Volkswagen Golf Plus (2009 – 2014) Review
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Volkswagen Golf Plus (2009 – 2014) At A Glance
Decent fuel economy across the range. Excellent standard and optional equipment including a self-park system.
Just a large Golf hatchback and lacks the carry-all capability of the estate.
The Volkswagen Golf Plus sits a little awkwardly in the range. It's marginally larger than the standard Golf hatchback, yet doesn't quite offer the huge space of the estate. Those who are likely to find it most appealing are small families who are looking for practicality in a compact package.
This model is a vastly overhauled version of the Golf Plus that went on sale in 2005. One thing to bear in mind is that despite its looks, it's based on the Mark V Golf (2004-2009) and not the later Mark VI. The biggest changes are obvious, with a new grille and new headlamps and an updated interior. Under the bonnet there are new engines, too, partly reflecting what's available in the standard hatchback range.
One feature, which is also available on other Volkswagens, is Park Assist. At the push of a button, the car will park itself into parallel spaces. All the driver needs to worry about is pushing the accelerator and brake - the car works out distances and does the steering for you.
Reviews for Volkswagen Golf Plus (2009 – 2014)'s top 3 rivals
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Volkswagen Golf Plus (2009 – 2014) handling and engines
Don't expect to find the same wide range of petrol engines in the Golf Plus as you would in the standard Golf Hatchback. The choice is stripped down to two petrol engines and four diesels. And don't get any ideas about a 210bhp GTI - that's only available on the standard hatchback.
The entry-level 1.4-litre petrol has just 80bhp. It's a weak engine in a fairly large car and, as a result, struggles, especially with a full load. So it's little surprise that it's only offered on the base-spec S. Most buyers will be better off with the 122bhp 1.4-litre TSI. This is an altogether different 1.4-litre engine as it uses a turbocharger to boost power. It feels friskier, with 0-60mph coming in 10.2 seconds and yet still manages to return 44mpg. The optional DSG automatic gearbox uses twin clutches to deliver smooth gearchanges in the blink of an eye.
Opt for a Golf Plus diesel and you'll have the choice of a 1.6 TDI (with 90 or 105bhp) or a 140bhp 2.0-litre diesel. The 1.6-litre is the one to go for if you're after outright economy, with 60mpg perfectly possible on bother versions. There's is a significant difference in how the two engines perform, with the 105bhp feeling much quicker. Its 0-60mph times comes down from 13.5 seconds to 12.5 seconds and it also has much better low-down pulling power for overtaking.
A BlueMotion ‘eco friendly' version of the 105bhp model went on sale a few months after launch and brings the emissions down to 114 g/km and takes fuel economy up to 66mpg. This achieved through revised gear ratios, start-stop technology and low rolling resistance tyres.
If you're looking for a bit more punch, then the 2.0-litre diesel will probably suit you better. It trades economy for better performance, though will still return 55mpg. It pulls well, is smooth and feels much more urgent under acceleration.
Out on the road it doesn't feel quite as good as a standard Golf hatchback, but still offers a composed drive. The steering is good with a well-weighted feel, the brakes are firm and the gearbox has a smooth action to it. Although the Golf Plus is taller than the standard hatch, it feels composed when cornering and doesn't have much in the way of bodyroll. The ride is good and there's no problem of it soaking up lumps and bumps.
Volkswagen Golf Plus (2009 – 2014) interior
Space is the Golf Plus's biggest asset - there's noticeably more than in a normal hatchback. That's quite some achievement considering that the standard Golf is considered to be one of the roomiest around. The tall shape creates plenty of headroom and there's a decent amount of legroom too - especially in the back. The back seats are slightly ‘raised'. The benefit of this is that it makes access - and doing things like fitting child seats - much easier. Plus it gives rear passengers a better view. The rear is primarily designed for two, so with three adults in the back it can be a bit of a squeeze.
The driver's not forgotten, either, with a raised driving position that gives a good view of the road ahead and a comfortable and highly adjustable driving position. On the move there's little wind or road noise. Updates over the previous Golf Plus include new switches for the air conditioning. These come from the latest Golf hatchback, giving a much more up-to-date look.
