CAR DETAILS

The brilliant Golf tastes defeat for the first time here. It’s not at its best in 1.6-litre TDI guise and, in this company, it’s hobbled by its eye-watering price tag. Still, if you can justify the expense, the VW still sets the standard for performance, interior refinement and driver comfort.

Could the new VW Golf be the most complete family car money can buy? When the seventh-generation model burst on to the scene earlier this year, it instantly set new class standards for quality, refinement and desirability. Better still, it’s cheap to run and great to drive. However, it’s unlikely to win any awards for style.