Test: Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet 1.4 TSI (118 kW)
Content
Golden mean? Yeah, to be honest, not quite gold, but definitely average. But don't worry: the Golf Cabriolet's engine range will expand. Now he has two gasoline and one diesel (in two versions, but the same power). If you look at the regular Golf or Eos engine line-up, or check out our first convertible presentation report, you'll find that some engine is still missing.
Why is it important? If you decide to test the new Golf Cabriolet, and it has the same 118 kW or 160 hp turbocharged direct injection petrol, you are probably first wondering where the hell these horses are hiding. Almost every driver in the newsroom said the same comment: the car hides the engine power well. Some even looked at the traffic jams ...
Is it really that bad? No. Such a motorized Golf gives almost as much as the factory promises (we and some other foreign journalist colleagues could not get the acceleration data promised by the factory), but only if you do not drive it as if it had a turbo engine. ... If you want to get everything out of it, you have to rotate it in the red square, right next to the speed limiter, as if it had a naturally aspirated engine. Then that in itself would give something, a reasonably good approximation to the sensations expected from a driver in a 160 horsepower car. At low revs, the engine seems to hesitate, then wakes up, again gives the impression of shortness of breath around two and a half thousandths, and finally wakes up just below four on the rev counter. Those of you who expect sporty liveliness from a car will have to wait for the two-liter turbo engine.
However, the engine pays for all this with very exemplary savings. It is difficult to produce more than nine liters of average, unless you decide you want to get pretty much everything out of it, the average of the test stopped just below that number. Considering that such a Golf convertible with a driver behind the wheel has more than a ton and a half and that we drove with the roof down almost all the time of the test (by the way: in the rain, this can easily be done for as long as you like). since the speed exceeds 50 kilometers per hour, the glasses are raised), this is a perfectly suitable figure.
The roof, of course, is tarpaulin, and it's made in Webast. It takes about 10 seconds to fold and lift (it's a little faster the first time), and you can do both at speeds up to 30 mph. This means that you can close it, for example, when driving towards a parking lot. It's a pity that these limits were not increased to 50 kilometers per hour - so that when driving around the city it would be possible to move the roof almost constantly. But even in this form, you can lower it at will and raise it in front of a traffic light - this is more than enough. Washed in an automatic laundromat, the Golf Cabriolet survived without water inside - but when driving with the roof up, there's too much noise around the side window seals, especially where the front and rear side windows meet. Solution: lower the roof, of course. On the track, this will not be a problem either, since the vortex air in the cabin is small enough that even at high speeds it does not cause heavy loads.
Of course, the roof is also fast, because it is not covered when folded. It folds into a seating area in front of the boot lid.
This is certainly not enough because of this (this is actually the biggest disadvantage of the Golf Cabriolet compared to its competitors) even with the roof up. On the other hand, this of course means that the size of the boot (and the opening) is independent of the position of the roof. Of course, spatial miracles are not to be expected, but with its 250 liters, for example, this is enough for a weekly family grocery store with vegetables from the market. After all, many urban toddlers have a smaller trunk.
At the presentation, the Volkswagen team described the Golf Cabriolet very briefly: this is the Golf among convertibles. In short, a convertible that deviates excessively in nothing, but deviates in nothing, might explain their claim. So is it holding up? On the roof, as written, of course. With the engine too. Form? By the way, golf. For the money to be deducted for a test convertible, you'll look in vain for LED daytime running lights (you'll have to pay extra for bi-xenon headlights for that), so the car's nose gives a slight poor brother's impression, as well as the Bluetooth hands-free system - a similar too long press clutch pedals are already a standard Volkswagen disease.
Switches? Yes, switches. The test Golf Cabriolet had a six-speed manual transmission, and while this is a perfectly valid example of a manual transmission, we can only write: pay extra for DSG. Only then will such a Golf turn into a car not only for pleasure cruises, but also into a car that easily finds itself in the everyday city crowd or will please the driver with a quick sporty gear change. DSG is not cheap, it will cost a good 1.800 euros, but believe me - it pays off.
To at least soften this financial blow, you can, for example, abandon the sports chassis, like the test Cabriolet. Fifteen millimeters lower and a bit stiffer on bad roads, it shakes the cabin (although the Golf Cabriolet is one of the stiffest convertibles in its class, it can compress a little on bumps with this chassis), and in corners the position is fun, but not quite as sporty. to weigh minus for comfort. In any case: this convertible is designed for everyday pleasures, when the wind is in your hair, and not the tires creaking on the turns.
