The VW Golf 1.2 TSI Trend line
Don’t think a 1.2-litre engine can
effortlessly transport a C-segment hatchthat seats five people comfortably, has
enough space for theirl uggage and isn't bereft of mass-increasingcomfort
features?
You shouldn't be concerned, and here's
why: 1 223 kg and 175 N.m. The former is a scant 109 kg heavier than the much
smaller Polo 1.6, while the latter figure beats every single maximum-torque
number posted by rivals' 1.6-litre engines.
Offering a level of refinement, ride
quality and aesthetic charm closer to that of a luxury contender, the VW Golf
1.2 TSI Trend line sets a benchmark rivals can’t currently match
What's more, the 175 Nm are working in
unison by just 1 550 r/min, propelling the cheapest Golf forward on a wave of
mid-range thrust that leaves rivals coughing in its fumes. Not that it dirties
the air by too much; the C02 figure of 114 g/km seesit slip under the local 120
g/km threshold for taxation. It also happens to be the cleanest petrol-powered
car in the C-segment.
Let's contextualize the performance:
the 104 kW Honda Civic 1,8i-VTEC that we tested in
September 2012 reached 100 km/h in 10.39 seconds. The 77 kW Golf needed 10.37.
The Japanese hatch accelerated from 60 to 100 km/h (the range in which most of
us drive daily) in third gear in 7.87 seconds.
The Golf took 6.96. In fifth gear, the
Civic despatched 80 to 120 km/h in 15.68 seconds. The car
from Wolfsburg? 14.37. In the game of performance, the spoils go to the
downsized.
Fit and finish levels within the cabin
are all top notch and designed to lift the VW Golf 1.2 TSI Trend line
from ‘humble’ to ‘special’ status
Back to the mass: in order to make the
Golf as light as possible, a number of dieting measures were implemented,
including trimming 23 kg from the body. A somewhat controversial one, and one
which is pertinent to this test, is the adoption of a torsion-beamrear
suspension setup on Golf 7s that develop less than 90 kW. It saves 11 kg over
the multilink system used on more powerful vehicles, but in theory is
lessson phisticated. We couldn't findmuch evidence to support this assumption,
however; on plump 15-inch tyres, this Golf rides extremely well in all
conditions while remaining composed and settled. One tester said he had noticed
slightly more wheel hop in corners with undulating surfaces than in the 1,4 TSI
Comfort line (with the more sophisticated suspension) we tested earlier, but
you'd only notice it when driving them back to back.
While there’s a lot to like about the
quick-shifting dual-clutch option, the VW Golf 1.2 TSI Trend line’s lightweight
manual boxes are perhaps even more refined and certainly more fun
This is our first encounter with a
Trend line vehicle. In order top price the 1,2 TSI so
competitively, Volkswagen has had to trim some of the niceties from Comfort
line spec, but the damage hasn't been too great. In addition to the standard
items listed in the technical box, this version has a five-inch touchscreen
interface, stop/start, daytime- running lamps, chrome t rim in the cabin,and
leather trim on the gear knob and steering wheel. In fact, the only noteworthy
visual clues are charcoal-coloured exterior door handles and side mirrors, and
15-inch instead of 16-inch wheels. The five-year/90 000 km service plan remains
in place.
If this Golf represents the
foreseeable future of everyday motoring, we have no qualms. Our pick of the
Golf range would still be the 1.4 Comfort line, which
does just about everything youcould ever expect of a car. That said, in final
scoring the 1.2 TSI was just one point adrift of the1,4's
84/100. It's that good.
