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By Jonathan Crouch

Volkswagen's eighth generation Golf Estate is a very polished kind of compact station wagon. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 68

Volkswagen's current emphasis on SUVs hasn't stopped the brand from also bringing us this eight generation version of the Golf estate. It's smarter, much more sophisticated and offers plenty of electrified engine tech. Plus it can offer a far large load area than any comparably priced compact crossover. If you're not particularly enamoured with SUVs and want a family model of this size, you might really like it.

Backgroundword count: 159

Given that estates are designed to haul a hefty amount of gear around, the concept of a compact estate at first seems one destined to crash and burn. And so it has proved. No matter which hugely successful product line you choose - Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra or Renault Megane - its estate variant has added but a nominal amount to the overall sales figures. Accept that this is the way it is - and is destined to stay - and it's easier to get to grips with this latest Golf Estate. Sold alongside the Golf five door hatch, the Golf Estate offers another alternative for those wanting a family Volkswagen of this size but not quite prepared to step up to a Tiguan compact SUV or a Touran MPV. And the car itself? Well, after eight model generations, it would perhaps be a little surprising if Volkswagen didn't have the hang of building Golfs by now.

Driving Experienceword count: 255

Get under the skin of this latest generation Volkswagen Golf Estate and you'll find a modular MQB chassis that's only lightly evolved from the underpinnings used by the previous generation model. But there's significant change beneath the bonnet. For petrol people, things kick off with a 1.0-litre TSI unit with 110PS, which when ordered in DSG guise can be had with the brand's latest eTSI 48V mild hybrid tech. Most Golf Estate customers though, are going to want a larger engine than that, probably the 1.5-litre TSI petrol unit, offered in either 130 or 150PS states of tune. Choose auto transmission with this engine and you'll get the eTSI mild hybrid tech included. There are also a couple of 2.0 TDI diesel options, either a 115PS unit with a manual gearbox or a 150PS variant with the option of DSG auto transmission. The diesel unit features in 200PS form in the SUV-style 'Alltrack' model, which continues, as before using the brand's permanent 4WD system and offering increased ground clearance and an all- terrain look including specific bumpers. Across the Golf Estate range, as usual, there's the option of Volkswagen's 'DCC' 'Dynamic Chassis Control' adaptive damping system which works with a 'Driver Profile' driving modes system offering 'Eco', 'Comfort', 'Sport' and 'Individual' settings. And of course there's extra camera-driven tech, including an optional 'Travel Assist' system which combines Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane assist to allow 'hands-free' driving at speeds of 130mph. Which sounds vaguely alarming but which Volkswagen assures us is a significant safety aid.

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