Test drive Volkswagen Golf 8: inside - innovations, under the hood - "aspirated" and automatic transmission (no, not DSG) - part 5

The displays take the level of interaction with the driver to a new level: fine tuning capabilities, excellent picture quality, menu detail, comfort in use. There seem to be few touch buttons, but over time you realize that everything you need is always at hand, and the secondary is hidden in the detailed settings. As a result, we get a lot of technologies that are "on board", but do not distract in movement. And now, as in that joke: let's try to take off with all this.

 For Europe - a turbo engine eTSI and DSG, for Ukraine - "aspirated" MPI and automatic transmission ...

 The first test car I choose is the petrol Volkswagen Golf 8 with a 1.5-liter turbo engine: its output is 150 hp. and 250 Nm is comparable to what we will have. A good motor with the widest working shelf - starts pulling confidently at 2-2.5 thousand rpm, finishes at 5-5.5 thousand. Everything in between is all yours. Once the second gear is stuck in the "mechanics", I somehow rolled several turns on the serpentine, without switching at all. By the way, the selectivity of the box is good, the lever travel is small and light. You don't even "stick" the gears, they "fly in" themselves, you just need to designate the desired pocket out of six. But with the selection of gear ratios there is a nuance: "1-2-3" gears are clearly "chopped" with the expectation of dynamic driving in the city, however, "4th-5th" is already "stretched" along the route, and "6th" and not even a highway one at all - rather an “autobahn”. As a result, when driving at a speed of under a hundred, you rather operate with the "5th" gear and each time you go down to the "4th" for overtaking, and the "6th" can be switched on at all only at speeds of 110-120 km / h and higher ...

 A similar car, but with a DSG transmission, is completely devoid of such problems. I drove it a little, as an optional, but it is immediately clear that "the machine is our everything": timely and instant switching, the presence of "sport" -mode with one click of the joystick. Yes, just the joystick - forget about the lever. Even visually, the center console on the DSG version looks better: the transmission selector is combined in one block with buttons, there is room for a small oblong shelf for a smartphone. By the way, the dynamics and top speed of the Volkswagen Golf 8 with a 1.5-liter TSI engine does not change depending on the type of transmission: 0-100 km / h in 8.5 seconds and 224 km / h.

 Gasoline engine with 150 HP and 250 Nm for the Volkswagen Golf 8 - what the doctor ordered: there is enough power for daily driving, and depending on the mood, you can go a little faster than usual. A note to the "mechanics" concerns the selection of gear ratios, I would choose "automatic". In the car settings, you can find comfortable, sporty, eco-driving modes: each in its own way affects the engine, automatic transmission, and steering. In the case of a DCC suspension, the choice of the driving mode also affects the chassis - you can set a more comfortable or hard ride.

 Although even without these subtle suspension tuning nuances, the overall feel of the car is crisp, collected, and understandable on the go. Excellent stability on the highway is complemented by slight rolls and unambiguous steering response. The new Volkswagen Golf 8 rides as correctly and naturally as it is natural for a person to breathe. Could you imagine what would be different? In a company that is one of the market leaders and creates one of its most popular models? Seriously, were you expecting a performance error? Of course, the far from ideal roads in Portugal have hinted a couple of times that the Volkswagen Golf 8 can shake on a bump or hole - but I would rather call this behavior "suspension density" rather than "suspension stiffness": it is far from frank blows, but the payoff is in the form of excellent stability and understandable handling is there every day. Plus, take into account the future adaptation of the car to Ukraine, the Bad Roads package, higher ground clearance, thicker tires ... I am sure that by the time it enters the Ukrainian market, the Volkswagen Golf 8 hatchback will receive optimal settings for our roads.