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Showing posts with label Hatchback. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hatchback. Show all posts

Saturday, July 11, 2026

Bucket Seat: Volkswagen Golf Mk 8.5 GTI


The Volkswagen Golf GTI is more than just another hot hatch, especially here in South Africa. Over the years, the GTI has developed an almost cult-like following, becoming a legend on our streets and a car that remains instantly recognisable wherever it goes. With the arrival of the Golf Mk 8.5 GTI, Volkswagen hasn’t tried to reinvent the formula. Instead, it has taken what was already a very capable package and refined it with sharper styling, more power and improved technology.


DESIGN

At first glance, the changes to the Golf Mk 8.5 GTI may appear subtle, but spend some time looking at it and the enhancements become more noticeable. Volkswagen has sharpened up the design, giving the GTI a sleeker and slightly more aggressive appearance while still retaining the familiar Golf silhouette that has made the car so iconic. One of the standout additions is the new set of 19-inch Queenstown alloy wheels, which suit the character of the GTI perfectly. They give the car a more purposeful stance and add a premium edge to the overall design. The updated LED Matrix headlights also contribute to the sharper appearance, while the illuminated Volkswagen emblem at the front is a small but distinctive touch that gives the Mk 8.5 a more modern identity, particularly at night. I’ve always liked the fact that the GTI doesn’t need oversized wings, excessive vents or dramatic styling to make its presence known. The red GTI detailing, sporty bumpers and signature design elements are enough to distinguish it from the regular Golf, while still allowing it to retain that understated sophistication the GTI has always been known for. Overall, the design changes may not be revolutionary, but they work. The Golf Mk 8.5 GTI looks sharper, sleeker and more modern without losing the familiar character that has made the GTI so popular.


PERFORMANCE

This is where the biggest improvement can be felt. Volkswagen has increased the output of the familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged engine to 195 kW, while torque remains at a healthy 370 Nm. On paper, the increase in power may not seem dramatic, but behind the wheel, the Mk 8.5 GTI feels noticeably stronger and more eager to perform. Acceleration is quick and effortless, with plenty of torque available when you need it. Whether pulling away from a traffic light, overtaking on the highway or enjoying a more spirited drive on an open road, the GTI delivers its performance in a way that feels both accessible and usable. That has always been one of the strengths of the GTI: it is fast enough to be exciting without becoming difficult to live with every day. The handling also feels improved. The car feels more planted and grounded, particularly at higher speeds, giving you greater confidence behind the wheel. There is a sense of stability that makes the GTI feel incredibly composed, while still retaining the agility and responsiveness expected from a hot hatch. The steering is precise, the chassis feels well balanced and the car changes direction with confidence. It is equally comfortable cruising on the highway as it is attacking a series of corners. The GTI has always been about finding the balance between performance and everyday usability, and the Mk 8.5 continues to get that formula right.


COMFORT

Performance may be a major reason why people buy a GTI, but the Mk 8.5 also proves that a hot hatch doesn’t have to compromise on comfort. The sports seats provide excellent support and are comfortable enough for longer journeys, with both heating and cooling adding a level of luxury that makes a noticeable difference in everyday driving. In South Africa, especially during our warmer summer months, ventilated seats are certainly a feature that will be appreciated. The cabin has also received an important technology upgrade with a new,12.9-inch infotainment display, much better than the MK8 which screen was smaller than my mobile phone! The system gives the interior a more modern feel and includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making smartphone connectivity simple and convenient. The larger screen is clearer and easier to use, addressing one of the areas where the previous Golf 8 could sometimes feel overly dependent on touch controls. A sunroof is also standard, adding to the premium feel of the cabin and making the interior feel lighter and more spacious. Combined with the quality of the materials, ambient lighting and familiar GTI touches throughout the cabin, it creates an environment that feels sporty without sacrificing refinement. There is also an impressive amount of technology and safety equipment on offer. Modern driver-assistance systems help make daily driving easier and safer, while features such as the LED Matrix lighting improve visibility at night. The GTI manages to combine performance, comfort, connectivity and safety into one very complete package. What I particularly like about the Golf GTI is that it remains a car you can genuinely use every day. It is comfortable in traffic, practical enough for everyday life and refined on longer journeys, but the moment the road opens up, it reminds you that you are driving something special.


