The new facelift Volkswagen Golf 8.5 is now available for sale in South Africa.

The 1.4L TSI variant now comes in the Life, Life Plus, R-Line and R-Line Plus lines, starting at R580 900, going all the way up to R688 100.

Comparatively, the Golf 8 was launched locally in the GTI and R variants only, with VW stating they are giving customers what they want now, with the Golf 8.5 TSI and its new options.

VW describes the Golf 8.5 as having its next-gen infotainment system, a more intuitive operating concept, a sharper front and rear-end design and more efficient drive systems.

I attended the launch event last week, hosted by VW South Africa. The drive felt quick but not substantial enough for more details, other than it was a comfortable drive of mostly highway driving; the cabin was insulated well; and the infotainment screen was big. I enjoyed my time behind the wheel.

The engine

The new Golf 8.5 TSI has 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque. It is mated to an 8-speed Tiptronic transmission, and delivers a claimed fuel efficient 6.3L/100km. It can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds.

The exterior

On the exterior, it features a new bumper and tail light design and clusters, new headlights with an illuminated logo, IQ.Light HD matrix LED headlights and a logo projection.

VW says the Golf 8.5 can be recognised by its new front design, which is now illuminated for the first time. I personally have seen other models on the road with a lit up design and it does look good, it’s a stand out feature.

Its top-of-the-range LED matrix headlights has a main beam with a range of up to 500m.

The Life and R-Line models are slightly different. The R-Line features sportier bumpers with gloss black accents and a more aggressive honeycomb design while the Life is more understated.

The R-Line sports unique R-Line badging and chrome-effect trapezoid dummy exhaust tailpipe surrounds, which are absent in the Life model.

The Lines

Life: The Life model has what VW calls eco LED headlights, light assist with high beam control, 16-inch Norfolk alloy wheels, electric adjusted side mirrors, 10-colour ambient lighting dashboard, a 10.3-inch infotainment radio with 6 speakers, a 10-inch integrated digital cockpit and wireless app connect and 45W USB ports.

Life Plus: In addition to the above, the Life Plus model has rearview cameras, driving profile selection, sports comfort seats with Artvelour trim and a 30-colour ambient lighting dashboard.

Standard seats include a storm grey roof headliner for both lines but fabric seats for the Life and Art Velour sport seats for the Life Plus.

R-Line: The R-Line includes LED Plus Headlights with an illuminated front logo, advanced high-beam control dynamic light assist, 17-inch Coventry alloy wheels, park assist, keyless advanced, 3-zone climate control, 30-colour ambient lighting for the dashboard and doors and R-Line interior and exterior designs.

R-Line Plus: The range-topping R-Line Plus has Vienna leather seats with the R-Line logo in the front, heated and ventilated seats, 18-inch Catania alloy wheels, electronically adjusted seats for the driver with memory function, heated steering wheel with shift paddles, and IQ.Light HD matrix LED headlights.

The prices

The new 110kW Golf 1.4 TSI is prices as follows, including VAT):

Life – R580 900
Life Plus – R604 500
R-Line – R660 000
R-Line Plus – R668 100