The biggest benefit of opting for a Golf Plus over the standard hatchback is the amount of load space you get. It may not be as capacious as the estate, but it has almost 400 litres of space, when the hatch offers just 350 litres. Buyers of the SE also get a variable boot floor with two different heights. On its lowest setting there's an extra 120 litres, while the higher position creates a level load area, made even more practical with seats that fold flat.
Top spec models get Park Assist, a system that automatically parks the car for you. It parks the car into a parallel park space automatically, taking care of the steering. All the driver needs to do is push the accelerator and brake.
Specification from launch (June 2009)
S comes with ABS anti-lock brakes with HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assist), ESP (Electronic Stabilisation Programme), including EDL (Electronic Differential Lock) and ASR (traction control), driver and front passenger airbags with passenger's airbag deactivation switch, curtain airbag system for front and rear passengers, including front side impact airbags, rear lights incorporating LED technology, three-point seatbelts for all rear passengers, driver and front passenger's active head restraints, Isofix child seat preparation for two outer rear seats, electronic engine immobiliser, ‘Climatic' semi-automatic air conditioning with glovebox cooler, remote control central locking, front and rear electric windows, electrically adjustable and heated body-coloured door mirrors with integrated indicators, body-coloured bump and side strips, RCD210 radio / MP3 compatible CD player and four speakers, height and reach adjustable steering column; driver's seat height adjustment, steel wheels with full size wheel trims, 6J x 15 with 195/65 R15 tyres.
SE adds an alarm with interior protection, RCD310 radio / MP3 compatible CD player with eight speakers and AUX-in socket, Park Assist and parking sensors, front and rear, multifunction computer, front comfort seats with height and lumbar adjustment, driver's and front passenger's under seat drawer
front centre armrest with storage compartment, front seat back storage pockets; front seat back tables, cruise control, variable boot floor, rain sensor and automatic dimming rear view mirror, dusk sensor, automatic driving lights automatic coming/leaving home lighting function, 12V socket in luggage compartment, 6½J x 16 ‘Atlanta' alloy wheels with 205/55 R16 tyres and anti-theft bolts.
Model History
March 2009
New Golf Plus revealed
The new Volkswagen Golf Plus is available with four engines: two petrol and two diesel. These are the 1.4-litre 80 PS and 1.4-litre TSI 122 PS; plus 2.0-litre common rail TDI units with 110 and 140 PS. A variety of transmission options, including Volkswagens seven-speed DSG gearbox, are also available, as detailed below.
Volkswagens ParkAssist will be offered. This system has the ability to operate the steering automatically during reverse parallel parking manoeuvres. A rear-view camera, mounted behind the Volkswagen roundel on the bootlid, is also available as an option. The system, currently available on the new Golf, Tiguan and Passat CC, transmits an image and graphic guidelines to the dash-mounted radio or navigation screen to assist with parking.
April 2009
The new Golf Plus is available to order from Volkswagen Retailers across the UK, with the first cars arriving at the end of April 2009.
1.4-litre S 80 PS 5-spd manual, 154g/km, 42.8mpg £14,410
1.4-litre S TSI 122 PS 6-spd manual, 152g/km, 43.5mpg £16,510
1.4-litre S TSI 122 PS 7-spd DSG auto, 146g/km, 44.8mpg £17,835
2.0-litre S TDI 110 PS 5-spd manual, 134g/km, 55.4mpg £17,285
1.4-litre SE TSI 122 PS 6-spd manual, 152g/km, 43.5mpg £17,860
1.4-litre SE TSI 122 PS 7-spd DSG auto, 146g/km, 44.8mpg £19,185
2.0-litre SE TDI 110 PS 5-spd manual, 134g/km, 55.4mpg £18,635
2.0-litre SE TDI 140 PS 6-spd manual, 135g/km, 55.4mpg £19,835
2.0-litre SE TDI 140 PS 6-spd DSG auto, 146g/km, 50.4mpg £21,185
August 2009
Golf Plus BlueMotion introduced
Powered by a 1.6 TDI engine with a claimed 65.7mpg and 114g/km of CO2. Prices start at £17,570 on the road for the Golf Plus BlueMotion S, rising to £18,920 for the SE; that’s just £325 more than the equivalent standard Golf Plus S and SE models.
