Practicality of a Golf with fun of a drop-top, awesome engine
Heavy, rear seat leg room is tight, interior a little bland
Golf Cabriolet Overview
We haven’t seen a Golf Cabriolet almost a decade; the company dropping the drop-top in favour of the larger Passat-platformed Eos, and focusing on many and varied versions of the Golf hatch bodystyle. But the little ‘strawberry basket’ is back – albeit without the identifying B-Pillar roll loop that gave it this moniker back in 1979 – and the package is rather tasty.
Golf Cabriolet Engine
The Cabrio hits Oz this week with the one engine choice – VW’s acclaimed 118TSI four cylinder, matched to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch semi-auto (DSG). This 1.4-litre twin-charged engine, which is supercharged and turbocharged to get the most out of the whole rev range, develops 118kW at 5800rpm and 240Nm from a low 1500rpm through to 4000rpm.
It needs 95Ron premium fuel as a minimum, and claims 6.6L/100km on the combined city/country cycle. We saw 9.7L/100km on the lunch, with some spirited driving and highway kilometres through the Adelaide hills; about 8L/100km would be a realistic average.
Golf Cabriolet Interior
Inside, it’s all Golf, without the flash goodies of its big brother Eos. The lines are smooth and Spartan, with brushed aluminium lighting up a dark, solid block interior of black. The two back seats are particularly simple in this respect.
Interior palettes can be selected, with a special order Salsa red leather being the most outrageous, but at $3300 it is an expensive option, and panels of neoprene on the sides of the seats near the centre console cheapens the look. The SatNav system is also an option at $3000, and is very easy to operate. However, we gave up on the auxiliary iPod input, which would not play from iPod, iPhone or iPad, and while VW has added Bluetooth to its list of multimedia accessories, it is not all that easy to set up and operate.
The cloth roof is well lined and quiet when up, while wind buffeting with the top down, and even the side windows down, is exceptional. But there is a compromise… That quiet interior and low wind movement in the cabin is largely due to a severely raked and long windscreen, a-la Peugeot’s cabrios. However, the taller amongst us basically stare at the top of the windscreen, and this writer’s 6’2” companion felt like he may headbutt the top of it if we braked hard. The Golf usually has fabulous seat adjustment, particularly on the manual seat cars, but he felt perched and high. Mind you, it is my five and a half foot tall female compatriots at which this car is primarily aimed.
The cloth roof does not impede on boot space, and the rear offers 250L regardless of the lid being up or down. Both rear seats also fold down to offer room for bulky items, and Isofix points can also be found on both for the child seats.
Golf Cabriolet Exterior & Styling
The Golf DNA is obvious, with the upright VW grille and blocked lines at the front, continuing through the bonnet crease and slab shoulder line, to a pert little boot. The Eos has a long, extended rear, and in contrast the Golf’s behind is short and squat with a simple rear lip and high taillamps. The doors are long but surprisingly light for their size, and make entry and egress to the rear seats a lot easier. The single trim offers standard 17-inch multi-spoke alloys, and the optional bi-Xenon lights have cornering and running LEDs.
The roof will open or close in nine seconds, and has a 30km/h rolling speed allowance with auto reset of all four windows.
Golf Cabriolet On The Road
The folding roof and its mechanisms may add just 52kg, but the car itself is about 150kg heavier. Add two people and overnight bags to this weight penalty, and it does affect the 1.4-litre engine’s performance (though those unfamiliar with this engine in the Polo won’t know what they are missing). VW claim the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.4 seconds, so it isn’t a jet off the mark, but put the seven-speed DSG in Sport or wrangle the six-speed manual at its turbo takeover point (about 3500 - 4000rpm), and it has enough grunt to induce a smile. Once it’s moving, it is almost swift, with lovely turn-in and an impressive ride for a topless car. The scuttle shake once associated with roofless cars is all but gone these days, and it was hard to upset the Golf even on the rougher roads and dips.
The DSG misses out on wheel-mounted paddles, so the shifter has to be used to select gears in the twisties – another keenly felt absence for those who have used them before.
The brake pedal is sensitive, and the manual’s clutch pickup is a little high – but the gearing is efficient and the third cog can haul the car around the suburbs between the 40km to 60km speed signs with efficient ease.
The front-drive layout apes the Golf with independent suspension all round, and an E-diff working through the car’s ABS/Stability control systems to direct grip or prevent slip in the driven wheels. It also has a hill holder as standard; all of which makes the Cabrio a stress-free, almost brainless steer.
Golf Cabriolet Challenges
Despite its ‘sports suspension’ – and we could not get a definition as to what has been done to earn it the term at the time – the Golf Cabrio is a cruiser. Its weight penalty is felt despite the 118TSI engine’s brilliance, and this combined with its conservative Germanic styling may see some buyers shell out more for the funkier Mini Cabrio, Peugeot cabrios or the Audi A3.
Golf Cabriolet Verdict
Hey, it’s just a mid-spec Golf without a roof. But that makes it a fabulous all-rounder with a solid drivetrain, build quality and resale, and offers the freedom of wind-in-hair motoring at a very competitive price.
Golf Cabriolet Competition
The obvious competitors for the Golf Cabrio come from within its own house - the Eos convertible and the Audi A3 Cabriolet - but they are both around $15K more expensive. The Golf therefore offers an entry-level drop top experience the others in its stable can’t match. Nor can most of its competition: the Mini Cabrio begins at $40, 350, and Peugeot’s 308CC starts at $47,490. The 206CC, while more evenly priced from $33,490, is a far smaller car with almost unusable rear seats. Same goes for the Fiat 500C, which is the most affordable at $28,990 but is essentially a two-seater with a retractable centre roof. Mazda’s MX-5 is a sportier option, but starts from $42,460 and is a dedicated two-seater.
This is the kind of entry-level car that entices new buyers to the brand, and helps them step up to other versions (i.e. the Eos) with time and finances. So, the niche vehicle will be yet another smart move for the VW Motor Group
