Volkswagen Tyres

Volkswagen’s entry level car is the up! city car, a multi award-winning model which has only got better with a recent face lift and upgrade. The up! comes as either a three- or -five door, has high levels of safety equipment and is powered by a 1.0 litre engine in a variety of power outputs, including a high performance GTI. It now comes as a plug-in electric/petrol hybrid called the e-up! Depending on the version, the little Volkswagen rides on 14 or 15 inch wheels unless it is the sporty GTI model which gets 17 inch alloys and low profile tyres.

Thanks to the favourable tax benefits for them, the UK has the strongest pick-up truck market in Europe and the VW Amarok is a key player in it. This is the only contender to have been twice voted the International Pick-Up of the Year, which speaks volumes about the Amarok’s capabilities. It is a tough workhorse, with a V6 diesel, four wheel drive, a  1,150kgs payload and towing capacity of 3.1 tonnes. Like the rival Mercedes-Benz X Class and others, it is as well equipped as a similarly priced SUV or executive saloon as it tries to appeal to company car users.

The best known car in VW’s current range, the Golf has been the leader in the medium hatchback sector since the first one came out in the 1970s. Today, the Golf comes in three body forms, the hatch, an estate and the Golf SV which has more seating flexibility and is halfway between the hatchback and the Touran MPV. The Golf is also a base for many other cars as many of the components it uses are found in other VW cars and the wider group too. With nine hatchback versions to choose from, there is a Golf to meet most tastes and VW now sells it as both a hybrid and a pure electric version too.

The Polo is a five-door compact hatchback, slotting into VW’s range between the up! city car and the Golf. The latest version was recently voted as the Best Urban Car in the World Car Awards 2018 which says a lot about its quality. It has all the attributes of the Golf but at a lower price point and for many is all the car they need. The Polo is sold in seven different versions and with seven engines/gearboxes to choose from  with models optimised for comfort (the SEL) to sportiness with the GTI.

A mid-sized SUV, the Tiguan is a well-established name in the VW range. Recently refreshed and updated, the Tiguan is a solid looking car and comes in five trim versions and has a choice of eight engines. It draws heavily on the driver aid tech used from the top end of the VW range to offer features such as Head-Up Information display, the very latest connectivity and convenience aids such as Trailer Assist which makes reversing a trailer into place so much easier, safer – and potentially cheaper. A bigger, seven-seater, version called the Tiguan Allspace, is essentially the same vehicle but with a longer wheelbase and room inside for a third row of seats.

VW’s Golf-based MPV, the Touran offers seven seats in a relatively compact hatchback body and has won numerous industry awards for doing what it says on the tin, being a very capable and practical family car with room for seven but which is of a size that makes it easy to park and use. That it is a perennial favourite with taxi firms says much about its ability as a people carrier.