VW Golf Estate 2.0 TDi (2007) CAR review

Volkswagen took their time unleashing this handsome devil

Yes, the previous VW management dithered, discussed and delayed the project until it was almost past its sell-by date. In July 2007, two full years behind the original schedule, the third-generation Golf Variant will finally appear in right-hand drive form. “Initially, we thought that the Touran and the Golf plus could together cover the estate car segment,“ explains Ulrich Hackenberg, the recently appointed board member in charge of engineering. “Obviously, this was a mistake. Having sold over 1.2 million Golf Variants since 1993, the customer base clamoured for a replacement.”

Better than late never, I suppose. It’s no looker though, is it?

You’re not wrong. Designed by Wolfgang Bernhard Murat Günak, the latest Golf derivative is unlikely to win a beauty contest. The front end is boggo VW fare, the uncluttered side view is bland and the frumpy rear end is a strange mix of diverse styling elements that lack VW’s distinctive design language. And you’d better get used to it - although the sixth-generation Golf will be introduced as early as next year, the old-style Variant is - like the Jetta - due to soldier on for a full eight years, albeit with a mid-cycle facelift.