VW Golf – A New Hope? By Jon Barlow At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Once again England prepares to face the old foe Germany tonight in Berlin for a friendly game of football that promises to be anything but. It reminded me that at the ripe old age of 41 I am too young to remember our glorious world cup victory that occurred in July 1966 which was 11 months before I entered this world.

I am slightly concerned that unless Fabio Capello can work his magic soon I might not ever see an England world cup victory in my lifetime.

It started me thinking about the historic moments I have witnessed albeit on TV. These include the Berlin Wall coming down, Nelson Mandela’s release, 9/11 and of course Barack Obama’s historic election victory to mention a few. One occasion I do remember vividly was when me and my little school mate Colin spent a sunny day in May 1977 queuing outside the Odeon Cinema in Bristol with what felt like most of the World’s population to see the movie Star Wars.

We waited all day and finally got to see the film just as it was getting dark. I remember thinking as we sat there excitedly waiting for the curtain to open clutching a bag of butterkist popcorn that life couldn’t possibly get any better.

I watched Star Wars on TV the other day and although it doesn’t have all the amazing CGI effects of a modern sci-fi movie the plot of good triumphing over evil is a timeless one.

I must admit though that I did get a bit confused when the Star Wars sequels started to appear and we learned that the first film was actually the fourth episode on so on. I think even the most die-hard fans may have started to question whether the later instalments were made for artistic purposes or providing a pension plan for George Lucas.

Somehow this brings me around to talking about the latest Volkswagen Golf. I think because we were talking about sequels and the 2009 Golf is the continuation of a story that started a long time ago (1974) in a factory far far away (well Germany).

We are now into the sixth evolution of this up market alternative to the likes of the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra, and just like “A New Hope” the newcomer has been given something of a makeover for the digital age.
We start with a new ultra-efficient engine, six-speed gearbox and optional touch screen control in the 2 litre TDI model. You’ll also find computer-controlled suspension and cruise control that cleverly scans the road ahead for slower traffic and maintains a safe distance accordingly.

In stark contrast with the original Golf which only came equipped with a cigarette lighter, the latest model might as well have come from another galaxy.

Its styling is not as striking as a lot of new models and from a distance you would be hard-pushed to distinguish the old Golf from the new one. There is now a crease running along the flank of the car, and a new front grille, though these changes are hardly radical.

It’s a slightly different story on the inside however. The Golf has a revised interior, which gets more equipment, new-look materials and more luxurious seats. Most striking is the new instrument cluster, which has aluminium-trimmed black dials with white, backlit lettering, while the steering wheel is given extra functionality with new buttons to control the sound system and trip computer.

Volkswagen has worked hard to reduce the engine’s fuel consumption and emissions. The 138bhp 2 litre TDI returns almost 58mpg while CO2 emissions are cut from 159g/km to 129g/km.

Fortunately, performance is not sacrificed in this quest for efficiency. The 2 litre TDI is powerful and never feels short of pace, particularly when overtaking. This is helped by the automated Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) optional in place of the six-speed manual gearbox. It provides smooth, instant gear changes via steering-wheel-mounted paddles, allowing fully automatic shifting.

The new Golf has a similar chassis to that of the previous model but feels more solid on the road due to Adaptive Chassis Control which automatically optimises suspension damping and insulates the occupants from harsh road surfaces.

You’ll also find extra safety equipment aboard the new Golf, including knee airbags for the driver. There is also a new head-restraint system designed to reduce whiplash injuries, and further reassurance comes with the latest electronic stability program.

Only time will tell if this episode of the Golf will feature in automotive mythology in years to come.

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