VERDICT

In South Africa, the Volkswagen Golf GTI has a reputation that few other cars can match. It has become more than just a performance hatchback; it is part of our motoring culture. From one generation to the next, the GTI has remained a favourite among enthusiasts, and for many South Africans, it is still the ultimate combination of performance, practicality and street presence. The Golf Mk 8.5 GTI doesn’t dramatically change the formula, and it doesn’t need to. Instead, Volkswagen has refined it. The subtle styling enhancements make it look sharper and more modern, the increase to 195 kW gives it stronger performance, the handling feels more composed and the upgraded interior technology makes it a better car to live with every day. There are faster cars and there are certainly more dramatic-looking performance cars, but few manage to combine everything quite as well as the GTI. It can be your comfortable daily driver during the week and still provide plenty of excitement when the opportunity arises. For South Africans who have grown up admiring the GTI, the Mk 8.5 continues the legacy of a nameplate that has become a legend on our streets. It is more powerful, more refined and more technologically advanced, but importantly, it still feels like a GTI. And perhaps that is the greatest compliment you can give it. The Golf Mk 8.5 GTI has evolved, but it hasn’t forgotten what made South Africa fall in love with those three letters in the first place: GTI.


SPECIFICATIONS

Engine
2.0L Turbo Petrol
Gear Box                 
7-Speed DSG
Power
195kW
Torque
370Nm
0-100km/h       
5.9 seconds
Price
R908,000

 


 


 


 


 




 


 




 


Friday, April 24, 2026

Bucket Seat: Audi S3


The Audi S3 Sportback has always been the thinking person’s hot hatch understated, fast, and clinically competent. This latest update doesn’t reinvent the formula, but it refines it in all the right places and, finally, injects a bit of emotion into the drive. While many may think this is just a minor face-lift, I soon discover during my time with it that it is much more than that. Of recent, Audi have been bringing out a mixed bag in-terms of their models, especially when it comes to the interior and technology but I see it's slowly converging into one across all models. This new S3 offers a dynamic package to all sorts of drivers, not only the speed fanatics, I spent a week with it and these are my thoughts. 


DESIGN

Audi has evolved the S3 rather than redesigned it, but the changes are meaningful. Up front, the wider Singleframe grille now sits lower and flatter, giving the car a more planted, purposeful stance. The new front bumper design, with larger air intakes and sharper detailing, adds visual drama without tipping into boy-racer territory. The lighting is a big talking point those Matrix LED headlights now come with selectable daytime running light signatures, which sounds gimmicky until you see them in traffic. It gives the car a subtle layer of identity that most rivals don’t offer. Along the sides, the S3 keeps its tight, muscular proportions. The shoulder line is crisp, the wheel arches are pronounced, and those larger alloy wheels fill them out properly. It looks compact, but not small aggressive, but not loud. At the rear, the quad exhaust tips (a proper S signature) sit within a more sculpted diffuser, and the updated taillights tie everything together. It’s a clean, cohesive design that will age well important if you’re spending this kind of money in South Africa where resale value matters.



PERFORMANCE

This is where the biggest evolution happens. The familiar 2.0-litre turbocharged engine has been pushed to 245 kW and 420 Nm, and it feels properly urgent from the moment you get on the throttle. The power delivery is linear but punchy, with peak torque coming in early, which makes it incredibly usable in everyday driving whether you’re overtaking on the highway or darting through city traffic. 0–100 km/h comes up in around 4.7 seconds, but numbers don’t fully capture how quick it feels. The S tronic gearbox deserves credit here shifts are rapid and smooth, whether you’re cruising or pushing hard. Now, the real game changer: the torque splitter. This transforms the S3 from a grip-and-go machine into something far more engaging. It actively distributes torque between the rear wheels, which means you can actually feel the car rotate into corners instead of just pulling itself through them. On a twisty road  think KZN Midlands or a quiet stretch of Notties the S3 now feels alive. It’s still incredibly composed, but there’s a newfound willingness to play, especially in Dynamic or Dynamic Plus modes. Grip levels remain immense thanks to quattro all-wheel drive, but now there’s balance and adjustability to go with it. It’s no longer just efficient  it’s entertaining.


