Volkswagen Golf - Practicality, comfort and boot space

Volkswagen has plenty of confidence in the five-door Golf’s capability to provide enough space and versatility for most customers’ needs. There’s no longer a three-door model and a fresh replacement for the slightly more spacious Golf SV is not on the cards. So, buyers will have a choice of the regular hatchback or an estate bodystyle.

The Golf has excellent visibility for both the driver and passengers, mainly due to its practical shape compared to the sportier designs of the Mercedes A-Class and BMW 1 Series. There are also front and rear parking sensors as standard, which will help with tight parking manoeuvres, while you can add a reversing camera for around an extra £300.

The steering wheel includes reach and rake adjustability, allowing you to grab the best driving position, while even the tallest driver should have enough headroom. If you need more space, you could always look at the cavernous Skoda Octavia.

Size

The Mk8 Golf has grown a few centimetres in length over its predecessor. The five-door hatch is now 4,284mm long, 1,789mm wide (excluding mirrors) and 1,491mm in height.

Leg room, head room & passenger space

There’s ample space in the cabin for four adults to travel in comfort, with the new longer model offering a touch more room for rear passengers. Overall interior space is equal to the Ford Focus, but slightly behind the SEAT Leon.

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Boot

There’s no revolution in boot size, either, with Volkswagen offering one extra litre of load capacity compared to the Mk7 Golf. Luggage space with the rear seats in the upright position is now 381 litres.

Towing

If you're planning on using your Golf for towing duties then you'll probably be best served with the 2.0-litre diesel: the 113bhp version is rated to tow a 1,500kg maximum, while the 148bhp variant is able to pull an additional 100kg.

The entry 109bhp petrol car has a braked trailer load limit of 1,300kg, with the 128bhp 1.5-litre petrol at 1,400kg and the 148bhp version at 1,500kg.