Safety in addition to the rigid body is provided by safety pillars that protrude from the space behind both rear passengers if the computer decides that the Golf Cabriolet is in a rollover position. Since these are two aluminum profiles that are narrower than the classic safety bars, there is enough space between them not only for the opening for the ski bag, but (with the backrest folded down) also for transporting larger items. So if you are unable to reach something into the trunk through the small hole in the trunk, try this: fold down the roof, fold down the rear seats and push through the hole. Proven to work.
The safety package is complemented by side chest and head airbags, which are hidden in the backrests of the front seats, and (in addition to the classic front airbags) also by the driver's knee pads. And thanks to the handrails, the new Golf Cabriolet no longer requires a fixed roll bar behind the front seats. It has been a trademark of the Golf Cabriolet since the first version was released, but this time the Volkswagens decided to do without it. Purists are probably pulling their hair out, but it must be admitted that the Golf has also managed to take a step forward in terms of design.
Salon is, well, completely golf. The test model's sports seats are a great choice, and there's plenty of room in the back, but the rear seats will still be mostly empty. A windscreen is installed above them, responsible for keeping cabin turbulence well tamed.
The gauges are classic, including the larger color screen of the best of the two audio systems on offer (expected to be hard to read in bright sunlight with the roof down), and the air conditioning (optional dual-zone Climatronic air conditioning) works well. but does not have separate settings for false or folded roofs.
So is the Golf Cabriolet really the golf among convertibles? Of course it is. And if you compare it with the prices of competitors with a folding hardtop (you can start with the Eos house), then it is much lower (with a few exceptions, of course) - but we have to accept that the soft top is a big minus in winter, and otherwise it more sensitive than a folding hardtop.
text: Dušan Lukič, photo: Aleš Pavletič
Face to face - Matevzh Hribar
In short, I had the opportunity to drive both Volkswagen nagas, Eos and this Golf, and if I could take one home, I would choose Golf. But not because it's cheaper. Because with the black soft top, it's as (almost) original as the Enka. However, due to the red T, S, and I on the back, I expected more distortion. Despite the interesting kilowatt data, the 1,4-liter engine left a dull impression - the offer of engines at the moment is disappointing.
Test car accessories:
Sports chassis 208
Leather multifunction steering wheel 544
Radio RCD 510 1.838
Packaging design and style 681
Parking system Park Pilot 523
Comfort Package 425
Technology package 41
Seattle 840 alloy wheels
Climatronic 195 air conditioner
Multifunction display Plus 49
Spare wheel 46
Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet 1.4 TSI (118 kW)
Basic data
| Sales: | Porsche Slovenia |
|---|---|
| Base model price: | 20881 € |
| Test model cost: | 26198 € |
| Power: | 118kW (160 KM) |
| Acceleration (0-100 km / h): | 9 with |
| Maximum speed: | 216 km / h |
| Mixed flow ECE: | 8,8l / 100km |
| Guarantee: | 2 years general warranty, 3 years varnish warranty, 12 years rust warranty, unlimited mobile warranty with regular maintenance by authorized service technicians. |
| Systematic review | 15000 km |
Cost (up to 100.000 km or five years)
| Regular services, works, materials: | 754 € |
|---|---|
| Fuel: | 11326 € |
| Tires (1) | 1496 € |
| Loss of value (within 5 years): | 7350 € |
| Compulsory insurance: | 3280 € |
| CASCO INSURANCE (+ B, K), AO, AO + | 4160 ( |
| Calculate the cost of auto insurance | |
| Buy up | € 28336 0,28 (km cost: XNUMX €) |
Technical information
| engine: | 4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - pressurized petrol with turbine and mechanical supercharger - mounted transversely in front - bore and stroke 76,5 × 75,6 mm - displacement 1.390 cm³ - compression ratio 10,0: 1 - maximum power 118 kW (160 hp) at 5.800 rpm - average piston speed at maximum power 14,6 m / s - specific power 84,9 kW / l (115,5 hp / l) - maximum torque 240 Nm at 1.500-4.500 2 rpm – 4 camshafts in the head (chain) – XNUMX valves per cylinder – common rail fuel injection – charge air cooler |