COMFORT

This is where the S3 quietly dominates a lot of its rivals. It’s fast, yes, but it’s also incredibly easy to live with. The sport seats strike a great balance supportive enough when you’re pushing on, but still comfortable for longer drives. Cabin insulation is excellent, with minimal road and wind noise, which makes highway cruising relaxed rather than tiring. The ride quality deserves a mention, especially for South African conditions. Even on larger wheels, it manages to absorb bumps and imperfect road surfaces without feeling crashy. It’s firm, no doubt, but controlled exactly what you want in a performance hatch you’ll use daily. Space is another win. The Sportback layout gives you a practical boot and usable rear seats, making it viable for small families or anyone who needs more than just a weekend toy. It’s one of those cars you can drive to a client meeting in Umhlanga during the week and take on a road trip over the weekend without compromise. 


TECHNOLOGY

Audi’s interiors are still among the best in the business, and the S3 benefits from that. The layout is clean and driver-focused, with everything angled slightly toward you. The Virtual Cockpit remains a standout — crisp, configurable, and genuinely useful rather than just flashy. You can prioritise navigation, performance data, or keep it clean depending on your mood. The central 10.1-inch touchscreen is responsive and easy to use, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto making connectivity seamless. Importantly, Audi hasn’t buried everything in menus key functions are still accessible without frustration. You also get premium touches like the SONOS 3D sound system, ambient lighting with multiple colour options, and optional extras like a head-up display. Safety and driver assistance tech is comprehensive too adaptive cruise control, lane assist, park assist all working in the background without being intrusive. It’s a tech suite that enhances the experience rather than overwhelming it.


VERDICT

For South African buyers, the Audi S3 Sportback hits a very sweet spot. Yes, it’s expensive, sitting just north of the R1 million mark, but what you’re getting is a genuinely well-rounded package with a name that's been around for ages. Many compare it to Audi's version of the Golf R but its so much more than that. It may not have the outright madness of something like an A45, but it doesn’t need to. The S3 is about balance and it absolutely nails it. If you want one car that can do everything in the South African context  handle traffic, deal with our roads, carry people comfortably, and still deliver proper performance when you want it  the S3 Sportback makes a very compelling case. It’s no longer just the sensible choice. It’s now got just enough edge to make you choose it with your heart too.


SPECIFICATIONS

Engine
2.0-liter Turbo
Gear Box                 
S-Tronic Automatic
Power
245kW
Torque
420Nm
0-100km/h   
4.7 seconds
Price
R1,091,100


Thursday, October 16, 2025

Bucket Seat: Suzuki Swift CVT


The Suzuki Swift has quietly been a strong competitor in the budget hatch segment in South Africa, now in its latest guise, sales have been stronger than ever and keeping the Japanese manufacturer ranked high in the monthly NAAMSA stats, rivaling their Japanese counterparts who seem to be stealing all of Suzuki's good models and badging it as their own. I don't foresee this happening to the Swift as Toyota already have a budget hatch of their own in the Vitz, which granted isn't as popular as the Swift but holds its own in the market. 


DESIGN

The 2024 Swift keeps the compact, playful silhouette that made earlier Swifts such favourites in SA towns and cities. The new model tightens up the lines: a lower, wider stance, pronounced wheel arches and cleaner side panels give it a sportier, more grown-up look compared with the previous generation. Higher-spec GLX models add LED projector headlights, integrated LED daytime running lights and fog lamps which lift the visual presence after dark and make the car look more premium than its price suggests. Interior styling follows suit  a smarter dash layout with a larger touchscreen on GLX trims and pleasant, modern trim materials give the cabin a more up-to-date feel than the car’s compact footprint might imply. 


PERFORMANCE

Under the bonnet South Africa gets the new 1.2-litre, three-cylinder Z12E petrol engine that produces about 60 kW and 112 Nm of torque. It’s not a performance car, it’s engineered for low fuel consumption and usable torque across the rev range rather than outright thrust. When it comes to tiny hatches like this, I tend to prefer the 5-speed manual transmission but this particular model was the automatic option with a CVT  gear box, which keeps revs low and smooth in urban driving and helps the claimed economy figures sit in the mid-4 to mid-5 L/100 km range. That makes it an economical daily driver for stop-start city runs and steady highway cruising. Real-world feel,  the Swift is light and nimble, so it feels lively in town easy to flick into parking spots and to change lanes in traffic. The trade-off is that the three-cylinder character and CVT behaviour deliver a buzzy note at higher revs and the CVT can feel rubber-banded under hard acceleration. If you need brisk overtakes on fast freeways often, the Swift will manage but won’t feel especially rapid; it’s happiest as a commuter and urban runabout. Multiple local road tests and reviews note that the new engine’s torque spread helps low-down response, improving real-life drivability versus a very small high-rev engine. 


