It’s heavy on sensibility rather than sex appeal. Which is one of the main reasons why the model which the UK importer calls the Golf SV doesn’t sell too briskly. Known as the Golf Sportsvan in most other countries where it’s available, the SV has many hidden talents. It deserves to be better loved by British buyers.
Next month marks four years since Volkswagen began building this successor for the Golf Plus, which probably also means its lifecycle is now over the half-way mark. Year to date sales in all European markets number just more than 13,000 vehicles according to JATO Dynamics, which shows how much of an impact the newer T-Roc is having.
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The Sportsvan went on sale across Europe from June 2014, with the UK’s Golf SV, following a month later. FAW Volkswagen also makes the Sportsvan in China where 11,191 have so far been sold in 2018, according to CAAM data.
A facelifted Sportsvan premiered at the Frankfurt motor show last September and there probably won’t be any more changes before production ceases in 2021. The development programme for the replacement is said to have been merged with that for the Touran, with the resultant vehicle, the so-called ‘Variosport’, expected to become a crossover-MPV.
Nobody would call the SV a design classic and yet there is an awful lot to like about the vehicle itself. Roominess, flexibility and comfort are its top attributes. The looks aren’t bad, just a bit forgettable. At 4,351mm, the SV is sized between the Golf hatchback (4,258) and estate (4,567) and has a wheelbase which is 50mm longer than both.
Compared to the Golf Plus, there is an additional 71 litres of boot capacity. This is 498 litres (versus the Golf’s 380), with the back seats at their rear-most position. Moving them forwards increases the luggage space to 590 litres, while folding them flat liberates up to 1,520 litres of room. The front passenger seat can optionally fold fully forward, creating a load space which is up to 2,484 mm long.
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By GlobalDataThe vehicle provided by Volkswagen was fitted with the 130PS 1.5-litre TSI Evo petrol engine, which is the best seller. Maximum torque is 200Nm and the SV’s unladen weight in SE Nav model grade is quoted as being 1,410kg. You won’t be spinning the front tyres when the light goes green then.
Performance is perfectly fine, 0-62mph taking 126mph and more importantly, the SV will cruise quietly at up to a stated 126mph. The CO2 output for this engine is 116g/km and the Combined consumption is 55.4mpg. The list price for the SE Nav is GBP24,425.00.
Volkswagen’s seven-speed DSG is now a very good transmission, and once you get used to the lack of creep when in D, the initially unnerving tendency of the SV to roll back when facing uphill becomes normal. Just use the electric parking brake rather than relying on the brake pedal and all is fine.
Any passengers will love this car. The windows are deep and there is a lavish amount of space for legs and torsos. Taller people are especially well looked after. Each seat-back is fitted with a tray-table too.
In addition to the engine tested, there is a 150PS version of the new 1.5 Evo. These have replaced the former 1.4-litre units. They feature what Volkswagen calls Active Cylinder Technology, which means two of of the four cylinders are shut off when the car is cruising. It’s quite cool to see this announcement appear between the big instrument dials. If you’re one who likes to watch the instant consumption read out, seeing how economy improves when in this mode is also somehow most satisfying. Try as I might, never could I detect those two cylinders been sparked back to life.
In Britain, the SV can also be ordered with an 85PS 1.0-litre base petrol engine. In S trim, the cost is from GBP20,475, while the highest spec variant is the GBP28,595 GT 150PS 2.0-litre TDI. Its DSG has only six speeds.
As part of the changes that came with the arrival of the facelifted range, Volkswagen has mandated Front Assist and Pedestrian Monitoring as standard for the first time. These tech touches respectively keep an eye on the distance to the car ahead and will brake the SV if needs be, and watch the road for stray pedestrians. Should someone step into the car’s path, Pedestrian Monitoring will help to avoid contact by increasing braking pressure.
Other handy safety and convenience features which are newly available for latest model include Trailer Assist, third generation Park Assist, Emergency Assist and Traffic Jam Assist. The SE Nav also has an electronic differential lock which does a good job of maintaining traction and roadholding.
For a vehicle which must surely be quite top-heavy, there is a surprisingly low amount of sway. As for the steering, this has has a pleasing directness to it and almost zero kick-back even when it’s impossible to avoid the potholes which are a growing danger on the UK’s roads.
The Golf SV would have to be the most underrated Volkswagen on sale. It grows on you, this car, even those of us who consider themselves to prefer faster, lower-slung alternatives. Due to how good the interior materials are, I even ended up deciding that I prefer the SV to the T-Roc.
Think of the SV as a Golf with more glass and superior back seat space. Order one in GT trim, with the bigger alloys instead the SE Nav’s 16-inchers, and in bright red, and it can even look close to cool.
