New Volkswagen Sportsvan replaces the Golf Plus name plate

Thanks to the versatile Modular Transverse Matrix platform (MQB), the body of the Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan has been extended to offer a 2,685mm wheelbase, which is 107mm longer than the preceding Golf Plus and is 50mm longer than the hatchback and estate.

Measuring 4,338mm in length, the Golf Sportsvan is 134mm longer than the Golf Plus, 83mm longer than the hatchback - but 224mm shorter than the Golf Estate.

Compared to the previous model, cargo capacity is increased to 500 litres and can be expanded to as much as 1,520 litres, when the cargo deck is used up to the backrests of the front seats and up to the roof.

The profile of the Golf Sportsvan includes a long side window look with two additional windows in the area of A and D-pillars,  the sharply drawn character line that integrates the door handles, which were designed specifically for the Golf Sportsvan and the D-pillars typical of the Golf.

Interior designers created a cabin that is as premium and stylistically sophisticated as it is clean and fresh.

The dominant element here is the newly designed dashboard - redesigned down to the last millimetre. The centre console is inclined towards the driver with a touchscreen, climate control switches and the gear shifter.

The Volkswagen Golf Sportsvan is being offered with a range of six new engines and are fitted with a stop-start system as standard and, consume up to 20 percent less fuel than its predecessor. Except for the base 1.2-litre TSI, all of the engines listed below may be combined with an optional automatic dual-clutch gearbox (DSG).

1.2-litre TSI with 84bhp or 108bhp

The base engine of the VW Golf Sportsvan is a turbocharged, direct-injection TSI engine with either 84bhp and 160Nm or 108bhp and 175Nm of power and torque delivery.

Fuel consumption is at 4.9L/100km for the former and 5.1L/100km for the latter, which equates to 114g/km and 117g/km of CO₂ emissions respectively.

The 84bhp rated Sportsvan has a top speed of 177km/h and accelerates to 100km/h in 13.2 seconds, while the higher rated compact MPV has a top speed of 192km/h after hitting the century mark from nought in 10.7 seconds.

1.4-litre TSI with 122bhp or 147bhp

At the next power level, the 1.4-litre TSI with 122bhp and 200Nm of torque enables a top speed of 200km/h and a sprint from 0 to 100km/h in 9.9 seconds. The Sportsvan consumes 5.4L/100 km which equates to 125g/km CO₂.

The 1.4-litre TSI is also vailable with a higher 147bhp output and 250Nm of torque. This lump has a fuel consumption of just 5.5L/100km while emitting 127g/km of CO₂. The 16-valve four-cylinder engine accelerates the higher rated 1.4-litre Golf Sportsvan to 100km/h in just 8.8 seconds andcontinuing to a top speed of 212km/h.