Volkswagen Golf Plus

Our verdict

The Volkswagen Golf Plus takes niche-modelling to the nth degree. It’s a tall Golf but still a five-seater. Drives pretty much like a Golf, but looks odd and does without the more interesting engines.

Comfort

The ride is good and of course there's lots of space, so overall the Golf Plus is a relaxing way to get about.

Performance

The 1.4 is slow and the 1.6 noisy. Pick of the petrols is the 1.4TSi which is mildly turbocharged for sweet high-rev power but diesel-like torque levels. The TSi Sport 140 is the same but with an added supercharger for even more urge. You can also get the 140TDi, and a 105 TDiBluemotion which combines 127g/km of CO2 with a 12.1sec 0-62mph time.

Cool

How can it be cool when we don't know what it's for?

Quality

The LED tail indicators might lead you to believe this is a real premium VW. In fact the dash is mostly made of hard scratchy mouldings, and the protective flaps around the rear seat sliding mechanism seem cheap and vulnerable. Still, the main structure feels impregnable in that usual VW way.

Handling

Because it's only slightly bigger than a Golf, it feels only slightly porkier. It rolls and is soft, but you get nice feel and balance from the chassis. The steering wants more feel though.

Practicality

The Plus is roomier than the standard Golf and the rear seats have a few acrobatic tricks like reclining and sliding, but it won't carry any extra people. Potentially handy options include a big box between rear seat passengers if there are only two of them, and a folding front passenger seatback for super-long loads.

Running costs

The Plus shouldn't cost more to run than the equivalent Golf, which means outgoings should be well-contained. Most versions have just group 7 insurance, and servicing is on a variable schedule so if you go gently, you're rewarded with fewer visits to the dealer.