IN THIS FEATURE A car to fit a small niche All very Golf-ish Who's going to buy it?

The Golf 4Motion's regular-car advantages - decent economy, a low centre of gravity, decent ride and handling, not looking like a berk - mean that it'd be our choice over quite a few soft- or off-roaders. That the 4Motion can tow up to 1,800kg (braked), up by 200kg over the 2WD model is a boon, too, although we can understand why, if you regularly towed that much, you might want the extra weight of a proper off-roader for greater safety and stability.

Not really for keener drivers

So who's going to buy this Golf, then? Volkswagen sees two customer types: those who want a regular hatchback but with a bit more traction for when the going gets slippery, or keener driving enthusiasts who want the fun of a four-wheel-drive car. The 4Motion suits the first lot, but not really the second. The standard Golf isn't really a keen driver's car, and the 4Motion system doesn't turn it into an Impreza STi rival, even though it will be badged GT FSI or GT TDI when it arrives in the UK next May. Priced at around £18,500 (petrol) and £19,000 (diesel), it'll be around £1,000 more than the regular model. Not cheap, but neither as thirsty as a big off-roader and if it makes the difference between getting home and getting mired in mud, you probably just need to use the 4Motion system a couple of times to make it worthwhile.