2009 Volkswagen Golf GT Mark 6/VI Test Drive

Test Vehicle: Volkswagen Golf (Mk 6/VI) GT TDI 2.0 with 6 speed auto DSG Gearbox

This weekend I got the opportunity to drive one of the world's best-selling vehicles to date. Since its conception and entry into the market way back in 1974, Volkswagen's Golf has sold more than 25 million units to date and has gone through some slow and steady revisions to end up with what we have now in 2009: the Mark 6.

Having managed to also book a test drive in Volkswagen's new conception the "Scirocco" (stay tuned for a full review of the Scirocco later on in the week!), we first started out in the Golf GT from our local Volkswagen dealership, as it is a car that my father is thinking about purchasing. The test car came in a Steel Grey colour with a fully-loaded 2.0-litre Turbocharged Direct Injection diesel.

We've owned a lot of Volkswagens in the past, with the most recent being a Sharan TDI, so one of the things we were least looking forward to was the loud splutter of the diesel engine. However, after turning the ignition and bringing the car to life, I noticed that the same "diesely" engine cough was virtually inaudible, something which Volkswagen have tried to improve with a whole host of techniques including increasing window thickness by 10% and revamping the rubber sealings around the various joints of the Golf.

Stylistically, an untrained eye might not see how the new Golf is any different from the previous Mark 5. Walking around the showroom, it would be hard to tell that there is a new line-up in stock given the same shape that we've all become accustomed to with Volkswagen's market leader. However if you take a closer look, there are a lot of small changes which all add up to make a very big difference.

First and foremost, I was told by the salesman that every single panel on the new Golf has been changed from the original - and it's clear to see especially from the rear with both a sporty and elegant look. The rear light clusters (with a new striking "Cherry Red" hue) blend well into the bodyshape and contains some powerful lines which are further accentuated by the contours of the horizontally positioned lights. Add to that a twin exhaust tailpipe, and you can see that Volkswagen mean business.

Walking around the side of the car and you can see that this model sits slightly lower to the road due to a lowered sports suspension. The GT also has 17 inch "Porto" alloy wheels with 225/45 R17 tyres as standard, adding to that sleeker and sportier look.

The radiator grille to the front of the car is especially striking on the GT model due to the high gloss black finish and chrome trimmed inserts on the grille louvres which really contrast against the notorious silver badge. Finally, Volkswagen have upgraded the wing mirrors with Vortex technology (yes you read that right). This uncanny bit of aerodynamics means that wind noise is reduced and spray from the road is drawn away from the windows, keeping visibility high. Genius.

Once we got the Golf out onto the dual carriageway it was time to test the gearbox. As I am still a relatively new driver, I haven't had the chance to test out many automatic gearboxes (my wee-little Yaris has a standard manual 5-speed) so I was looking forward to seeing how the Mark 6 DSG would react to the jab of the accelerator pedal.

For those who are not familiar with the DSG, it is in essence a dual clutch Direct Shift Gearbox. In English, this means that there are 2 clutches; the first is responsible for the current gear whilst the second clutch pre-selects the next gear and automatically engages it when you hit a certain amount of revs. This all happens within a split-second and it makes for an infinitely smoother ride and quicker gear changes.

Unfortunately, when it was time to floor the accelerator, there seemed to be a significant amount of lag between me pushing the pedal, and the car actually taking off. I'm sure this is most probably because of the Diesel engine (as I have heard great things about the petrol TSI) but it still wasn't pleasant, and if I had to sit in this car every day the turbo lag would drive me mad!

It has to be said though that when the Mark 6 GT does accelerate, it flies! Whilst I mentioned that Volkswagen have been working on improving the sound-proofing in the cabin, you can definitely hear the exhaust tones which is very satisfying and encourages you to keep on pushing away at the throttle. In fact the four cylinder diesel gives a maximum output of 103 kW at 4200 rpm and can run a not-so-shabby 0-62 miles per hour in 9.3 seconds.

