I have to admit it feels a bit braggy to casually mention how I popped over to Toronto to check out the new 2015 Volkwagen Golf, a car that many many people have been waiting to appear over here in North America. That is exactly what I did last Friday. I met some great bloggers as well as the amazing professional drivers and the rest of the team from Volkswagen.
The new Golf and Golf GTI are lovely little compact cars……very sporty, nimble….but have also been worked on extensively (so the engineers told us live from Germany via Google Hangout) and the big thing I noticed was how roomy it was, even in the back and they have not scrimped on cargo either.
When you get down to affordable compacts and a brand like Volkswagen, you are not going to be surprised by the shape and style ….how different can a hatchback be from another one. What you are looking at is in the details……fuel economy, apparently ‘torque’ is a huge deal, finishes and trim. Volkswagen has made a very pretty compact. It feels sporty. You are low to the ground and even the rear passengers can stretch out their legs. The seats feel all ‘racey’ and hugs you tight to help you take those sharp turns, especially in the GTI. Volkswagen is proud of the new car because of the massive re-engineering it has seen. They are very proud of their new ‘MQB’ platform as this new take on the Golf platform means more variations of the model at a far better price point for the buyers.
Volkswagen really wants you to understand how proud they are of this re imagining of the Golf and also get that the best way to appreciate it is to get behind the wheel of one. They are currently touring across Canada so people can check out the ‘Golf Driving Experience.’ This is what I got to do. I headed out to Toronto – well Etobicoke and the Woodbine Racetrack, to be precise. We were teamed up with some of their ‘professional’ drivers to put the Golf and the Golf GTI through their paces on a set course. Check out the link and register for the one closest to you if you are keen on putting the car through its paces and pick up some great tips on driving. I learned a whole lot in a very short time. I was a bit overly cautious on the GTI track – no burning rubber for me, but on the Golf track got a bit more relaxed about trying out the various techniques the professional drivers showed me as I swerved and weaved through the course. It was great fun seeing who had the guts to put pedals to the metal and not hit the cones.
The 2015 Golf is a lovely little car with many great features built in as standard. I don’t know how my family of 5 would feel being crammed into such a small vehicle, but the Golf would make a great city car or second vehicle for those lucky enough to have more than one family car. The latch system is set up for left or right sides and I didn’t spot a centre tether anchor. The cargo space is huge and they have done a great job of driver dash design. I am sure Volkswagen fans will love it. I hope I can get another chance to try the car and give you more details about its features other than ‘I MADE IT GO REALLY FAST ON CURVES’ 🙂
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