Hatfield Volkswagen

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Walk Around

A VW Golf is a VW Rabbit is a VW Golf. Save for rounding off once squared fenders and roof lines and tweaking the grille styling and the brake light arrangement, Volkswagen has shown remarkable, some might argue unremarkable, fealty to the model's styling cues though all of its six generations. Body proportions, for instance, have remained stoically the same, which, while perhaps boring, isn't necessarily bad, as it ensures a continuum of recognition for the marque's price leader. Still, a little inspiration here and there might not terminally damage the Golf's legacy.

Headlights are rounder than the car's previous iteration, the 2008 Rabbit, and bookend a wider, thinner, two bar grille sans any separating sheetmetal. The grille is blacked out, where the predecessor's was painted body color. Likewise, the lower air intake spans the width of the car, with a fuller, richer looking bumper no longer demeaned by low ball black rubber protector strips scarring the corners of that earlier model's fascia.

Side body panels are more sculpted, with a sharply creased rocker panel outline across the lower portion. The stylists did a decent job of giving the C pillar (the body panel behind the rear most side window) a consistent shape and proportion on the 2 door and 4 door, given the reality of both cars sharing the same wheelbase (distance between front and rear tires) and being equal in overall length. A clearly defined character line tracks rearward from the top of the front fender blister all the way to the upper taillight element, giving the rear fenders a hint of a shoulder. Wheelwells encircle the tires leaving the barest of gaps, visually pulling the car down onto the pavement. Minimalist door handles are snug for hands wearing anything larger than medium size gloves. Gaps between body panels are pencil thin, which suggest high-quality construction.

The rear of the new 2010 Golf keeps the faith, avoiding anything new or striking in its styling. It is a hatchback, after all, and there's little in the way of excitement that can be done within that limitation. Taillight housings mirror the ovoid shape of the headlights, boosting the rear fenders' shoulder look the aforementioned side body panel character line establishes. The wrap around rear window glass fills the top of the lift gate. An outsized, round VW logo parked in the middle between the taillights doubles as the lever for opening the liftgate.

The TDI is distinguished from the 2.5-liter gas model by an eponymous chrome logo beneath the right taillight, balancing the chrome GOLF logo both cars wear below the left taillight. An indent in the rear bumper houses the license plate. A flat black extractor like panel minimizes the visual mass of the rear bumper.

Interior

2010 Volkswagen Golf

Inside, the 2010 Golf shows a not surprising Teutonic dedication to an almost austere functionality. Brightwork is confined to touches on steering wheel spokes, around air registers, door handles and tasteful outlines on various knobs and the shifting gear. Textures give good touch. A contrasting silver ish strip separates top and bottom dash sections and dresses the uppermost element of the door trim panels. Completing the Bauhaus-ian theme is the cloth upholstery, to which the Golf offers no option.

The Golf feels roomier than it looks, and it is, actually, equaling or at least competitive with the other major players in its niche. This includes, interestingly, the Chevrolet Cobalt, a car generally perceived to be larger than the Golf, which it betters everywhere, including trunk space by a smidgen more than one 1 foot square cardboard box; about the same holds true for the Focus, while the Civic's trunk holds three fewer foot-square boxes. Other notable differences are that the Ford Focus offers more rear seat legroom than the Golf, by a tick more than a half inch, while the Honda Civic coupe trails the Golf coupe in rear seat headroom by more than three inches.

Front seats are comfortable and easy on the ingress and egress, despite their sport appellations. That latter, though, is welcome when exploring the Golf's relatively high handling limits, as is the grippy cloth upholstery. The eight way adjustable driver's seat works well with the tilt and telescope steering wheel to allow all but the tallest and the most stout drivers a nearly perfect triangulation with steering wheel, pedals and shift lever. Gravy, and much appreciated by the front seat passenger, is the eight way adjustability in that seat, too.

Air conditioning and sound system controls are comfortably basic in shape, size and duty. Knobs and buttons handle the essential operations. Selections the nav system's touch screen permits while the car is in motion appear in large, finger friendly, virtual buttons that require only a flash glance by the driver to identify their assigned duties and then can be manipulated in the driver's peripheral field of vision.

As for visibility generally, that aforementioned C-pillar is about the only negative. It's just thick enough to catch the driver's eye in those last fleeting moments before a quick lane change. Otherwise, the rear quarter vision is on par with visibility out front and out back, which is excellent for a car this size.

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