COMFORT

Inside, the Swift is cleverly packaged: front seat occupants get supportive seats with decent bolstering and visibility is good for city driving. Rear seat space is acceptable for adults on shorter trips but two adults will be more comfortable than three on longer journeys. Boot size is typical for the class — enough for groceries, weekend bags or a stroller but not for large family loads. Higher GLX trims add nicer touches (larger infotainment screen, more audio features, automatic climate control on GLX) that make longer trips less tiring. Ride quality is firm rather than pillowy — it soaks up city potholes reasonably well but can feel choppy over very poor surfaces or at higher speeds. For many South African buyers who split time between city streets and occasional highway runs, the balance will be acceptable; if you do lots of long, rough-road trips you may prefer something with more suspension travel. 


VERDICT

Overall the Suzuki Swift automatic is a smart, economical, city-first hatchback with modern styling and sensible equipment — an excellent choice for first-time buyers, urban commuters, and small families who prioritise affordability, running costs and easy parking. It also surprisingly has a lot of safety features, standard safety kit includes stability control/ABS and multiple airbags across the range, and higher trims add parking sensors, bigger infotainment and convenience features (keyless entry, push-button start, cruise control on GLX). These features matter a lot in city traffic and for highway cruising around SA. Pricing of the Swift is really where it wins, in the small hatch market with it starting from R224,900 for the 1.2 MT with automatic transmission starting at R265,900.


SPECIFICATION

Engine
1.2L Naturally Aspirated Petrol
Gear Box                    
5-Speed CVT
Torque
112Nm 
Power
60kW
Average Fuel Consumption    
4.4L per 100km
Price
R265,900

Friday, August 29, 2025

Bucket Seat: Audi RS3 Sportback


Audi's RS stable has a formidable line up with very powerful weaponry in their arsenal, powered by some legendary motors ranging from 5-pots to V8's that deliver enough power to knock the wind out of you on launch. While many do live by the age old Jeremy Clarkson analogy "More Power", sometimes the ones with the lesser power deliver more fun. The latest edition of the Audi RS3 reached our shores earlier this year, still powered by the 5-cylinder turbo-charged petrol engine but now delivers slightly more punch than the launch edition which was first reviewed by us in 2023. Funny enough, the test unit I had back then was in Kyalami Green and this new unit was the same colour. Even though it is the baby of the RS stable, does the RS3 still deliver a thrilling drive like the rest of its companions or does it fall short? Having spent a week with it, here are my thoughts. 


DESIGN

I'm not going to be like the generic influencers by saying "Audi cooked" or "Audi knocked this one out of the park" or anything to that effect but in all honesty, this car looks stunning. I had my reservations of the exact spec I got as I feel the colour deserved a darker colour rim but it grew on me. The way Audi transformed this car from a regular A3 to something so muscular and aggressive, feels like they took a regular A3, filled it up with Red Bull and creatine, sent it to the gym for a weight session and it came out bulked up ready for competition. When you delve deeper into the design, you can see it's not just a body kit they slapped on but paid intricate detail into the aerodynamics and ventilation of the car. Sharpened proportions and a lower in stance, gives the car a more pronounced presence, the car is wider and squared off in areas that not only add character but also serves a purpose in terms of cooling or ventilation. There are some faux details for added visual effects but most of it is functional. Major new styling cues include the new headlights which feature a new matrix LED design that is customisable from the infotainment screen, a new rhombus grille with honeycomb pattern, angular side pods which flow onto the flared wheel arch. The rear features a twin style spoiler and the rear bumper is a thing of beauty with a pronounced difuser that is finished off in black that houses the twin RS performance exhaust pipes and a reflector dead center gives the RS3 that iconic rally style look. Not much significant changes are on the interior, the racing seats receive some new styling and the steering wheel design has changed. 


