SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.
Posted: 3 October 2016
Quick cheat sheet
Base price: R544 740
Engine: 1984 cc, DOHC 16-valve, four-cylinder, turbopetrol
Power: 195 kW between 5350 and 6600 rpm (213 kW on overboost)
Torque: 350 Nm between 1700 and 5300 rpm (380 Nm on overboost)
Zero to 100 km/h: 5.9 seconds
Maximum speed: 249 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 8.6 l/100 km
Tank: 50 litres
Luggage: 380 litres
Warranty: 3 years / 120 000 km
Service plan: 5 years / 90 000 km, at 15 000 km intervals
The Emperor is back - with some new clothes and pumped up on steroids. “Clothes” take the form of a split-level roof wing with new bumpers, side sills, diffuser and 18-inch Belvedere wheels.
“Steroids” manifest as an added 33 kilowatts of power and, when you’re in need of yet more thrust, a further 18 kW and 30 Newton-metres that kicks in for up to ten seconds – to power out of that last bend or overtake at almost the speed of thought.
But, although it’s a limited edition special launched to celebrate the Golf brand’s 40th birthday, it’s more than a midlife crisis machine. It’s a family car too, with fair sized boot, safety features and seating space for a family of four.
A few years ago, GTIs were in a rut; bland and boring like so many others. We even called it “your father’s car in a smaller body,” which was sad. That period was happily followed by Golf 7 and the Emperor’s rebirth, for which we were glad.
We say bland because, while GTIs of the late middle era were decently powerful, they had become butter-smooth and too-perfectly behaved. Character was tamed out and all magic evaporated. But now it’s back.
This Clubsport not only pointed and squirted, rumbled and snarled, but it felt alive. Under gentle provocation we felt cheeky little pulls and twitches, smothered in previous generations, that reassured us the GTI spirit is back - and Golf-ness rules again.
Clubsport enjoys further individuality in that, unlike plain GTI and Golf R, you cannot buy one with manual transmission; it’s six-speed DSG only. This box has been around for a while. It offers override via paddles or stick, and provides wrist-flick access to Sport mode without having to select it via the Drive Profile button on the console. It works brilliantly and doesn’t need more ratios, thanks to the engine’s superwide torque band. In short, let’s not fix what isn’t broken.
Speaking bluntly for a moment, this car is priced R59 240 higher than a regular GTI with automatic, so although the added power and appearance items are all well and good, is it worth the extra money? Let’s see what else was added, so you can decide.
There’s better performance; 0.6 seconds quicker to 100 km/h and 5 clicks higher maximum speed. Then there are the appearance items not already mentioned; red front brake calipers with GTI lettering, darkened LED taillights, velour steering wheel (this remains pleasantly neutral to the touch in all weathers) and decorative dashboard inserts on the driver’s side.
Ground clearance reduces from 133 mm to 106, but that’s partly because of the deeper front spoiler. Its biggest selling point, however, is that the run will be limited, so it’ll become rare and more collectable.
There are also some options not available on other GTIs: black mirror caps, darkly tinted side and rear windows, racing bucket seats in leather or sports seats in fabric, 19” Brescia wheels and rear p.d.c. with kerbside view on the left. What you don’t get, but others have, is front fog lamps and the option of a tow hitch.
Apart from those details, all other features and safety aids are just like the others. Would we buy one? Definitely; it looks a little different and it’s a brilliant little road runner. And it feels alive.
Test car from VWSA press fleet
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This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.
Comments?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.
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SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8