BlueMotion modifications include revised gear ratios in third, fourth and fifth, the addition of low rolling resistance tyres, a Start/Stop function and regenerative braking. The Start/Stop system allows the engine to shut down completely when the car is at a standstill before automatically restarting as soon as the clutch is depressed, ready to engage first gear and move off. Regenerative braking helps to utilise energy that would otherwise be lost during braking, so that in deceleration and braking phases the alternators voltage is boosted and used for bulk recharging of the cars battery.
What to watch out for
See also VW Golf VI What to Watch Out For for extensive list.
Reports of very high early oil consumption of 1.2 TSI 105.
11-01-2013:Warranty on DSG extended to 5 years or 150,000 kilometres in Russia, China and Australia.
24-03-2014:Further complaint that when reversing uphill in a 2011 Golf Plus 1.6 TDI Bluemotion 7-speed DSG, the transmission loses drive unless the engine is revved hard at which point drive can return suddenly.
25-04-2014:TSB 34F6 software update applied to 2010 Golf Plus 1.4 TSI DSG to cure "hiccoughing fault" when accelerating from standstill. Cost £69.
20-08-2014:Numerous problems with 2009 Golf Plus 1.6 TDI 105 DSG. Lost power and DPF light came on. Driving at high revs did not cure so DPF sent away by garage to be cleaned. Turbo problem also diagnosed and sent away to be reconditioned. Finally DSG had lost 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th (all same shaft and clutch).
25-09-2014:Complaint of LED rear light cluster failure on 2010 Golf Plus. One part of the unit fails and the whole cluster needs to be replaced.
27-11-2014:18k mile March 2011 Golf Plus DSG recalled for transmission oil change. Transmission still stalls or stutters when starting to drive from stationary positron at traffic lights etc. once the car has been driven for a while and warmed up. Diagnostics carried out by a independent firm show gearbox fault. Might be Mechatronics, might be clutch pack, might be the brake light switch.
08-12-2014:Notified of another failed Golf Mk VI (Golf Plus) 1.6TDI DSG problem, this one 2010/60 reg and 31k miles. Symptoms are y ellow coloured Fault in Engine Management light on, then symbol started flashing. Cruise Control (CC) came on by itself whilst car in motion and slowed car down (probably limp home function), will not then accelerate or move through gears properly. Hence pull-away delayed and slow from junctions and roundabouts.
07-06-2015:History of problems with 2013/62 reg Golf Plus 1.4TSI DSG. In January 2014 the clutches were adjusted. In August 2014 the car was recalled for the DSG fluic to be changed and an internal pipe replaced. On 8 Jan 2015 at the car's second service VW Newark noted that the judder was "very slight". On 20 Feb 2015 car booked into VW Newark to have the judder investigated again. Invoice stated "Found TPI advising REPAIR is being prepared but is not yet available. We will advise when available." On 3 June 2015 email from Paul Malone VW (UK) suggesting we, again, book FH62AHZ in for a further inspection. There was no "repair" available yet. Reader now exasperated with the DSG judders and seeking to reject the car.
08-08-2015:Report of failure of Mechatronics of dry clutch DSG-7 on 2011 Golf Plus 1.4 TSi SE after the 34FS recall to replace the transmission fluid. Clutch pack had already been replaced in 2013 (18,689 miles) and the 34FS recall work done in August 2014 (30,553 miles). The Mechatronics unit failed in July 2015 (36,044 miles) whilst in lane 3 at approximately 70mph, leaving the car without any 'drive' at all. Reader very disappointed with the attitude of Volkswagen Customer Care that tried to blame firstly the supplying VW dealership, then the VW dealership that carried out the recall work. Could be that if the old synthatic fluid was not completely removed, the new fluid retained some conductivity and that fused the Mechatronics.