|---|---|
| Energy transfer: | front wheel motor drives - 6-speed manual transmission - gear ratio I. 3,78 2,12; II. 1,36 hours; III. 1,03 hours; IV. 0,86; V. 0,73; VI. 3,65 – differential 7 – rims 17 J × 225 – tires 45/17 R 1,91 m rolling circumference |
| Capacity: | 216 km/h top speed - 0-100 km/h acceleration in 8,4 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 8,3/5,4/6,4 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 150 g/km. |
| Transportation and suspension: | convertible - 2 doors, 4 seats - self-supporting body - front single suspension, spring feet, three-spoke wishbones, stabilizer bar - rear multi-link axle, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, stabilizer bar - front disc brakes (forced cooling), rear disc, ABS, mechanical parking brake on rear wheels (lever between seats) - rack and pinion steering wheel, power steering, 2,9 turns between extreme points |
| Mass: | empty vehicle 1.484 kg - Permissible gross vehicle weight 1.920 kg - Permissible trailer weight with brake: 1.400 kg, without brake: 740 kg - Permissible roof load: not included |
| External dimensions: | vehicle width 1.782 mm - front track 1.535 mm - rear track 1.508 mm - ground clearance 10,0 m |
| Inner dimensions: | width front 1.530 mm, rear 1.500 mm - front seat length 500 mm, rear seat 480 mm - steering wheel diameter 370 mm - fuel tank 55 l |
| Standard equipment: | Main standard equipment: driver and front passenger airbags - side airbags - ISOFIX mountings - ABS - ESP - power steering - air conditioning - front and rear power windows - electrically adjustable and heated rear-view mirrors - radio with CD player and MP3- player - remote control central locking - steering wheel with height and depth adjustment - driver's seat with height adjustment - on-board computer. |
Our measurements
| T = 20 ° C / p = 1.120 mbar / rel. vl. = 45% / Tires: Michelin Primacy HP 225/45 / R 17 V / Odometer status: 6.719 km | |
| Acceleration 0-100km: | 9s |
|---|---|
| 402m from the city: | 16,8 years ( 135 km / h) |
| Flexibility 50-90km / h: | 8,6 / 10,9s (4 / 5) |
| Flexibility 80-120km / h: | 11,5 / 13,6s (5 / 6) |
| Maximum speed: | 204km / h (5 in 6) |
| Minimum consumption: | 7,1l / 100km |
| Maximum consumption: | 14,2l / 100km |
| test consumption: | 8,8 l / 100km |
| Braking distance at 130 km / h: | 70,6m |
| Braking distance at 100 km / h: | 40,6m |
| AM table: | 40m |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 3rd gear | 58dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 4rd gear | 58dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 5rd gear | 56dB |
| Noise at 50 km / h in 6rd gear | 55dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 3rd gear | 64dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 4rd gear | 62dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 5rd gear | 61dB |
| Noise at 90 km / h in 6rd gear | 60dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 4rd gear | 67dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 5rd gear | 65dB |
| Noise at 130 km / h in 6rd gear | 63dB |
| Idling noise: | 36dB |
Overall rating (341/420)
Golf Cabriolet - really golf among convertibles. When an even more suitable engine is available (a weaker 1.4 TSI for fuel economy or a 2.0 TSI for sportier ones), it will be even better.
Exterior (13/15)
Since the Golf Cabriolet has a soft roof, the rear is always short.
Interior (104/140)
There is enough space in the trunk, only a smaller hole. The front seats are impressive, and there is plenty of room in the back too.
Engine, transmission (65
/ 40)Refueling is quiet and economical, but hides its power well.
Driving performance (59
/ 95)The sports chassis is too stiff to ride comfortably and too soft for sporty enjoyment. Rather, choose the usual.
Performance (26/35)
In terms of measurements, the car has not been able to achieve what the factory promises, but it is still more than powerful enough for everyday use.
Security (36/45)
There are not many electronic safety aids other than ESP and rain sensor.
Economy (51/50)
The expense is quite small, the price is quite affordable, only the warranty conditions could be better.
We praise and reproach
seat
roof speed
price
everyday usability
consumption
small trunk opening
the air conditioner does not distinguish between open and closed roof
too rigid chassis in terms of performance
too expensive version with DSG transmission
