Volkswagen
Dependable, trusted and reliable, Volkswagen is renowned for building quality cars. From its smallest up! city car up to the giant Phaeton saloon, all cars share an enviable reputation for reliability and safety. The Polo and Golf lead their respective classes for comfort and luxury.
Volkswagen Amarok
The Volkswagen Amarok is the only double-cab pick-up to be designed and engineered in Europe. Its interior serves up seating for five, and stands out in this market by offering quality materials and a solid finish. A 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel engine powers all four wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Add a raft of off-road technology, and the car is imperious over rough terrain. On the tarmac, it feels big from behind the wheel, and large overhangs make parking tricky. But the Amarok is lots of fun, and the huge load bed will ensure it appeals to commercial vehicle buyers.
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Volkswagen Beetle
The 'new' Volkswagen Beetle was launched in 1999, and started the craze for 'retro' cars that have been inspired by classic models, such as the MINI and Fiat 500. Unlike the original rear-engined Beetle, the modern version is based on the Volkswagen Golf, so the engine is at the front. The recent re-design has resulted in a much improved car with more rear headroom, better roadholding and striking looks. The interior is also much more practical and of higher quality.
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Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life
The Volkswagen Caddy Maxi Life is a van-based people carrier, but it's priced at a level that's higher than other budget-minded models such as the Citroen Berlingo and Renault Kangoo. Because of its van roots, the Caddy is extremely spacious, and has room for seven inside. Sliding rear doors mean access to the back is easy, but you have to remove the seats completely to take advantage of the Caddy's maximum boot capacity. There are three diesel engines available: a 102bhp 1.6 and a 2.0-litre unit with 110bhp or 140bhp - the former of these comes with four-wheel drive.
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Volkswagen Caravelle
It's based on a commercial van, but this people carrying edition of the Volkswagen Caravelle takes some beating for drivability and practicality. It's very spacious inside and in California specification makes the most of this - with fitments and fittings that turn the car into a camper. Inside, you'll find lots of storage options, plus optional tables, and sliding bench seats. Two diesel engines are offered, and for those who plan to tow on slippery surfaces, four-wheel drive is available too.
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Volkswagen Eos
The VW Eos is a stylish four-seat convertible, distinguished by its clever folding metal and glass roof. At the touch of a button, the roof splits into five pieces and folds neatly into the boot. Unlike most folding hardtops, the Eos roof features glass sections, so the luxurious cabin remains bright even when the top is up. The Eos also features a great engine range, which offers power or BlueMotion economy, depending on your priorities.
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Volkswagen Fox (2006-2012)
The Brazilian-built Fox city car is the smallest and cheapest model in Volkswagen's range. It offers the prestige of the VW badge, but the quality in the cabin isn’t up to the firm's usual standards, and standard equipment is low. The Fox is only available as a three-door hatchback, but the four-seat cabin offers lots of headroom and feels spacious for front and rear passengers. There are two petrol engines and two trim levels, but no diesel option. Both the Hyundai i10 and Citroen C1 are better value.
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Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a classy and well-built rival to the Ford Focus. Its neat interior, class-leading comfort and smart looks make it one of the most desirable cars in its class. The extensive model range offers something for all budgets, and includes a hatchback, a practical Estate and the Golf Plus, which features a larger body and higher driving position. The engine range fuel efficient diesels and high performance turbos. The model range includes GTI and R sporting models that compete with the likes of the Ford Focus ST and RS, but neither is cheap.
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Volkswagen Golf Plus
The Golf Plus occupies the middle ground between the standard Golf hatchback and the Touran MPV in terms of size. The seats are raised to MPV height, while the larger boot and spacious interior adds a bit of versatility over the conventional hatchback. Again, it's the smaller diesel engines or the 1.4 TSI petrol that best balance economy and performance, but aside from its added height, there's really little reason to choose the Golf Plus over the regular model.
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Volkswagen Jetta
The Volkswagen Jetta is a car designed for the US market, where small saloons are more popular than hatchbacks. Previous versions of the Jetta have been little more than a Golf with a boot grafted on, but VW has made a conscious effort to distance the latest car from the hatchback. Build quality is up to VW's usual high standards, while BlueMotion Technology means the 1.6 TDI diesel offers low running costs.
