2009 Volkswagen Golf City Review

Simple, yet efficient
Volkswagen was looking to become an active player in the small and affordable compact car class. As the import fees on the European Polo are too high, the automaker decided to take a model that had reached the end of the road, so to speak and tweak its style and drop its price. Behold, the Golf City (same story for the Jetta City). A simple, yet efficient and ingenious formula.

Volkswagen was looking to become an active player in the small and affordable compact car class.

Volkswagen is offering us this little Golf City in the spirit of things affordable and entry-level. The Pueblo assembly plant in Mexico has cracked down on poor construction quality, and it shows. The end result is a polished finish both inside and out.

Style-wise, this car is a cutie. It proves willing to attract young buyers shopping for their first ride as well as established professionals looking to park a plan B in their garage. Its lines will virtually never go out of fashion. Remember, its profile dates back to 1998, but you can hardly tell.

The cabin benefits from improvements just as slight as the body’s. The designers merely reconfigured the centre console and swapped the steering wheel for a user-friendlier, three-spoke version. But the ergonomics aren’t perfect: when adjusting the ventilation it’s quite easy to inadvertently change radio stations as well.

In this interior draped in black, one easily finds a comfortable position thanks to the multitude of settings and the telescoping steering wheel. The driving position is appropriate and is actually more comfortable than that of more expensive cars. The seats are nice and firm, allowing you to drive for hours on end without becoming tired.

The cabin is spacious, and there’s adequate room for four people. Same thing goes for the cargo area, which is nice and roomy, especially when the rear seat backs are folded down. It’s also easily accessible, thanks in large part to the width and depth of the tailgate.

The designers merely reconfigured the centre console and swapped the steering wheel for a user-friendlier, three-spoke version.