It’s the car that is often looked upon as the benchmark in hatchback refinement and dynamics. With a legacy that stretches over six decades, it has earned itself third position as the world’s best-selling vehicle.
Eight generations in, the 2024 Volkswagen Golf has far outgrown its humble beginnings of a frugal three-door hatchback. In fact, in Australia, it now competes in the VFACTS premium small car market, over $40k category, with the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Mercedes A-Class.
Sadly, the future looks sombre for the Golf. Even in Europe, where it is built and worshipped, sales have dipped from 534,000 in 2015 to just 177,000 in 2022. In Australia, so far in 2024 (through April), VFACTS figures show it has reached 697 sales, which is down 7.3 per cent on the same period last year.
Fundamentally, consumer preferences towards SUVs and utes seem to be the biggest culprit. And it’s a huge shame. Because after spending a week with the Golf 110TSI R-Line, we think it is still a brilliant little car.
2024 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line: Specifications
Engine: 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Output: 110kW@5000rpm / 250Nm@1500-4000rpm
Gearbox: Eight-speed auto
Drive type: Front-wheel drive
Wheels: F & R: 18×7.5, 225/40
ANCAP: Five stars
Tare weight: 1379kg
Power-to-weight: 12.53:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 5.8L/100km
Our consumption: 5.8L/100km
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 50L/95 RONPower efficiency: 18.96kW:L/100km
0-60km/h: 3.81 seconds*
0-100km/h: 7.86 seconds*
60-110km/h: 5.51 seconds*
1/4 mile: 15.90 seconds at 145.6km/h*
Max acceleration: 0.764g*
100-0km/h braking: 36.92m in 2.95 seconds*
Max deceleration: -1.280g*
Decibel at idle: 38*
Peak decibel at 60-100km/h: 77*
Starting price: $42,290
*Figures as tested by Driving Enthusiast on the day. Manufacturers’ claims may be different
2024 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line: How much does it cost?
The lineup in Aus. has been stripped down to four variants. Kicking off at $39,190 is the cheapest 110TSI Life. Then you can pick up the 110TSI R-Line that we have here from $42,290. Creeping into the hot hatch territory is the GTI from $56,090. And at the top is the fierce R that retails from $70,590. (All prices exclude on-road costs.)
Comparing the 110TSI R-Line to other premium small hatches over $40k, it is the most affordable contender. The Audi A3 35TFSI retails from $50,600, the BMW 118i M Sport costs $54,800, the Honda Civic VTi LX is pitched at $47,200, and the Peugeot 308 GT sets you back $43,990 (all excluding on-road costs). But if you still consider the Golf as part of the mainstream hatch segment, the Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza, Skoda Scala, Mazda3, Kia Cerato and Hyundai i30 all undercut its price.
All Volkswagens come with the industry average five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and one year of free road-side assistance. Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km. The first five services cost $520, $763, $506, $1176 and $506, which is comparatively high. You can pre-pay for the services to bring the price down slightly. A five-year plan costs $2950, saving you $521, or a three-year plan for $1610 will save you $179.
2024 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line: Interior & packaging
Being one up from the lowest spec, the R-Line treatment certainly gives the interior a notably premium look and feel. And slightly more elegantly presented than the Cupra Leon cousin. Stylish, 30-colour vivid mood lighting that even wraps around the back doors, and soft felt material within the door pockets push it above what we’d normally expect in this class. Glossy black surfaces add to the sophisticated feel, but they tend to show dust and fingerprints easily.
Climate control buttons have been taken away and moved into the centre touch-screen in an attempt to clean up the dash. However, using the menu to change frequent adjustments is more distracting while driving in our opinion. There are air-con temperature up/down buttons placed under the touch-screen. But in a silly blunder, they do not light up at night. And because they are touch sensitive buttons, it is very difficult to stumble for them in the dark.
That touch-screen is a crisp 10-inch display with sat-nav and wireless app connectivity. There is also a brilliantly presented 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The onboard menus are ultrafast to navigate. Especially when switching from wireless Android Auto to the car’s menu. Our test car was fitted with an optional Harman Kardon eight-speaker sound system that sounds very clean. It is part of a $1650 ‘Sound and Vision Package’, which also includes head-up display.
Being a sports-oriented R-Line means you get heavily bolstered front seats with the R-Line branding. But they are quite soft – nearing too soft. To keep costs low, they are manually adjustable and fabric-upholstered only. If we had to choose a feature to lose to make it cheaper, it would be leather and electric seats. Fabric is such a refreshing and breathable change. At least both sides get manual lumbar and height adjustment.
In terms of practicality, the Golf is as liveable as an SUV, except for being lower to the ground to hop in and out of. The space offered for all passengers is commendable and generous, with plenty of leg, foot and headroom in the front and rear. You get big cup and bottle holders, a height- and length-adjustable centre armrest, but a smallish centre console. That might be because in a first we’ve seen in this segment, all Golfs receive three-way climate control with settings for the back. Not only do rear passengers get air vents, they can also control their temperature. Remarkable!
At the very rear, boot space is decent for a small hatch. The floor is not as deep as some, but it is still above average, with 374 litres, or 1230 litres when the split/fold rear seats are dropped. There is a 12V socket on the wall, which isn’t common for this class, while a space-saver spare sits under the floor.
