Vehicle: 2010 VW Golf Wagon 2.0TDI Highline with 6-speed DSG
Price as tested: CDN$31840

Performance: Is it a Jetta or is it a Golf? Subject to this edition of test drive, we are going to review the Mk6 iteration of the compact VW wagon. Instead of naming it Jetta wagon as South of the border, VW Canada has aligned its latest offering as Golf wagon.

There aren’t any compact wagon as suitable with a diesel powertrain as Golf does. As the latest generation features VW’s new Clean Diesel. What makes this Clean Diesel so special is that it can run on low-sulphur diesel recently available on our shore, which already been available in European nations for ages. This 2.0 liter TDI is good for 140hp. What makes it amazing is that it has 236 lb/ft of torque available at 1750rpm. It has more torque than any of its 6-cylinder competitions without losing anything, when it comes to fuel economy and refinement. Compared with the 1.9TDI used to be reside in VW of old, this new Clean Diesel is cleaner, quieter and, most important of all, much cleaner. All have done without the annoying turbo lag once associates with small displacement turbodiesel engine. Our Highline tester comes with optional 6-speed DSG gearbox. What this gearbox does is to have twin-clutches. One for the odd numbers of gears and another for even numbers. It makes up and downshifts much quicker than any manual gearbox, without using the clutch by the left foot. On the other hand, it returns an impressive 6 liters per 100km an average during our test drive.

Handling: With the Mk6 platform, VW has upgraded Mk5 platform with higher chassis rigidty and stiffness. Combined with the recalibrated suspension and spring rates. The Golf Wagon handles as good as anything else when it comes to carving corners. The electric power steering is precise with plenty of feel and feedback. The suspension is comfortably compliant, which absorbs all the roughness and patholes with ease. The single biggest improvement to the Mk6 is VW finally makes ESP standard across the board, right from Trendline to Highline. Not only ESP works as an active safety feature for both unskilled drivers, as well as in poor weather conditions. It also proved to be a life-saving feature in front of all those airbags and side curtains. When it comes to handle over and understeer, the ESP acts uninstrusively without stepping in unnecessarily. There is a slight amount of body rolls and terminal understeer, as one expects from a family sedan. But this Golf Wagon is a family wagon with a sense of sporty intentions.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, the Golf Wagon stops on a dime. The stopping distance is short and pedal feel is lively. The brake pedal actually has some lives to it on its travel. The ABS only steps in at the right time at the right place.

Interior: If you thought the interior of the Mk5 is nice, the Mk6 has taken it into another level. There are even softer plastic materials inside the cabin. All the plastic and aluminum trim are nicely put together, with a sense of German functionality and style. The leather seats are comfortable without feeling confining. If you go with the Highline, the Panoramic roof has opened up the rather drab all-black interior nicely.

With the rear seats folded down, the Golf Wagon has 66.9 cubin feet of cargo space. It has plenty of cubbyholes for storage and a privacy cover for security sake. The only drawback is there is no place to put privacy cover anywhere inside, when the rear seats folded down. At the back of the Golf Wagon, the rear wiper actually covers up most of the rear screen. Best of all, there is a tailgate handle. Thanks, VW.

Conclusion: The new Golf Wagon is a practical roundabout that is very hard to overlooked. It got plenty of power, handles exceptionally well and an interior to die for. The most impressive is the fuel economy, an average of 6 liters per 100km is nothing short of astounishing.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 VW Golf TDI Wagon
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Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4.5/5
Value-for-money: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5