2025 Volkswagen Golf review: Australian first drive

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf range marks the midlife point for this generation of VW’s small hatch. As the Golf 8 becomes the Golf 8.5, a range of styling, technology, and specification changes have been rolled out across the line-up.

Volkswagen is always careful with the Golf. Changes are usually evolutionary, and that’s no exception here. At first glance, it might be hard to pick the new Golf from the outgoing model, but with an already impressive product to start from, Volkswagen arguably hasn’t needed to do too much.

While engine and transmission details remain unchanged, Volkswagen has been paying attention to feedback from owners with new, simpler infotainment interfaces – one of the major criticisms of the old car.

Although it no longer pressures the cheapest end of the small car market, the new Golf comes in three mainstream models (before the performance range kicks in), offers a premium look and feel on the inside, with pricing that can still cut through against high-end rivals from Mazda, Honda, Toyota and more.

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf range launches with three models in Australia, called Golf Life, Golf Style, and Golf R-Line. From there, the range heads into hot hatch territory with the Golf GTI (reviewed separately) and Golf R, set to launch slightly later.

Looking at the core models, all three are powered by a carryover 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine producing 110kW and 250Nm, paired with an eight-speed torque converter automatic and front-wheel drive. It’s the same drivetrain as found in the pre-update Golf.

The Golf Life opens the range from $38,690 plus on-road costs, making it $500 cheaper than the model it replaces, although it goes without the old car’s satellite navigation in the process.

Standard equipment is still decent without being over the top and includes LED head- and tail-lights with dusk-sensing and auto high beam, 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and push-button start, single-zone climate control, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, fabric upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, wireless phone charging, a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a new 10.9-inch infotainment screen (up from 10-inch previously).

Stepping up to the Golf Style brings a big step up in equipment for the $43,690 plus on-roads price. Additional equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, a 12.9-inch infotainment screen including satellite navigation, rear privacy tint, chrome exterior highlights, microfleece interior trim, a 14-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory, and 30-colour interior ambient lighting.

The Golf R-Line slots in as something of a stepping stone between the regular Golf and the Golf GTI. While performance is the same as the Life and Style, the R-Line adds sportier styling, unique 18-inch alloy wheels, progressive sports steering from the GTI, Vienna leather upholstery, front sports seats with heating and ventilation, and a drive mode selector.

The Golf R-Line has a list price of $47,990 plus on-road costs. Both the Style and R-Line can be upgraded with options including a $1900 panoramic sunroof, and a $2000 Sound & Vision Package that adds a head-up display, 360-degree cameras, and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

In Australia’s small car class, a few other models play a slightly more premium hand, including the Mazda 3 range, which utilises upmarket interior materials with a premium focus, priced from $31,310 to $43,310 (plus ORCs) with a choice of 2.0- and 2.5-litre engines and a six-speed automatic transmission.

Honda has moved to an all-hybrid line-up for the latest Civic, priced from $49,900 to $55,900 drive-away for the two-variant range. With no traditional base model, the Civic range instead aims at the top of the class with equipment to match.

Australia’s most popular small car, the Toyota Corolla, comes in a three-step range, like the Golf, but only offers hybrid power. The range opens from $32,110 plus on-road costs and rises to $40,260 at the top of the range, keeping it a decent margin ahead of the Golf’s pricing at each step.

With new stock only just on its way to dealers as this review goes live, you may be able to cut a sharp deal on a runout pre-update Golf. You can view the full range of new and used Volkswagen Golfs for sale on Drive Marketplace.

Click here to find your nearest Volkswagen dealer, where you can compare the different trim levels side-by-side to find your perfect match.

If you're looking for more pricing, specifications, and the latest offers on the Volkswagen Golf range, click here.

In terms of space and size, Volkswagen has kept the new Golf the same as before, and that’s no bad thing.

The bulk of my time behind the wheel was spent in the Golf R-Line, which puts its best foot forward as the most upmarket of the three variants.

In the entry-level Golf Life, you get comfort seats with cloth trim and manual adjustment. They don't feel like a basic seat and offer good support with a comfy cloth covering. The steering wheel is trimmed in leather too, for a fancier feel.

The base model only gets single-zone climate control, whereas the Style and R-Line get a three-zone climate system, but air vents are still found in the back seat.

Both front and rear seat space is good. The rear seats benefit from a roof line that doesn't taper to the rear, preserving head room and making it easy to get in and out.

USB-C ports can be found front and rear to keep devices topped up. Volkswagen continues with niceties such as felt-lined door pockets to stop bottles from rattling around, which is a rare but welcome touch. Storage in the console and under the centre stack isn’t as generous as you might think, but it will do the job for most.

The Style gets a noticeable boost in equipment and presentation thanks to its nicer microfleece (suede look) interior trim, electric driver’s seat adjustment, three-zone climate control and 30-colour interior illumination. The infotainment system also steps up from 10.3 to 12.9 inches in size, but more on that in the next section.

While the Style isn’t an all-out luxury trim, it feels nicer inside than the typical mid-spec appointments found in rivals.

The R-Line does a good job of taking the Style’s equipment and blending it with a sporty style. Performance itself is unchanged, but the fixed-headrest seats and deep bolstering immediately make for a more performance-oriented look. These are trimmed in leather and come with heating and cooling standard.

It's not a massive change compared to the Golf Style, but it's distinct enough to warrant having the two models available. The sporty front seats in the R-Line can restrict forward visibility from rear seat occupants a little, but that’s the only major packaging change you’ll find.

Boot space is quite practical with 374 litres of available storage. Alongside hatch rivals, the Corolla ZR has 333L of storage, the Mazda 3 has only 295L of boot space, while the Civic is slightly larger at 409L.

