- Willing turbocharged petrol engines
- Frugal turbo-diesel engines
- Comfortable front seats
- Quiet, well-insulated cabin
- High standard of interior fit and finish
- Impressive ride/handling balance
- Steering is accurate and well-weighted…
- … but lacks feel
- DSG hesitant when accelerating from rest
- Limited rear seat room
- For DSG, reports of harsh or jerky gearshifts due to excessive wear in the bushings of solenoid valves in the Mechatronic unit
Overview
Released in Australia in February 2009, the Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf was a small, five-door hatchback. Manufactured in Wolfsburg, Germany, the front-wheel drive VW Mk.6 Golf range initially consisted of four variants (90TSI, 118TSI, 77TDI, 103TDI) and two editions (Trendline and Comfortline). In September 2010, Golf 77TSI variants were released.
Please note that the related Mk.6 Golf Wagon , Mk.6 Golf GTi , Mk.6 Golf GTD , Mk.6 Golf R have been reviewed separately.
Dimensions
Compared to the Volkswagen Mk.5 Golf , the Mk.6 Golf hatchback was 5 mm shorter (at 4199 mm) and 26 mm wider (1785 mm), though height (1479 mm) and wheelbase length (2574 mm) were unchanged.
Developments
All VW Mk.6 Golf engines featured forced induction and the conventional automatic transmission was replaced by an electronically-controlled double clutch transmission (DCT or Volkswagen’s Direct Shift Gearbox, DSG) which did not have a clutch pedal. Refinement was also improved due to better isolation of the passenger compartment, the use of a special damping film in the windscreen, thicker side glass and newly developed door and side window guide seals.
Steering and suspension
Underpinned by Volkswagen’s PQ35 platform, the Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf had electromechanical power-assisted steering, MacPherson strut front suspension and independent, multi-link rear suspension.
| Variant | Edition | Years | Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77TSI | N/A | 2010-12 | 1.2-litre CBZB turbo petrol I4 | 6sp man., 7sp DSG |
77 kW at 5000 rpm | 175 Nm at 1550-4100 rpm |
| 90TSI | Trendline | 2009-12 | 1.4-litre CAXA turbo petrol I4 | 6sp man., 7sp DSG |
90 kW at 5000-5500 rpm | 200 Nm at 1500-4000 rpm |
| 118TSI | Comfort-line | 2009-12 | 1.4-litre CAVD/CTHD twin-charged petrol I4 | 6sp man., 7sp DSG |
118 kW at 5900 rpm | 240 Nm at 1750-4500 rpm |
| 77TDI | Trendline | 2009-11 | 1.6-litre CAYC turbo-diesel I4 | 5sp man., 7sp DSG |
77 kW at 4400 rpm | 250 Nm at 1500-2500 rpm |
| Blue-Motion | N/A | 2011-12 | 1.6-litre CAYC turbo-diesel I4 | 5sp man. | ||
| 103TDI | Comfort-line | 2009-12 | 2.0-litre CFFB turbo-diesel I4 | 6sp man., 6sp DSG |
103 kW at 4000 rpm | 320 Nm at 1750-2500 rpm |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf included dual front airbags, front side airbags, curtain airbags for front and rear occupants, a driver’s knee airbag, ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, traction control, electronic stability control, front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters and outer rear seatbelts with load limiters.
Euro NCAP crash testing
In Euro NCAP crash testing , a five-door VW Mk.6 Golf hatchback received a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 35.72 out of 37. In the frontal offset impact test, there was a slight risk of serious leg injury for the driver. In the side impact test, a fraction of a point was lost due to a very slight risk of serious chest injury for the driver – Volkswagen advises that a clip securing the side airbag has since been upgraded.
The Golf was subsequently reassessed under Euro NCAP’s updated testing methodology and received a five star safety rating which included a 97 per cent adult occupant protection rating and an 84 per cent child occupant protection rating.
Features: Golf, Trendline and Comfortline
Standard features for the entry-level Golf 77TSI included an eight speaker sound system with CD player and MP3-compatibility, air conditioning, ventilated glovebox, rear fog lamps, 60/40 split and folding rear seats, remote central locking, power windows and heated mirrors, a tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel, cargo cover and immobiliser.
The Golf Trendline was further equipped with 15-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls and a leather-wrapped gearshift and handbrake.
Beyond this, the Golf Comfortline added 16-inch alloy wheels, dual zone climate control air conditioning, cruise control, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a 12 volt power outlet, electrochromatic rear mirror, manual front seat lumbar adjustment and height adjustable front seats.
BlueMotion and BlueMotion Technologies
In May 2011, the BlueMotion variant was released. Effectively replacing the 77TDI, the BlueMotion was solely available as a five-door hatch. The BlueMotion was mechanically similar to the 77TDI, but distinguished by its wider-ratio five-speed transmission, 15-inch wheels with lowered suspension and low-resistance tyres, idle-stop, fuel-saving alternator and improved aerodynamics. The BlueMotion was similarly equipped to the Trendline editions, but added an iPod connection and Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming.
In January 2012, a BlueMotion Technologies model was released. Based on the 103TDI Comfortline hatchback, the BlueMotion Technologies (or ‘BT’) model was fitted with a double clutch transmission, an idle stop system which could shut down the engine when stationary in traffic and low-resistance tyres.
August 2011: Golf update
In August 2011, standard features for the Golf Trendline and Comfortline editions were extended to include cruise control, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming. Furthermore, the Comfortline editions were also fitted with a Media Device Interface (MDI) with USB connection cable.
Brochure
Specifications
- Specifications: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf (February 2009)
- Specifications: Volkswagen Mk.6 Golf (September 2011)
Related links