PERFORMANCE

Now, for a 5-cylinder motor, this one sure is throaty, the vocals are enhanced by those massive performance exhausts, the soft-limiter does fade away once the car has warmed up but the noise in the cabin when going full tilt is just intoxicating. The power which is drawn from the 2.5-litre motor is astounding, with it delivering 294kW and 500Nm of torque. Audi's claimed 0-100km time is 3.8 seconds, my best attempt was 3.9 seconds multiple times, I attribute the extra 0.1 second to my spare tyre I carry around but still, it's mind blowingly fast for such a small car. The on road feel with the various driving modes dependent on your mood add to the versatility of the RS3, if you just want a chilled drive to the shops, Eco mode would do it for you, comfort is for everyday driving that has a chilled mode but the devil within can be woken up at any time. Dynamic mode is where things start to get interesting with the car becoming more vocal and you can feel things start to tension up. Audi have added two performance buttons to the steering wheel cluster for easy access to RS mode and track mode, both of these can be customised in the cars menu settings depending on your driving preference. The Quattro all-wheel drive with RS Torque Splitter distributes power between the front axel and individual wheels on the rear axel as required, it's this function that allows you to drift an all-wheel drive car, having done this on track at the launch was tonnes of fun, unfortunately finding a decent spot to test it out proved to be impossible but I'm glad I got to do it at least once. The balance of the car is just superb and I think this is why I prefer this smaller RS model to its bigger bruts, It's got a tonne of power but its so easy to control, thanks to the Quattro system, it assists to such a great extent that you don't feel like you have to exorcise demons to get it do what you want it to do. 


COMFORT

It's a sports car, that means lowered ride height, stiff suspension, low profile tyres mean a very hard and bumpy on-the-road feel but with the RS3, while it did have all of the above, it was quite comfortable. The racing bucket seats were super comfy and not restrictive even for someone my size. I had 4 full size adults in the car and all of them praised how comfy the car was. Audi packed the RS3 with all the regular creature comforts and more, the car is also laden with the latest tech, as mentioned it has the new designed steering wheel with flat top and bottom that has multi-function controls, the MMI interface gotten an upgrade too with so much going on in the various menus, I didn't dabble too much into that as I usually had my phone projected onto the screen. dual-zone climate control, seat heating for the front seats and a panoramic sunroof were just some of the items worth a mention. Heads-up display, which is optional also helps the driver keep their eyes on the road, the RS configurator on ton the in screen menu lets you calibrate the cars settings for your optimal driving preference. The sporty details of the interior really make the car stand out from the normal A3, a mixture of alcantara and leather make up the materials of the interior with robust but great quality plastics serving the rest. The LED Matrix headlights from Audi just keep getting better and better, these ones have various different patterns for your day-time running lights so you can choose to change it whenever the need arises. The sound system has received a nice upgrade with the RS3 coming with a SONOS 3D sound experience system featuring 15-speakers including subwoofers to give you an ultra-premium sound experience, even though the orchestra from the exhausts sounds great, sometimes you want to kick back with some good tunes. 


VERDICT

While the RS3 is the baby in the Audi RS line-up, it still remains one of the most fun cars to drive, only rivaled by the TTRS which shares the same power-plant. The car is legend in street racing in our paths and this new one is sure to carry on that status with not only the looks but also the power to prove it. Audi have taken an already great car and tweaked to become even better. When I first drove the new gen RS3 on launch I thought they had a winner, this face-lift just goes to show you what German engineering is all about, the strive for perfection never stops and its justified given how much different this car feels that its predecessor. I love how Audi have integrated some of the new design philosophy into this model by including this like the new steering wheel which is in the all-new A5 which just was recently launched and the MMI interface ensuring that customers who are buying this car are getting the best that they have to offer. My time with the RS3 was short but oh was it sweet. 


SPECIFICATION

Engine
2.5L Turbo Petrol
Gear Box
S Tronic
Torque
500Nm 
Power
294kW
Top Speed   
250km/h electronically limited
Price
R1,498,200
















 

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Bucket Seat: Golf 8.5 TSI R Line