26-11-2015:Volkswagen announced fix for EA189 1.6TDI and 2.0TDI engines. A “flow transformer” will be fitted directly in front of the air mass sensor on the EA189 1.6TDI engine. This is a mesh that calms the swirled airflow in front of the air mass sensor and will improve the measuring accuracy of the air mass sensor. (The air mass sensor determines the air mass throughput, which is a very important parameter for the engine management for an optimum combustion process.)In addition, a software update will be performed on the 1.6TDI. The workshop time is expected to be less than a hour. The EA189 2.0TDI engines will get a software update. The programming time for this will be around half an hour. The objective is still to achieve the applicable emission targets without any adverse effects on the engine output, fuel economy and performance. However, as all model variants first have to be measured, the achievement of these targets cannot yet be finally confirmed. Based on this, service concepts are currently being developed for all 28 EU markets concerned. The aim is to implement the update in the first vehicles during a recall starting in January 2016. However, to compete the entire recall is likely to take until the end of 2016. Volkswagen will contact all customers and endeavour to consider individual customer needs during the implementation of the recall to avoid any disadvantages for the customer such as possible loss of mobility. All customers will be offered free courtesy cars if required. Since the beginning of October 2015, all Volkswagen customers have been able to check for themselves whether their vehicle is affected by the diesel issue. At www.volkswagen.de/info every customer can enter their vehicle identification number to obtain clear information.
17-02-2016:Airbag light illuminated in 2011 Volkswagen Golf Plus at 17,343 miles. Found to be due to a fault with the wiring loom in the passenger door. VW dealer billed £300.11 to repair it.
02-03-2016:EGR of 2013 Golf Plus 1.6TDI which still had the old EA189 engine failed at 24,600 miles. Beoing replaced under warranty. Car had been run on Shell V-Power Nitro Plus diesel for past 2 months, but too late.
19-03-2016:Report of new EGR being needed for 2010 VW Golf Plus 1.6TDI running 6,000 miles a year and being used to tow a small 1,000kg caravan.
23-03-2016:ABS/ESP light flashing on 2010 VW Golf estate. Supplying dealer told reader that VW had stopped repairing these FoC or at discounted rates and wanted £1,400 for the repair. We advised that as the car is still less than 6 years old he may be able to claim against the supplying dealer. Otherwise a case of sewnding the ABS/ESP module to ECU Testing for the brake pressure sensor to be replaced. Total cost shoul,d not be more than £600.
14-05-2016:Turbo failure reported on VW Golf Plus diesel at 66k miles, a month after being independently serviced (no mention of age of car or engine size).
19-01-2017:Report of 2010 VW Golf Plus EA189 1.6TDI failing to start after NOx emissions 'fix'. Possibly a blocked EGR. Dealer reprogrammed injector sequence and ran better, but knocking so back with dealer again. Eventually needed four new injectors, an EGR and updated ECU software. Apparently it is common for the update to fry electronic components on higher milage cars.
24-07-2017:Report that Mechatronics of 7-speed dry clutch DSG of 2010 VW Golf Plus packed up at 60,000 miles. Owner quoted £2-5k for repair or replacement from VW. No additional goodwill.
29-12-2017:Report of two fuel injectors failing in 2011 VW Golf Plus. Reader unclear as to whether engine had undergone the NOx emissions fix, or even if it was a diesel. Was quoted £417 to replace one injector.
19-07-2019:Report of losing all drive in 2013 VW Golf Plus with DQ200 7-Speed dry clutch DSG at 38,500 miles. Owner facing a bill of £1,295 + VAT for a new unit (mechatronics?) and has been told this is a common fault with this car.
26-07-2019:Report of two fuel injectors of 2011 VW Golf Plus 1.6TDI failing since the EA189 NOx emissions fix. Both replaced under "restoring trust" warranty against problems consequential of the fix. However, NOx fix was carried out in June 2017, so now outside 2 year warranty and a third injector has now failed. Dealer price to fix it £750.
