Volkswagen GOLF GT FSI 4MOTION
All Wheel Drive Transforms The Golf Into A Quick Hatch With Rock Solid Composure. By Andy Enright
Todays subject for discussion is steering. To must of us, its merely the act of twirling the wheel in the requisite direction of desired travel, but to those who enjoy driving, theres a whole lot more to a cars helm than just the basic functions. Weight, feedback and speed of response are all factors that separate one cars steering system from another. Powerful front wheel drive cars often have the unhappiest steering systems of all, as engineers battle to design a system which can provide detailed feedback without transmitting every buck, spin and skip as the front tyres try to deploy all that power.
Rear wheel drive isnt usually practical in a family hatch, so cars like the
Volkswagen Golf have occasionally opted for the luxury of all-wheel drive to help things along.
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The Golf 2.0-litre GT FSI 4MOTION we examine here is fitted with a clever Haldex differential that takes care of how much drive goes to which pair of wheels. Car buffs amongst you may well recall that this system is already in use by
Audi on their TT Coupe models amongst others but
Volkswagen have invested in a second generation format for the latest Golf 4MOTION. Whereas the old system devoted 100 per cent of drive to the front wheels and only diverted drive to the rear set of the fronts started slipping, the new system is a little more sophisticated.
This time round, at least 10 per cent is always directed aft, the differential now located over the rear axle. Its also far better integrated with the rest of the Golfs electronic control systems, so theres not the slight pause you felt in an old Haldex car as drive switched. In addition, the steering feels far less corrupted under heavy acceleration. There are downsides to the 4MOTION system.
The car ends up being heavier and therefore slower and less economical on paper than its front wheel drive cousin. Its also costlier and the all-wheel drive differential eats into boot space. Aside from the purer feel to the steering, wheres the benefit? Youll feel the advantage of the 4MOTION hardware the moment you put your foot down hard when the roads wet. In a front wheel drive Golf GT FSI, the car will attempt to spin its front wheels as 150bhp is directed to them.
Before it can do this, the traction control system will intervene, nipping at the brakes and adjusting the throttle opening. The net effect is that youll accelerate at a rather modest rate, certainly no quicker than if youd gently fed the power in instead. The 4MOTION is very different. A hefty bootful of accelerator will only give the traction control something to think about on snow, ice or a greasily wet surface.
The difference in acceleration is startling.
"The 4MOTION hardware gives this Golf added all-weather appeal"
Thats not the only time youll feel the 4MOTION hardware working to your benefit. Even when the roads dry, a standard Golf will struggle to deploy its power if you have a large throttle opening and a good deal of steering wound on, such as if you are accelerating through an uphill hairpin bend. The 4MOTION system also means that this car will be able to tow things like trailers more effectively, as the unweighted front wheels will no longer be an issue. This car is resolutely not an off roader but on muddy tracks, wet grass or snow, the car is a whole lot more sure footed.
Solely available in sporting GT trim, the 2.0-litre FSI engine cranks out a respectable 150bhp without recourse to turbocharging and its enough to propel it at a reasonable lick. Its worth remembering that the outgoing Mk IV Golf had a GTi model that weighed much the same and could call upon just 115bhp. The GT FSI 4MOTION will jink to 60mph in 9 seconds and run on to a top speed of 129mph - which means that itll show cars like the
Alfa Romeo 147 2.
0-litre a clean pair of heels. Much of the credit goes to the ingenious way the FSI engine works. Fuel Stratified Injection is a system that promises the twin benefits of more power and better economy. A high-pressure fuel line mounted on the side of the cylinder head, often dubbed common rail, injects fuel straight into the combustion chamber.
The shape of the pistons and the clever working of a set of valves make the air tumble, thus creating more efficient combustion. So far so good, but dont a number of other manufacturers have the same set up? No. Where FSI engines really impress is their behaviour under part throttle loads. Whereas before, part throttle meant just that, partially strangulating the output by closing a butterfly valve, the FSI system can be run with the throttles in a more efficient open position.
How? In effect by creating a rich fuel mix directly next to the spark plug and a leaner mix in other parts of the combustion chamber. This is not only more efficient in terms of how much fuel enters the chamber in the first place but it also means that less energy is wasted as heat to the cylinder block. In effect, a blanket of air shields the ignited fuel from the walls of the cylinder. When the throttle is pressed wide open, the engine reverts to a more conventional homogenous method of filling the combustion chamber with fuel and air.
The tumble effect and the synchronisation of air and fuel along with the careful metering of the high-pressure injection system all combine to offer more power and a cleaner engine. When youre dawdling, you get great economy and when you want to drop the hammer youve got more power. Whereas many direct injection engines have been noticeably noisier than conventional petrol powerplants, the FSI unit offers both a pleasantly refined hum and instantaneous throttle responses. Volkswagen dont expect the 4MOTION Golfs to be big sellers, instead aiming that at discrete market niches and aiming for a modest 600 sales per year.
The lions share of these units will be accounted for by the economical TDI diesel version but drivers looking for an all-weather sensible sports hatch could do a lot worse than the 4MOTION GT FSI. Its a great steer.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Volkswagen Golf GT FSI 4MOTION range
PRICES: £18,045-£18,545 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 14
CO2 EMISSIONS: 202g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 129mph / 0-60mph 9.0s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 33.6mpg (overall)
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin airbags / ABS / Side airbags / ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 4204/2000/1485mm
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