When Volkswagen South Africa made the decision to not bring any of the entry level models of the Golf 8 into the country, it did come as a surprise. The VW Golf has been a cult classic of the hatchback scene dating from the 80's till present time in the country and while the GTI remains the most popular model, the others did have their space in the market. Looking at sales figures of the Golf 7 and 7.5, it was clear that people still loved the range topping models over the smaller engine ones, so it was maybe on that premise that VWSA made the decision, however with the Golf 8 R model only coming after what felt like decades to reach our shores, the Golf 8.5 was already been mentioned across the motoring forums. I was fortunate enough to spend time with both, the Golf 8 GTI and the Golf 8 R, both brilliantly engineered performance cars and really ushered a new era for the Golf brand but with the prices being quite steep on both, the market cried out for the lower end engines. The Golf 8 did have some teething issues, like the introduction of the haptic touch buttons to the steering wheel and the infotainment screen was quite small compared to what was offered by competitors, much of these complaints were flooding the online social platforms and the guys at VW HQ were taking notes, so when they could launch the face-lift 8.5, these could be addressed. Earlier this year VWSA made an announcement at their Kariega plant that the Golf 8.5 TSI would be making our shores in the second quarter of the year, but then they tuned the tables on us with no word on the GTI and R. Anyway, the Golf 8.5 TSI made it's way into my drive way not too long ago and I got to spend a week with it, here's how it went. 


DESIGN

The design received some tweaks compared to the Golf 8, and with the R Line kit made the overall package look very sleek. In fact, many thought it was a Golf R as I drove past them, the only giveaway would be the lack of "Vrrpha". The LED headlights have gotten much  sleeker and sharpened, on the top of the range IQ Light LED matrix headlights it incorporates a new high-performance main beam with a range of up to 500m. The the front end also looking slimmer than the 8 with the solid light bar that links the two headlights together, the main defining features has to be the Volkswagen logo, which is illuminated for the first time on the Golf. The R-Line kit really brings an aggressive facia up front with a large diffuser and angular air pods on either side of the car. The boldness extends over to the profile of the car with a new range of rims available, this one came fitted with the Leeds alloy rim that has a 5 spoke detail with mixture of black and silver, there is an optional extra upgrade to the York rim but this one looks ace on it. On the inside, much remains the same but the two major talking points see's the return of actual buttons to the steering wheel and the large infotainment screen which I will touch on later in the blog. 


PERFORMANCE

This looks every part of a performance hatch back but it has one of the most frugal engines under the hood, VW's 1.4-litre TSI has been one of the best engines made on the market for a number of years now. Especially in cars like the Golf is where it shines the most, producing 110kW and 250Nm of torque, it has some grunt to it off-the-line even though the 0-100km/h time isn't much to write home about at 8.5 seconds, however the car really is a dream to drive. It feels so smooth on the road and effortless on the highways, all this while being efficient on petrol at the same time. In the 7 days with the Golf 8.5 TSI I drove about 1,300km, one trip which was about 840km return, the car managed a respectable 6.3L per 100km, matching that of the brochure, it was the first time I ever managed to get exactly what the OEM said it's average is, in fact I could have gotten lower, but I did quite a bit of over taking of slow trucks and harsh breaking for cattle on the road. I expected a lot in terms of economy from this car but getting close to 900km on a single tank of fuel (50L tank) was not what I was expecting. Colour me impressed!

COMFORT

The Golf 8.5 has all the creature comforts that you would normally expect in a German car, the high-gloss black finishes are nice to look at but do attract dust particles like crazy. The large infotainment screen which measures in at 10.3-inches won't be getting any "tiny" comments from me. The high-definition screen with VW's user friendly UI is easy to use and setting up your mobile apps has never been easier, you can just plug your device in via the USB C port and it will instantly pick up what OS you're running and prompt you on your device if you'd like to cast to the screen and whether you'd like a wired or wireless connection. There is a wireless phone charging tray as well as a secondary USB C charging port for the passenger. While the haptic buttons have disappeared from the steering wheel, they still remain there for the climate control which can get annoying when driving and trying to adjust the fan speed and its also present for the optional extra panoramic sunroof.  The back seats are pretty comfy and have a decent amount of legroom with their own vent for aircon. The boot space is generous for a hatchback and features the biscuit spare wheel. 


VERDICT

Overall this car is a gem, one that truly lives up to the hype and performs exceptionally in every aspect of what a car should be. VW have done a stunning job on the styling and really flys the Golf name badge high. While I understand VW's first stance on not bringing any lower end models of the Golf 8 to SA, seeing how good this car is and the price its coming in at, it makes me wonder if they did bring the 1.4 TSI models, how much more they would have sold. Even the base price of the R-Line+ kit seems pretty attractive to me, and you know you're getting a name you can trust in the motor industry. 


SPECIFICATION

Engine
1.4-liter, 4-cylinder TSI
Gear Box
8-Speed tiptronic
Torque
250Nm 
Power
110W
0-100km/h8.5
 seconds
Price
R688,100*

*base price