The new Golf BlueMotion sets new standards in its class: it is the first car in the world to consume on average less than 4 litres per 100 km. And all this frugality comes with uncanny engine refinement: the 105 hp common rail four cylinder Diesel is very quiet indeed, being almost inaudible at small throttle openings and when cruising. We were again very impressed by the build quality of the car, and the  massive know-how Volkswagen has built up in fine tuning its Diesel engines.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

105 very well-mannered horses…

Is the typical VW Diesel engine throb noticeable when starting, revving the engine up a bit under load surprises you with a very refined, and subdued exhaust note. The five speed gearbox with wider gear spacing makes good use of the excellent torque of the engine, and indeed the Golf Variant needs barely half throttle to warrant brisk acceleration through the gears. The sixteen valve, dual overhead camshaft engine develops its maximum torque of 250 Nm at a mere 2000 rpm. When taken through its paces, the Golf will make a sprint to 100 km in less than 12 seconds, and the Autobahn top speed is in the region of 190 kmh. Need we say more? The way then engine behaves in dense city traffic is even more important. Suffice to say that we were very impressed.

We used the very low rev range between 1000 and 2000 rpm, prompted by the gear shift indicator, and the engine takes this driving style very much in its stride. In the higher gears, there is a slight exhaust system vibration and harshness when letting the engine work harder at low revs (up to 1400 rpm) , and indeed one can see why a 6 speed gearbox was introduced in the first place, but having said this, one can live very well with the 5 speed box.

Gearchange lever movements are very precise, and changes can be made very fast indeed. The clutch picks up smoothly, and driving away is now much more refined than in previous generations of Golf Diesels. We reached average consumption figures of around 4 litres during our test, with a long drive to Dunkirk included, but also with a lot of dense Brussels traffic thrown in.

During our motorway drive to Dunkirk we were not only impressed by the silence of the drivetrain, but also amused by the public interest we met on all viaducts and gas stations on our route: we were driving in the middle of the (in-)famous “cannonball” race, and frequently we saw the full-lit headlights of impatient Lamborghini’s, Bentley’s and Porsches in our rear-view mirror.

The console offers a large display for radio, media, phone and of course navigation. This comes with the optional pact "Cool and Sound".

A very fast “Lambo” passed us just after we had left Dunkirk, and was stopped by the police near Jabbeke, and with the Golf cruising silently at some 125 kph, we never saw it again appear in our mirrors on our route…

Well equipped…

Our test car came with very pleasant extra equipment, which we appreciated very much during the cold days in the beginning of May: “our” Golf sported the so-called “Winter-module”, with heated front seats amongst others.

We also liked very much the “Climatronic” electronic airco with dual-zone temperature adjustment, and – also useful despite the coldish weather - a refrigerated glove box at the passenger side. The quiet Golf incited me to listen to my favorite Jazz standards, like “Muldoon” by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, or even more, “Dinner for one please, James.”  The 4 x 20 W power was able to give justice to the low basses and the crystalline piano and trumpet play of this track, the silent passages remaining quite audible and to be enjoyed fully, even at speed.  

We again liked the excellent finish of the car, the taut and precise feeling of all the controls, and of course the space offered by the Golf in this Variant version. The boot has a capacity of not less than 505 litres, expanding to 1495 litres with the rear seat folded down.

We refer also to our earlier test of the "normal" Golf Blue Motion, and we were again very pleased by the excellent electronic steering assistance, the comfortable suspension, which was agin confirmed here.  

Our conclusion? A very well finished car, a reliable companion, with a smooth, unobtrusive and very frugal Diesel, as good as it gets, at least, until the next BlueMotion generation comes along…

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