Getting to know the 2016 Volkswagen Golf TSI

THE 2016 Golf’s exterior is conservative and practical rather than cutting-edge sporty.

Photos by Aida Sevilla-Mendoza

IN THIS country, when you mention Volkswagen, the first thing that pops up in people’s minds is the Beetle or the Kombi.

Except for car buffs, few people here are familiar with the Golf, which was introduced by Volkswagen to the world in 1974 and has since become one of the best-selling cars of all time and the global benchmark model for compact hatchbacks.

But unlike the Beetle and the Kombi minivan, the Golf has no history of sales in the Philippine market.

This may be why Automobile Central Enterprise Inc. (ACEI), the exclusive importer and distributor of VW, chose the hot performance hatch, the GTI, to introduce the Golf nameplate to Filipinos last year.

Car enthusiasts were excited about the availability of the sport-tuned, 2.0-liter turbocharged, 210-horsepower Golf GTI, but not many could afford its P2.29-million price tag.

This was the cue for the entrance last April of the 2016 Golf TSI which has a less powerful 1.4-liter turbo engine but costs half a million bucks less at P1.739 million (Highline variant) and retains many features of the 2016 Golf GTI.

ACEI also offers the Comfortline variant of the Golf TSI for P1.59 million, but not the diesel variant which is part of the worldwide recall of diesel VW TDI vehicles with emissions-cheating software.

Anyway, the Golf range of cars still has excellent gasoline TSI engines.

MQB

The 1.4-liter Golf TSI has the same superb German precision engineering as the hot hatch GTI, its stoutly built body  being based on the MQB, the global modular transverse matrix/platform that underpins 21 distinct cars in the Volkswagen Group including the Audi A3 hatchback and the Audi TT sports car.

Moreover, the Golf TSI is equipped with an XDS cross differential system derived from the Golf GTI—an electronic substitute for the traditional limited slip differential, it uses the inside brakes to help prevent understeer, which is a common problem in front-wheel-drive cars.

TURBO, direct fuel injection, and the seven-speed direct shift gearbox (DSG) combine to make the 1.4-liter gasoline engine more potent.

As a result, Golf cars rarely reveal that they are front-wheel drive.

DSG

Then there is DSG, the seven-speed direct shift gearbox that enables efficient and seamless shifting in full automatic mode, and lets you shift manually if you choose.

The four-door Golf hatchback, whether GTI or TSI, is larger than it’s ever been, but lighter and built an inch lower.

They look the same fore and aft, except for the insignia at the back and the alloy wheels, which are 18 inches on the GTI and 17 inches on the TSI.

Bi-Xenon headlamps together with daytime running lights in sharper headlight clusters are standard equipment in the TSI Highline variant.

STOUTLY built, the seventh-generation Golf hatchback is larger and lower yet lighter than its predecessors.

A new narrow horizontal grille and a steeper hood at the base of which a character line starts, serve to modernize the classic if conservative Golf exterior.

TSI

The 1.4-liter 4-cylinder TSI (turbocharged stratified injection) gasoline engine produces 148 horsepower and 250 Newton-meters max torque, which is admirably frisky in either urban or expressway driving.

Volkswagen claims that the Golf 1.4 TSI’s top speed is 216 kilometers per hour and that it hits 100 kph in 8.2 seconds, yet it has no paddle shifters. I myself discovered that it easily achieves 150 kph.

Rather than performance-level speed, the TSI resembles the GTI more in terms of deft handling and confident, precise and responsive steering.

The Golf TSI may not be as fast and as flat through corners like the Mazda3 or Ford Focus, but it’s more at ease in daily driving, provides a more absorbent ride, and a less abrupt response to steering and throttle inputs.

A PREMIUM-LOOKING, upscale interior with high-quality materials, leather and subtly brushed aluminum accents

Aside from the modular MQB platform, credit for the refined, uber-comfy ride quality should also go to the fully independent suspension made up of coils and struts plus a 22-mm stabilizer bar up front and a four-link setup with coil springs and a 19-mm stabilizer bar at the rear.

In the cockpit, the dash is canted toward the driver and the premium look and feel is impressive, thanks to the flawless craftsmanship, high-quality soft-touch materials, Vienna leather seats and subtly brushed aluminum detailing.

A new addition to the 2016 Golf TSI is a 5.8-inch color touch-screen radio system with eight speakers that can play CDs, MP3, WMA and AAC audio files through the USB, aux-in and your mobile phone.

Seats and space

Bigger dimensions, additional high tensile strength steel, and the upright design translate into more interior space in both rows of seats, more cargo room, and a quiet, absolutely composed ride whatever the speed.

The easily adjustable front seats are supportive and comfortable with good bolstering that makes long trips less tiring.

GENEROUS cargo room, 1,520 liters max, plus a center pass-through.

The rear seat has a 60/40-split, folding backrest that expands cargo space when folded (although not completely flat).

Storage space for small items is offered by the front center console, door pockets and cupholders galore.

Cargo space is generous, measuring 490 liters below the hard parcel shelf with the rear seat up, 670 liters when the parcel shelf is removed, and 1,520 liters with the parcel shelf removed and the rear seat backrest folded forward.

A center pass-through conveniently allows two outboard passengers on the rear seat with longer cargo down the middle.

Blue Motion

Aside from DSG and XDS, the 2016 Golf TSI has Blue Motion technologies that cut fuel consumption and reduce harmful emissions by saving energy.

VIENNA leather, rear air-conditioning vents, a center armrest and lots of space for backseat passengers

These technologies, synchronized with the TSI engine and DSG transmission, include automatic start/stop when the engine is idling, low rolling resistance tires, recuperation of energy from braking, and improved aerodynamics like the prominent rear spoiler on the Golf.

However, the automatic start/stop in the Golf TSI sometimes shuts off the engine completely when idling, followed by a message on the instrument panel instructing the driver to manually start the engine. This requires shifting into Park before you can restart the engine, losing precious seconds in the process.

I have never experienced this in other cars with an automatic start/stop system.

Safety first

Otherwise, there is little to find fault with, especially when it comes to safety and driver assistance features.

Aside from front, side, curtain and driver knee airbags, the Golf TSI is fitted with an electronic stabilization program with antislip regulation, electronic differential lock with XDS, and engine drag torque control to avert skidding, wheel spin or over/under steering.

Volkswagen’s antilock braking system with brake assist, park distance control, tire pressure monitoring system, smart proximity keyless entry and pushbutton start/stop are, of course, standard equipment.

Its eight-channel park distance control is the best reverse camera system I have used so far, as it not only helps me to back up into tight spaces, it also shows me how to straighten the position of the car and simultaneously maintain a proper distance from other parked vehicles beside and behind.

In case of a potential road crash, the Golf’s proactive occupant protection system will automatically tighten seatbelts and automatically close windows to assure maximum functionality of the airbags.

Ultrasonic motion sensors will trigger an acoustic alarm when these detect unauthorized entry by contacts on the doors, engine compartment and luggage compartment.

Summing Up

The 2016 VW Golf TSI is light, lithe and nimble yet solid and stable with a well-balanced platform and suspension that deliver excellent driving dynamics minus noise, vibration or harshness.

Its finely crafted, richly kitted cabin looks and feels upscale to near-luxury level aside from offering generous headroom, legroom, cargo room and comfortable, supportive seating.

The 1.4-liter Golf TSI may not have the power and glitz of bigger or faster cars, but none of them approach the Golf’s unrelenting Teutonic precision and standard of excellence. TVJ