionally tumble forward, swallow up the middle pew when not needed, or come out altogether.

Headroom, however, is excellent, as is legroom, unless the rear bench is slid right forward to extend the boot’s healthy 500-litre capacity by 90 litres (maximum load space is an equally impressive 1,520 litres).

Volkswagen Golf SV 2.0 TDI Interior

Our 2.0 TDI (joined by a 1.6 TDI and 1.2 and 1.4 TSI petrols at launch) delivered plenty of pep via the positively weighted six-speed manual gearbox. The 0-62mph time is 9.2sec – although there’s little shove on offer above 4000rpm and the engine’s droning wears a bit thin. Otherwise, dynamics are much like the hatch’s: tidy rather than scything handling, a convincing balance of body control with ride comfort and rolling refinement in spades.

The equivalent C-Max costs $ 462.55 more but is quicker, more involving and more flexible of accommodation and brings extra luxuries. However, the Volkswagen’s superior economy, generous roster of modern safety tech and faithfulness to the hyper-polished and desirable Mk7 Golf template will most likely win many buyers over.