It's easy enough to see how the many variants of the VW Golf has become such a firm favourite amongst its legion of fans. The term 'Volkswagen', or 'People's Car' has never been more apt with more and more car buyers in Singapore looking towards the German brand due to a combination of factors.
The favourable Euro is just one element (although this doesn't necessarily mean a proportionately reduced MSRP to reflect this :p); couple this to the high Yen and there's been a general exodus towards European marques, since the average man-in-the-street has a tendency to equate Continental as 'higher class' than anything Japanese.
Not forgetting the COE component (mandatory in the purchase of new cars in Singapore), which in recent times, has spiked up such that Cat B (1600cc and larger) cars is now in the SGD$40k region and Cat A (less than 1600cc) is about SGD$10k less.
The next ace up VW's sleeve is the relatively small engine capacities that are available in a variety of body-shapes; these Golf and Jettas are endowed with just enough forced induced punch to make sure the VW owner doesn't lose out to turbo-diesel'd taxis or uncles in their Camrys in the traffic light grand prix - not that we're accusing VW owners of such shenanigans, of course.
Take the 1.2L engine in this test Golf, for instance... Mated to a 7-speed DSG transmission, shopping duties and general errand-running has never been easier.
Don't be mistaken into thinking the car is lacking in grunt either, because it makes perfect sense in a built-up city-state like Singapore, where more time is spent spurting from one traffic light to the next, or in some cases, one bumper to the next in one of the many interminable gridlocks that surface during peak hour travel.
Best of all, the road tax you pay is for a 1.2L ($508 for 1 year iirc, so 10 years is $5080), never mind that this car has all the potency (if not more) of a naturally aspirated 1.6L... having said that, VW's offer to pick up the road tax (for the life of the car?) for new buyers is still a pretty nifty gimmick.
The cabin is comfortable and decently appointed for use as a daily runabout, which means climate control keeps the occupants well-chilled and the factory stereo is sufficient to keep us bopping to the latest tunes in the course of our daily commutes.
The bottle-cap opener first seen on the Golf5 can also be found in the latest version and can be used to separate the centre cubbyhole as dual cupholder or fits flat and snugly into the purpose-built niche in that same bin.
Unlike some of its more sportier brethren, there are no steering wheel paddles to work the DSG, so one has to make do with stirring the gear lever instead if the intention is to really feel 'involved' with the car (although we still say, if it's involvement you really want, buy a manual transmission instead...!)
For the most part, we left the DSG to its own devices, since we found the ratios well suited to city progress. Besides, we always enjoy driving cars as they were intended to be driven (in this case, a perfectly inoffensive A-B car).
One thing that does take some getting used to is the 1.2's low-speed manners.
Initially, there's a feeling that the gas pedal is disconnected from the engine; keep it planted, or even worse, apply more pressure and the car lurches forward. Having driven some of the other variants, we kind of knew what to expect so we pussy-footed around in low-speed manoeuvres.
Fast Facts : VW Golf 1.2 TSI DSG-7
Engine: 1197cc, 16-valves
Maximum power: 105bhp at 5000rpm
Maximum torque: 175Nm at 1550-4100rpm
Transmission: 7-Speed DSG
Wheelbase: 2578mm
LxBxH: 4199 x 1786 x 1479mm
Kerbweight: 1189kg (no driver)
0-100km/h: 10.6 seconds
Top speed: 190km/h
Test Mileage covered: approximately 118km
Agent: Volkswagen Centre Singapore, tel.: +65-6474-8288
Price: SGD$93,800 (accurate as of 25th August 2010)
