Volkswagen’s determination to push itself up market never quite struck a chord with the automobile-shopping for public. The fabulously over-engineered Phaeton from 2002 stays an iconic piece of luxurious design, however despite being just as succesful as its rivals, the car suffered from inverse snobbery and by no means found its mark. Although the Phaeton was a glorious failure, it helped kick-start a rise in high quality proper across the VW range. As a result, the manufacturer’s present line-up has a chunky, machined elegance that stands out for its sophistication, performance and general lack of showiness. Within the motor trade, the larger the automobile, the larger the profit. VW might need made its identify with city vehicles for mass consumption, but unless it could upscale the prices and the quality, the margins will always be slim. The Arteon is a move back into premium territory. On the street, the Arteon is a greater than respectable performer, mustering quiet confidence without descending right into a screaming, all the time-on sports activities machine. The latter isn’t a VW quality and probably by no means will probably be but then again, neither is full-on luxury. Instead, the Arteon is a mature piece of automotive design, the no-brand various to badge snobbery or prime trump efficiency comparisons. If you’re glad to be anonymously fashionable, only compromising the cachet of a model, then the Arteon does its job simply nice.
The hybrid powertrain gives enough punch initially, but efficiency ebbs away thereafter because the lethargic 1.8-litre engine takes over acceleration duties. That’s an actual shame as a result of the Toyota’s chassis is impressive. It’s very snug, soaking up bumps with composure and taking onerous road surfaces in its stride, while also protecting physique roll to a minimum. Ignoring the powertrain, the Corolla is almost pretty much as good to drive as the Golf, although its steering feels more disconnected than the Volkswagen’s. The Toyota’s hybrid powertrain necessitates a battery, which eats into interior house. The boot is 361 litres with the rear seats in place; that’s smaller than the Golf’s 380 litres and the 308’s giant 470-litre load bay. It’s only 19 litres down on the VW’s, so there’s sufficient room for household life, but you may need to get creative with slotting in suitcases if you’re heading on holiday. The rear doorways are fairly small and bulky, so it’s not as simple to get in and out of the Toyota as its rivals.
However, once you’re inside, leg and headroom are good, and even with the entrance seats set again, adults will nonetheless really feel snug, because the seatbacks are comfortable sufficient to relaxation your knees on. It does fall behind for general house and it’s darker within the back as properly, as a result of small, tapered rear windows. You do get a cup-holder within the doors, which is useful, however otherwise storage is simply average. Regardless that it costs more than its rivals on take a look at, the Corolla provides essentially the most safety equipment. Toyota’s five-year, 100,000-mile warranty is great, too, however the brand’s 12th place out of 26 marques within the manufacturers’ chart of our Driver Power 2018 proprietor satisfaction survey was solely average. The hybrid Corolla returned a gasoline financial system figure of 44.3mpg on our take a look at, which was forward of the Golf’s 41.9mpg and the Peugeot’s 38.5mpg returns. Low CO2 emissions of 83g/km put the Toyota within the 19 per cent Benefit-in-Kind tax bracket for firm car users, so decrease-price earners will solely pay £1,033 a 12 months to run one. That’s less than the £1,174 and £1,243 it would cost for the Volkswagen and 308 respectively.
The Volkswagen Golf is our favourite family hatch and subsequently the model to beat right here. The 128bhp 1.5-litre petrol TSI version in GT trim is the best spec available with this comparable engine to the Toyota for energy, though it’s not a hybrid. This Golf makes use of petrol power alone. The 1.5-litre TSI turbo delivers 128bhp and 200Nm of torque to the front wheels by means of a seven-speed twin-clutch auto box. Some GT models even have lowered suspension over the usual car, however our 128bhp version options the normal set-up. The Golf’s inside is easy and functional, however it’s also nicely built and uses gentle-contact materials that make it essentially the most upmarket model of the trio. Adding to the classy picture is the superb infotainment system. The eight-inch set-up is essentially the most modern-wanting here and it’s customary on the GT (though the automobile in our pictures is an SE Nav). It contains smartphone connectivity which, sadly, will not be but provided on the Corolla. You can also add a 12.3-inch TFT Active Info Display digital dashboard for £495. This is larger than the Toyota’s seven-inch set-up and replaces the standard analogue dials behind the wheel.
