Volkswagen Crossgolf

We’re struggling to see the point of the CrossGolf. With a raised ride height and protective side panels, you’d expect it to be at home in the mud – but without 4WD, it isn’t. On-road manners are spoiled by the firm set-up, and it’s costly. Saving graces are the cabin space, versatility and brilliant super-turbo 1.4 unit. The CrossGolf is an exercise in style over substance and, unless you really adore the design, look elsewhere in the hatch range.

If there’s a gap in its range, you can bet Volkswagen will fill it. Not content with having three and five-door Golfs, the Golf-based Touran, a forthcoming Golf Estate and a Golf-based Tiguan 4x4, the manufacturer has just launched this: the CrossGolf.

Based on another niche variant – the Plus – it’s a lifestyle model designed to appeal to buyers who fancy the looks of an off-roader, but not the mud-plugging ability.

Competing against other sector-spanning cars such as Dodge’s Caliber and Nissan’s Qashqai (driven in Issue 944), the CrossGolf is really part-MPV, part-SUV. But if you’re in the market for a family hatchback, should you keep it on your list... or cross it off?

Chunky plastic bumpers all-round, a neat silver air intake at the front flanked by foglights and silver roof rails have been added to the Plus’s bland shape, and they certainly perk things up. A 20mm increase in ride height and 17-inch alloys complete the sporty, off-roader looks.

Inside, the upholstery on the seat inlays and door provides a contrast to the colours in the rest of the cabin. The air vents and pedals are finished in silver, and there is a three-spoke leather steering wheel plus a hide gaiter and trim on the gearlever. Practicality is just as good as that of the regular Golf Plus, with plenty of headroom wherever you’re sitting and some useful versatility provided by a sliding rear bench. The seating position is raised which, combined with the increased ground clearance, gives the driver an excellent view out.

However, due to the extra ride height, the car isn’t as agile as a Golf or even the Plus. And the suspension set-up is quite firm – presumably to control the body roll as a result of the higher centre of gravity.

Another criticism is that the CrossGolf isn’t particularly comfortable on rough surfaces or potholed urban streets. But the steering is accurate, if lacking in feedback, and the overall driving experience is competent, aided by decent brakes.

Any off-roading will be limited to grassy lanes, though. There’s no four-wheel-drive system to haul the car out of trouble and, with only a small amount of additional ground clearance, the CrossGolf is much happier on tarmac than softer surfaces.

Under the bonnet, buyers get a choice of three familiar Volkswagen motors: a 100bhp 1.6-litre petrol or 104bhp 1.9 and 138bhp 2.0 diesel options. There’s also a 138bhp version of the firm’s new turbocharged and supercharged 1.4-litre TSI unit, which we’ve sampled here. Packing a healthy 220Nm of torque, it feels exactly the same as a deep-chested diesel at low engine speeds. And, as the turbocharger seamlessly takes over above 3,000rpm, there’s even more punch for overtaking.

Hooked up to VW’s superb twin-clutch DSG semi-automatic gearbox, the TSI engine makes for smooth and rapid progress. Impressive safety kit includes new ESP stability contol that provides counter-steering if the car detects a skid, as well as six airbags and brake assist. Most models come with air-con as standard, too.

Volkswagen bosses are still considering whether to bring the CrossGolf to the UK. If it does reach these shores, however, the range is likely to start at £16,500 – a premium of around £1,500 over the equivalent Golf Plus. For what amounts to little more than some cosmetic updates, that seems expensive to us.

And while its chunky looks will find favour with some, on the evidence of this first drive we suspect the CrossGolf may be a niche too far for many family buyers.