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proven. That product was the Beetle, and that German management and workforce made VW a worldwide automotive success story. The latest Golf is in its eight incarnation 45 years


since it first launched here in the UK. It has become a classless car loved by everyone from ordinary families to the landed gentry. Golf 8 starts at £23,300 on-the- road for the lead-in Life model with a perky 1.0-litre TSi engine under the bonnet. Standard fare includes climate control, powered and heated door mirrors, automatic lights and wipers plus automatic dimming rear view mirror, alloy wheels, navigation and a plethora of safety kit. Three petrol engines – 110 hp,1.0-litre 3-cylinder and 130 hp or 150 hp 1.5-litre 4- cylinder – plus a 1.5-litre mild hybrid and 115 hp or 150 hp 2.0-litre diesel. Transmissions are 6-speed manual or 7-speed DSG dual clutch automatic. Despite some noticeable minor cost-cutting


VOLVO XC60 A CLASSY PERFORMANCE


I


t comes as a surprise to non-car passengers in Volvo’s XC60 that the Swedish car maker produces an even bigger SUV. The reason is that the XC60


feels spacious enough to host a modest public meeting (socially distanced), with enough room in the boot to cater for their hunger and thirst too. Mounting miles at the wheel will shrink the car for those not used to its size, whereupon it is merely large in a good way; generous with its space and comfort. Smaller, in a surprisingly good way, is the car’s thirst


for petrol. Its engine is backed up by an electric motor which takes power from a battery charged when you plug it in and also when you brake (a plug-in hybrid, in other words), and the result was an impressive 51mpg over a mixed driving week. The secret is plugging in when you can, and for most a home and work charger will be the answer. Our public charge point network is shameful. With a claimed range of 33 miles on pure electric the best I achieved with the XC60 was 29 miles, but still sufficient for a reasonable one way commute. The 4-cylinder, 2.0-litre turbocharged and


supercharged engine doesn’t disappoint. In a car this big and one that pulls with real purpose when overtaking, and in near silence, it is very impressive. Perhaps even more impressive, and rather harder to


build into a car, is the sense that everything you see or touch is there to make your progress just a little more comfortable and keep you calm when all around are feeling flustered. The big touchscreen is a model of logical clarity even if some features like heating and ventilation still work better as knobs you grasp; not symbols you stab with an outstretched finger. There’s more serenity on display in the very


upmarket version of the XC60 you see here, with an interior finished not in the black that seems to come as standard these days but in soft, light nappa leather. And very good it looks too, backed up by grey drift wood inlays, adding a crisp and modern feel to the interior. If that makes the XC60 sound potentially expensive,


you’d be right. The Inscription Pro costs £58,920 but packs enough standard kit to keep most of us happy and, being Volvo, a plethora of safety features. It’s a very classy act.


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measures – lack of a gas strut on the bonnet, no cover over the cup holders in the centre console, visible key apertures on the door handles and a few others – there is still that solid, durable and quality feel to this latest Golf. It has gone far too digital for some although I’m sure VW would argue once used to the system it makes for a more efficient driver experience. However, to me the system is not as intuitive as it could be and, until you’re used to it, it can feel like a distraction. On the road performance brings no complaints


with my 115 hp 2.0-litre diesel providing a good turn of speed when required and impressive fuel consumption. Despite being a ‘dirty’ diesel it is now one of the cleanest units available with major reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. With its smartly evolved design there is no mistaking this is a Golf, it retains that certain something on the style front which appeals to so many drivers. At its price point the new Golf needed to deliver….it does!


All quoted prices were correct at time of going to press


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