VW SA LAUNCHES GOLF CABRIOLET

Volkswagen South Africa chose the very scenic Western Cape to launch the brand new Golf Cabriolet. Just as well because this was one of the few places around the country where some sun was shining and the breeze light. This is just the kind of car for such occasions.

Based on the current Golf 6 module, the Golf Cabriolet completely replaces the Eos, like we said before. While there was nothing seriously wrong with the Eos – pretty, comfortable, lovely to drive – the price was just too steep. At about R356 000 for the entry-level model, Eos was just not going to attract enough buyers to justify its existence.

Enter Golf Cabriolet, the first drop-top from this model series since the Mk4. Unlike the Eos, the new car features a soft-top roof mechanism. It opens in 9 seconds, making it probably the fastest in the segment. Just by pushing/ pulling on a button, the roof will open or close electronically, at the same time opening or closing the side windows with it. A common feature among topless cars is how noisy they get at certain higher speeds. The Golf isn’t bad though, but does exhibit some aural intrusion levels past the 120km/h mark.

VW says it’s 4.2 metres long, 1.8m wide, and 1.4m high. Quite compact, but still longer than the 5-door hatch. I didn’t get a chance to try out the rear seats but from where I was sitting, two 1.8m okes would not fit comfortably when sitting sequentially. But it’s all good for the driver. Multi-adjustable leather seats fit snuggly around the back and waist, while the dashboard is made from soft-touch quality material. There are seat warmers, electrically-adjustable windows and a steering wheel with satellite controls. The sound system features touch-screen technology but does not have satellite navigation.

When driving around the Cape area, particularly in the Franschoek scene, there were one or two eyes gawking at the car. But that’s mostly when the roof was down. Otherwise it seemed to fly past people’s minds that this is a brand new car. I’m not sure why they would think otherwise, considering the statement about it being the first since Mk4. Never mind them, this is a really good-looking little machine with a very sexy rear end complimented by those LED taillights. The front profile is Golf 6 of course, featuring LED daytime running lights, optional bi-xenons, and a wind blocker among others. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the cousin Audi A3 Cabriolet, which features similar technologies and even some parts. Like the paddles behind the steering wheel in the DSG models. And the engines.

At launch there were two DSG-only models, all powered by the 1.4-litre TSI turbo engine. You either got to drive the 90kW with 200Nm of torque, or the 118kW (with both turbo and supercharger) version putting 240Nm on the axles. Said performance is 10.5 seconds on the 0 – 100km/h front for the lesser model, while the 118kW takes a claimed 8.4 seconds. A combined fuel average of 6.3 litres per 100km is envisaged on both, painted to 147 g/km in C02 emissions.

The entry car felt quite lazy on the uptake, despite all that sea level air and the spinning turbine. Revs had to be quite high for any bit of performance to take place, resulting in a rather pedestrian cruise rather than a spirited drive. To be fair, that’s to be expected of the baby cabby. The 118kW however returned something a little more than a smile, while at the same time not exactly lighting up the sky. I heard no scuttle shake at any point but admittedly the majority of the roads travelled are kept quite well. The standard 205 / 55 R16 rubber held up, so did the higher-spec 225/ 45 R17s on the 118kW.

The Golf Cabriolet is a niche car, meaning not everyone is meant to drive one. Cabriolets always sound like a nca plan, until it’s 38 degrees C under the African sky, and your dome is begging for cover. Because of this these kinda cars offer very limited full-time usage in the Mzansi context; they should only be opened under overcast days, mornings or late afternoons/ early evenings. All this limits them even further than the fact that they are quite impractical to too. So it’s no surprise they are so rare and expensive. Golf Cab is not expensive though, relatively speaking. Hopefully it takes off better than Eos did.

Golf Cabriolet Pricing

90kW manual (R283 400)

90kW DSG (R297 900)

118kW manual (R324 000)

118kW DSG (R338 500)