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Volkswagen Passat
Whether you choose a Passat saloon, Estate or stylish four-door CC, VW's rival for the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia offers a classy, well-built cabin and a wide range of engines - including some of the best, most economical diesels on the market. The CC is a ‘four-door coupe’ that offers far more style than the saloon, losing only a little practicality. The BlueMotion model is frugal, too.
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Volkswagen Passat CC
The Passat CC is almost a separate model; such is the boost in style and flair over the regular saloon. It's lower and sleeker than the standard four-door Passat, and is VW's attempt at a premium car to rival the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4. The first models were strictly four-seat, although a 2010 update added a full rear bench seat to accommodate an extra passenger. As a result, it's no less practical than the Passat saloon.
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Volkswagen Phaeton
Volkwagen's luxury car doesn’t have the premium badge of a Mercedes-Benz or BMW, but the Phaeton is brilliantly engineered and features a host of hi-tech equipment as standard, including a touchscreen satellite navigation and climate control system. The design is very understated, which will appeal to some, while the interior is spacious and comfortable. The Phaeton is very expensive to buy new and depreciation is steep, which makes it a great proposition if you’re buying second-hand.
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Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo boasts quality that's a cut above supermini rivals like the Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Fiesta. It borrows its look and feel from the larger Golf. The Polo's interior is particularly impressive as it's nicely built from high quality materials. Three and five-door versions are available, and both offer plenty of space inside for four people. The Polo can’t match the Fiesta in terms of driving entertainment. There are plenty of engines and trims available, including the eco-friendly Polo BlueMotion.
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Volkswagen Scirocco
The Scirocco is designed to look stunning from every angle, and features aggressive headlights and a curvy rear end, which means it looks like nothing else on the road. On the inside, the cabin is very high quality, although the coupe roofline and three-door body limits rear seat space. The Scirocco handles very well, particularly if you go for the optional adaptive suspension. The engines deliver great performance. The range-topping Scirocco R is very expensive, but is great fun to drive.
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Volkswagen Sharan
The new Sharan is longer and wider than the car it replaces, but thanks to advances in technology, it's also lighter, faster and more fuel efficient too. Inside there's a versatile interior with fold flat seats that allow the driver to create a load space that's 2.1 metres long. Lift the seats up again, and the outer pair of middle row chairs feature an ingenious tip and slide function. This works in tandem with the wide-opening sliding rear doors to make access to the rearmost seats easy. Best of all the chairs are roomy enough for even reasonably tall adults.
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Volkswagen Tiguan
Volkswagen's Tiguan competes in the crossover market against the Nissan Qashqai, Peugeot 3008, BMW X1 and Ford Kuga. It has some off-road ability, which can be maximised by specifying Escape trim, which features four-wheel drive and an off-road body kit. The Tiguan is comfortable and spacious, fun to drive and has excellent build quality. All six trim levels are well equipped, and there are five smooth and economical engines to choose from, although the diesels make the most sensible buys because they hold their value better.
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Volkswagen Touareg
The Touareg is Volkswagen's luxury 4x4 and competes with the Land Rover Discovery 4, BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class. It's offered in four different trim levels, all of which are well equipped, including the Escape model - which is optimised for going off-road - and a hybrid. The hybrid model manages to be the fastest Touareg while boasting the lowest emissions. Despite that, TDI turbodiesel versions are the biggest sellers, with Volkswagen offering three different diesel engine.
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Volkswagen Touran
The VW Touran has been around since 2003, and is about to be replaced with an all-new model, making it possible to negotiate discounts at dealers. The Touran comes with seven seats, but can be bought as a five-seater with a slightly larger boot. There's a good choice of trim levels and engines, including an economical BlueMotion model, but the Touran isn’t exactly exciting to drive. Optional technology includes VW's novel Park Assist feature, which allows the car to parallel park itself.
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Volkswagen up!
Volkswagen's up! is a three-door city car with enough space for four adults. It features a small, efficient 1.0-litre petrol engine, while a fully electric version is expected in the near future. It's smaller than rivals like the Toyota Aygo and Peugeot 107, but clever packaging and design means the up! offers the maximum amount of space from its small dimensions.
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