Inassociationwith
Searchthousandsofnewandusedcarsonline Richard Dredge
THE Volkswagen Golf has become an institution since it first appeared in 1974. Almost half a century on, this perennially popular family car is still in production, in Mk8 form, and is as desirable as ever. It’s been offered as a hatchback, estate and a convertible over the years, and VW introduced a high-roof mini-MPV version in 2005, called the Golf Plus. Although this offered more practicality than the regular Golf hatch, sales figures were modest, but that didn’t stop the brand from introducing a sequel in the form of the Golf SV (Sports Van), which also didn’t sell in big numbers. Don’t be put off by this, though, because in many ways the Golf SV is every bit as good as the regular Golf, and more so if you need extra usability and versatility.
History
PICKING up where the Golf Plus left off, the Golf SV arrived in July 2014 as a five-door hatchback with five seats; anyone wanting to accommodate seven people had to buy a VW Touran instead. Golf SV buyers could choose between two petrol engines: a 1.2 TSI with either 84bhp or 109bhp, or a 1.4 TSI unit with 124bhp or 148bhp. Diesel fans could opt for a 1.6 TDI engine with 89bhp or 109bhp; at the top of the range was a 148bhp 2.0 TDI unit. Things ticked over for the next three years, but then in autumn 2017 Volkswagen announced a facelifted Golf SV, with revised styling, new colours and extra driver-assistance systems, such as trailer assist and traffic jam assist. By this point the 1.2 TSI petrol engine had been replaced by a 1.0 TSI unit that offered either 84bhp or 109bhp.
CO2/tax 116-118g/km £165
Running costs
54-55mpg (1.5 TSI 130) £81 fill-up
0-62mph/top speed 9.6 seconds/126mph
BUYER’SGUIDE:Volksw NEED TO KNOW...
Motors All Golf SV engines were Euro 6-compliant, apart from examples of the 1.6 TDI engine built before summer 2015.
Performance
Sports model There was no hot Golf SV, but an R-Line edition arrived in May 2016, with a sportier design and a choice of 1.4 TSI or 2.0 TDI engines.
Dampers Shock absorbers can fail prematurely, so check for signs of leaking. The nearside front seems to fail first, but they should be replaced in pairs.