Inside the boot of the Golf, you’ll find features like bag hooks, LED lighting, tie-down points, and a space-saver spare wheel under the boot floor. All variants come with a manual rather than a powered tailgate.

One of the biggest changes to the Mk8.5 Golf range comes via the infotainment system. The previous 10-inch display has been replaced by a slightly larger 10.3-inch display in the Golf Life or a 12.9-inch display in all other models.

The system software has also been updated with Volkswagen’s latest infotainment platform, as found in the ID.4 and ID.5, in use here.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included, alongside Bluetooth, and FM/DAB+ radio. The base-model Life goes without satellite navigation, but it’s included on the Style and R-Line.

With a row of user-defined shortcuts at the top of the screen and layout options for the home screen display, it’s much easier to get the info you want at a glance or create quick shortcuts to commonly used functions.

Volkswagen has used physical steering wheel buttons on all grades in place of capacitive touchpads in the steering wheel, making it easier to execute commands on the go.

It’s a step in the right direction, though still not quite the ideal balance of touch versus physical controls. Faster software and a much more responsive screen help make the system easier to use than when the Mk8 Golf first arrived.

As standard, the Golf Life is fitted with a six-speaker sound system, while the Style and R-Line count seven speakers with the option to upgrade to a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, bundled with a head-up display and 360-degree cameras as part of the Sound & Vision option package.

The standard 10.2-inch instrument cluster can show a range of display layouts for info like speed, tacho, fuel, and user-selectable trip data, maps, and more. Once you find your favourite you're unlikely to change, but the option to set info up to your liking is handy.

The Volkswagen Golf range hasn’t been retested by ANCAP with this latest update and carries a safety rating from 2022. As ANCAP raises the five-star threshold every few years, this older rating may not be the equivalent of a 2025 result.

When tested, the Golf range saw strong results across the board with an 88 per cent adult occupant protection rating, 87 per cent for child occupant protection, 74 per cent for vulnerable road user (pedestrian) protection, and 76 per cent for safety assist systems.

All Golf models come with dual front airbags, front and rear side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, plus a centre airbag between front seat occupants to reduce the risk of head clash in an accident.

Even in the entry-level Life, the Golf range comes with a full suite of safety equipment including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, Travel Assist lane centring, emergency lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

The range also comes with semi-automated self-parking tech to help steer you into a parking space while you control the accelerator, brakes and gear selection.

On the road, the systems are well controlled and natural-feeling. The lane-keep intervention feels natural. The system doesn't alarmingly tug at the wheel, and seemed to cope well with rural lane markings.

One very valuable feature missing from the Golf range is speed limit recognition – always handy when covering unfamiliar roads. Volkswagen has started to roll this technology out on other models, but the Golf misses out for now.

Volkswagen lists official fuel consumption at 6.3 litres per 100 kilometres in combined highway/city driving. For the Mk8.5 Golf, that’s a 0.5L/100km increase over figures quoted for the old Mk8.

The drive loop for this first look at the Golf skewed heavily towards steady-state cruising rather than typical city driving, and with some winding roads thrown in, we recorded 6.2L/100km. We’ll wait until we can test the Golf on local roads before making a definitive call on fuel consumption.

The Golf specifies 95-octane unleaded as a minimum, and has a decent-sized 50-litre tank, resulting in a potential driving range of almost 800km at the manufacturer’s claim.

The 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine and eight-speed automatic are carried over from the pre-update Golf. They’ve proven their worth there as smooth, efficient, and easy to live with, so arguably, there was no need to make any major changes.

The engine produces 110kW, so it isn’t an outright powerhouse, but with 250Nm available from as low as 1500rpm, this is a tractable and eager engine for use around town. Volkswagen’s decision to move away from a dual-clutch automatic for the Golf Mk7 makes it a lot smoother at low speeds, and more friendly when parking or hill-starting.

While its gear selection perhaps doesn’t feel as direct as the older Mk7 Golf, the little bit of crispness it loses is more than made up for with a softer, more forgiving attitude in stop-start conditions.

The Golf has an agreeable composure. There’s little in the way of noise or vibration from the engine unless pushed to the limit, and acceleration feels reassuringly strong away from the lights.

The Golf Life gains a small comfort advantage thanks to its 17-inch wheels and larger sidewalls. Across the range, though the ride is firm rather than floppy, and despite being comfortable across most road surfaces, big bumps and tarmac joins really catch the suspension out and rock the cabin rudely.

Away from the 9-to-5 grind, the Golf can handle longer drives in comfort, and when you hit the right road, the weighted steering and controlled suspension come into their own. It’s not a sports car pretender, but the regular Golf can be quite fun if that’s what you’re after.

Ultimately, though, the cultured, smooth, and progressive feel of the controls makes the Golf feel solid and stable across a variety of conditions. The attention to detail across ride, handling, and steering gives the Golf an edge in a segment where, often, lighter and more isolated controls are more typical.

While it may not boast the cheapest prices in the segment, the Volkswagen Golf bolsters its more premium positioning with a range of included features that help elevate it, and driving dynamics that feel refined and honed to meet the needs of drivers looking for more than just A-to-B transport.

The entry-level Golf Life has the smoothest ride of the three mainstream models, but its equipment feels a little overshadowed by the Style and R-Line grades.

For small car buyers looking for a premium hatchback that challenges traditional luxury brands for power, equipment, and price, the Golf remains a smart choice.

While the updated model hasn’t made major corrections to what was arguably an already-impressive range, the targeted tech changes help keep the Golf at the head of the small car pack.