10 Jul 06
At first glance, the numbers just don't make sense. How can an engine with just 1.4 litres produce a rather tasty 167bhp and 177lb-ft of torque? Has someone at VW fiddled the figures to make this Golf seem more than it is?
The plot thickens as I turn the key and stab the throttle, which reveals an intriguing engine note with a mysterious whine to it - it seems there's more to this 1.4 than I first thought.
That whining noise coming from under the bonnet is the biggest clue - this Golf's got a supercharger no less, a device normally found on high-performance cars such as the Jaguar XKR. But VW hasn't stopped there, for there's also a turbocharger. A supercharger and a turbocharger? That hasn't been seen on a car since the Lancia Delta S4 from the Group B glory days of rallying. So what's a mass production shopping trolley doing with such complex mechanics?
According to VW, it's all to do with downsizing. With increasing fuel prices and flurries of directives from the EU, car companies are being pressed to make their cars ever more economical and greener-of-exhaust. Against that backdrop, VW decided to produce an engine that's frugal and clean, but also fun to drive.