All Golf models enjoy the same safety and tech features of today’s standards and have earned ANCAP’s 5-star safety rating. It’s great to see cheaper models don’t miss out. Items that stand out in this segment are hands-free keyless access, park assist into parking bays and parallel parks, pedestrian monitoring, side door exit warning, rear collision mitigation with braking in addition to the usual forward direction, active cornering performance LED headlights, and auto dipping side mirrors when reversing.
The main $3100 upgrade from the Life to the R-Line is LED performance headlights, bigger Bergamo 18-inch alloy wheels (up from 17-inch), stiffer sports suspension, R-Line skirting and interior seat and styling upgrades, rear and rear side window tint, and ambient lighting choices from 10 to 30 colours. We would have liked to see a 360-degree camera included.
We think the external design is spot on for exhibiting a sophisticated, sharp, attractive, and premium-feel hatch that is still recognisable as a Golf. The LED exterior lighting, classy colour choices, vivid alloy wheels, and subtle side skirting really help lift the Golf R-Line’s standard into the premium hatch space.
2024 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line: Powertrain & handling
Zooming out to the entire Golf range for a moment, there are three different powertrains across the four variants. A 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and an eight-speed conventional auto gearbox sits in the two 110TSI models. The GTI scores a bigger 2.0-litre, 180kW/370Nm turbo engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. Then the sporty R rewards you the same size engine and gearbox, but outputting a red hot 235kW/400Nm.
The 110TSI does not read as much in a brochure, but we found performance and acceleration to be surprisingly inspiring. It feels like it has more than 110kW and 250Nm. Pickup is effortless thanks to decent torque levels peaking from a low 1500rpm and held up to 4000rpm. This means the engine does not need to work hard in the rev range to achieve a confident and speedy take-off.
If you do take it higher in the rev range, there is not a great deal of difference in pick-up acceleration. But it sounds smooth and happy to rev. The 0-100km/h sprint time is officially 8.5 seconds; 2.2 seconds slower than the GTI. Our testing revealed an impressive real-world time of 7.86 seconds.
Interestingly, Volkswagen has moved away from the dual-clutch auto transmission for the 110TSI models. Instead, it gets a conventional torque converter eight-speed auto that delivers smooth gear shifts and a significantly reduced take-off delay that dual-clutch gearboxes commonly suffer from. But we found downshifts can feel jerky under specific circumstances, such as during really sporty driving. Sadly, manual gearboxes are long gone.
VW has clearly spent considerable effort making sure this engine is whisper quiet and refined in operation. You get the impression that everything is tightly built and tested. So much so that tyre noise is more noticeable in the cabin as everything else is so well muted.
That engine refinement impression is also exposed when you look at fuel consumption. The official average is just 5.8L/100km. This is an excellent reading, considering there is no assistance from a light hybrid arrangement. What’s even better is that this seems to be a realistic and achievable average. During our week of mixed city and highway driving, we averaged 5.8L/100km. Though, it does require a minimum of the more expensive 95 RON petrol. With its 50-litre tank, the theoretical average range is 862km.
The R-Line is designed to be a practical and economical small hatch, but with the sporty intent and flavour. Over the Life variant, the suspension is slightly stiffer to offer a more athletic feel around corners. But it is very mild. The suspension is still wonderfully comfortable, and it absorbs bumps in a notably composed fashion, without its track or passengers thrown into disarray.
Especially for a hatch that is lower to the ground with less suspension travel than a crossover or SUV. Good handling and comfort levels is a fine balancing act. But the Golf 110TSI R-Line has it just right. Grip is strong, and weighty, centred steering at higher speeds provides a high quality, secured feel on the road.
2024 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line: Key attractions/reasons to buy
- Still a sophisticated hatch: The latest Golf looks the part with its elegant design and shape outside, and a premium feel on the inside. And the R-Line further adds a sharp and attractive edge.
- Performance and refinement: The numbers don’t paint the complete picture for the 110TSI. It feels lively, with punchy torque levels to make it very usable for the rat race. It also feels and sounds smooth and polished throughout the rev range.
- Efficient: 5.8L/100km is a great score for the power outputs and a non-hybrid arrangement. And more importantly, in the real world, this figure is achievable.
- Well-balanced ride: Comfortable suspension that absorbs bumps calmly but still handles athletically. A very refined tune.
2024 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line: Key considerations before you buy
- Price keeps rising: Now not part of the mainstream hatch under $40k segment.
- Dash layout blooper: Climate temp up/down controls do not light up at night time.
- Higher than average service costs: First five services are $520, $763, $506, $1176 and $506.
2024 Volkswagen Golf 110TSI R-Line: Video
How does it rate against its rivals?
Final word
When you look at the sales figures, you’d think there was something horribly wrong with the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf. But there isn’t. It’s simly part of a segment that we are no longer interested in. Which is a huge shame, because we relished our week with the Golf. The extra efforts are evident to make it look and feel premium, elegant and sophisticated. The R-Line only adds to those traits further for a relatively small fee. Let’s just hope they fix the lack of backlit aircon control buttons quickly.