When you're not attempting to become the next Lewis Hamilton with a heavy right foot, the Golf settles down into a really comfortable ride. The suspension takes the road bumpiness out of play but is firm enough to be able to stick in corners and to feel like you're driving a GT. The engine quietens down and starts to enjoy the ride whilst the steering is very light but responsive, which means that motorway cruising doesn't turn into the chore it can usually become - especially in the horrible British rush-hour traffic!

The interior in the Mark 6 GT is everything that you would expect from a Golf. Those Germans are notoriously good at designing comfortable, aesthetically-pleasing and high quality cabins and this GT is no different; the seats in the test model were fitted with Alcantara in "Titan Black" and driving positions can be easily adjusted with the ratchet to the driver's right hand side. The newly designed leather trimmed multifunction steering wheel comes as standard on the GT and is fitted with ergonomically designed switches, making it easy to flick between radio and computer functions.

The RCD 310 radio/MP3 compatible CD player isn't anything to write home about and if I were to buy this car for sure, I would definitely make the upgrade to the touch-screen "media centre" - but the simple standard player does the trick for those not into gadgets and tech-wonders. A small observation would be to notice that the Mark 6's now come equipped with white backlights in the dashboard, differing from the blue and red LED's found in previous Golfs - perhaps this is to keep inline with the other mainstream German products which also favour the neutral colour.

One of the more disappointing aspects of the cabin can be found in the rear, where there still is not enough space to fit 2 long-legged adults, let alone the three bickering youngsters which many families would stick into this Golf. In comparison to the Scirocco which I also sat in, there simply isn't enough leg support for the taller lads and ladesses and the seats are too firm for long journeys up and down the country. Overall though, there is a general feeling of space and of course the security that you get in this Golf is second-to-none as it has the full Five-Star Euro NCAP Safety Rating.

The final factor which we have to take into account when reviewing this car, is its price. The Golf GT 2.0-litre TDI with the DSG gearbox and 5 doors comes with an "on the road" price of £20,537 (around $31,000), compared to £19,236 for the manual, and a further £1,000 reduction for the petrol 1.4-litre engine. This then, is obviously a lot of money even for the great car that you're getting, although I'm sure with some shopping around (especially in this recession-struck economy) you could get one for significantly less - I myself have looked on AutoTrader but with some showroom haggling, a great reduction and some cool optional extras could be had for quite a saving.

The verdict. A solid car, made by a solid manufacturer with some solid upgrades to the previous Mark 5. Whilst the DSG gearbox is a little shaky for my liking, I'm sure that the manual is as functional as you'd like and it's definitely a car you would want to be seen in. But for £20 big ones, I'm just not so sure it's worth it (this was a similar complaint voiced by the public with the previous version too). With Volkswagen's latest venture the Scirocco claiming flagship status, you may want to give that a test drive before you commit on the Golf, or better yet, wait for the GTI Mk 6 to be released later on in 2009. All in all though, I'm impressed and thoroughly enjoyed the V-dub experience.

2009 Volkswagen Golf GT Mk 6

Base MSRP: £20,537 ($31,000)

Body: 5 door hatchback.Mechanical Orientation: Front wheel drive

Engine: 2.0 litre TDI 140 PSPower: 103 kW at 4200 rpm (138 bhp)Torque: 236 lbs.ft at 1750-2500 rpmTransmission: 6 speed automatic DSG

Unladen weight: 1322 kgWheelbase: 2578 mmLength: 4199 mmLuggage capacity: 350 litres

0-62 mph: 9.3 secondsTop speed: 129 mph (207 kph)Official combined fuel consumption: 52.3 mpg (5.4 ltr per 100km)

For: Visually attractive, solid and safe, interior design, light steering, great handling.Against: Poor acceleration from start due to turbo lag, not enough passenger space at the back, price.Conclusion: A great car, but maybe not worth the money for what you get.