Tråd: Top 12 biler i 2012: Volkswagen Golf

Den afprøvede og pålidelige Golf formel excellerer igen i den nye syvende generation model. Folk standsede i gaden for denne bil. Jeg havde langt mindre reaktion i den nye Mercedes SL eller Audi RS4 i år, så det synes Mk7 Volkswagen Golf er en rigtig head-turner.
På tre forskellige lejligheder mens flyder rundt i de naturskønne kanter af Sardinien i det, at sætte en video sammen, forbipasserende stak hovedet gennem vinduet og sagde: Nuovo Golf? De fortsatte med at tale nogle mere på italiensk, men da de ikke var bestilling af kaffe eller pizza, jeg ikke kunne forstå dem. Nøjes med at sige, at hånd vinke og beundrende lyde foreslog de var seriøst imponeret.
Og med rette. Den nye Golf er smerteligt godt udført. Dens større men lettere, mere effektivt, men hurtigere, mere tungt udstyret men ikke dyrere.
Det er naturligvis stadig forudsigeligt evolutionære. Dens en Golf efter alle. Men det føles af klassen ovenfor, i det mindste i maxed-out spec af vores 1. 4 TSI GT test bil. Især den valgfrie otte tommers farve touchscreen, som registrerer dine håndbevægelser, før du har selv rørt det, giver indtryk af en reel, upmarket, executive bil finish.
Det er ting der kun Mercedes S-klasse & Co ville have gjort et par år siden, herunder tilbyder en wi-fi hotspot sammenholdt med din smartphone.
Og hvis alt dette ikke er nok til at tjene det acclaim, drivaggregatet helt sikkert er. Jeg spillede et spil for en hel time hvor jeg forsøgte at finde fejlen i brændstof-gemme cylinder deaktivering teknologi. Jeg har aldrig formået at; Det er næsten irriterende god. Og tech også tjener til at forbedre yderligere raffinement, som er en virkelig fremragende element af denne bil og en anden karakteristisk stjålet fra en eller to klasser ovenfor.
Det stopper ikke der. Du får endda adaptive støddæmpere på Golf. Det forvandle ikke ride og håndtering, men jeg kom væk overbevist om, at det er en god ting på en bil, der anvendes i en lang række lande. Hvad det gør ikke er pludselig gøre Golf enormt underholdende. Jeg var ikke begejstret ved sin funklende håndtering, mere i ærefrygt af sin samlede kapacitet.
Så Golf er stadig lidt kedeligt, men dens mindre intetsigende end det blev. Og det er endnu mere upåklageligt komplet, end jeg havde forventet-den schweiziske hær kniv for dagligdags biler, med ønskelige, stereotyp, effektivitet og fremragende raffinement alle pakket ind i et subtilt skarpere design.
Du kunne næsten harmes folkevogne ubarmhjertig succes – hvis bare det ikke gøre gode biler.

The tried and trusted Golf formula excels again in the new seventh-generation model. People stopped in the street for this car. I had far less reaction in the new Mercedes SL or Audi RS4 this year, so it seems the Mk7 Volkswagen Golf is a real head-turner.
On three different occasions while floating around the scenic edges of Sardinia in it, putting a video together, passers-by stuck their head through the window and said, Nuovo Golf? Then they proceeded to talk some more in Italian, but since they werent ordering coffee or pizza, I couldnt understand them. Suffice to say that the hand waving and admiring noises suggested they were seriously impressed.
And rightly so. The new Golf is painfully well executed. Its bigger but lighter, more efficient but faster, more heavily equipped but no more expensive.
Of course, it is still predictably evolutionary. Its a Golf, after all. But it does feel of the class above, at least in the maxed-out spec of our 1. 4 TSI GT test car. In particular, the optional eight-inch colour touchscreen, which senses your hand movements before youve even touched it, gives the impression of a real, upmarket, executive car finish.
It does things that only the Mercedes S-class & Co would have done a couple of years ago, including offering a wi-fi hotspot in conjunction with your smartphone.
And if all that isnt enough to earn it acclaim, the powertrain certainly is. I played a game for a full hour where I tried to find the flaw in the fuel-saving cylinder deactivation technology. I never managed to; it is almost irritatingly good. And the tech also serves to further improve refinement, which is a truly outstanding element of this car and another characteristic stolen from one or two classes above.
It doesnt stop there. You even get adaptive dampers on the Golf. It doesnt transform the ride and handling, but I came away convinced that it is a good thing on a car used in such a broad variety of countries. What it doesnt do is suddenly make the Golf hugely entertaining. I wasnt thrilled by its scintillating handling, more in awe of its capability overall.
So the Golf is still a little dull, but its less anodyne than it was. And it is even more faultlessly complete than I had expected – the Swiss Army Knife of everyday cars, with desirability, attainability, efficiency and outstanding refinement all wrapped up in a subtly sharper design.
You could almost resent Volkswagens relentless success – if only it didnt make such good cars.